Author: Horry Electric

Rev. Charles Jackson and Rep. James Clyburn spent time with students from across South Carolina as part of the Virtual Youth Experience on Monday.

The Virtual Youth Experience, a week-long web conference sponsored by South Carolina’s electric cooperatives, was designed to bring together high-achieving high school students from across the state to meet with various local, state and national leaders.

Jackson, senior pastor at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, spoke to the students about the importance of loving one another and positive race relations.

“My confirmation of what it means to be American comes from having grown up in a Christian home,” said Jackson. “My parents taught us to love above all else. I thank God for both the principle and the practice of love. We have to transcend these barriers that divide us, and we can do that through love.”

Clyburn, who represents South Carolina’s sixth congressional district and is the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, spoke to the students about finding common ground.

“I have a philosophy that I try to live by, that is if the distance between me and my opponent is five steps, I don’t mind taking three of them,” said Clyburn. “I never mind meeting someone more than half way.”

Students were also encouraged to hear of Clyburn’s advocacy for the expansion of accessible and affordable rural broadband. Clyburn described high-speed internet as an essential component of bringing rural America into the 21st century.

A total of 75 students—all rising high school juniors or seniors—are participating in the Virtual Youth Experience. These students represent 17 electric cooperatives across South Carolina.

The June 2021 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com!

The main part of South Carolina Living magazine, which can also be found online includes the usual recipes, plus a few feature articles about interesting people and places in our own state!

The June 2021 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op. Highlights include: 

• CEO Column– Annual Meeting a success; Hurricane season begins June 1.
• Virtual Youth Experience: Local students to meet with state leaders during virtual conference.
• Restoring Service after the Storm: Steps to restoring power.
• “Heart” of Power Delivery: A look into one of our departments – How substations are the heart of power delivery.
• Various co-op news: Myrtle Beach student wins book challenge; Beat the Peak contest; Do you have special medical needs?; Include us in your plans.

Not many businesses pay you for buying something you wouldn’t want to live without, but electric cooperatives do!

This year, members of Horry Electric Cooperative will be receiving a portion of the capital credits assignment for 2003, 2004 and/or 2019.

The allowable retirement this year is $3,542,770.07 less $500,000 in estate payments. The total amount being distributed is $3,042,770.07, which includes the $1,203,283.67 balance of 2003, $1,537,486.40 balance of 2004 and $300,000 of 2019.

• If you were a member in 2019, you will receive 1.34% of your 2019 assignment.
• If you were a member in 2003 or 2004, you will receive the remaining unretired balance of your assignment for that year.

Capital credit disbursements are made by the end of April. Due to the expense of processing and issuing checks, members with refunds in amounts less than $25 will see a credit on their electric bill.

All refunds below $25  will be credited to the accounts of eligible active members when the account bills in April.

Members can calculate the approximate amount of their 2019 allocation and disbursement by using the chart shown below. It was designed to help members calculate and estimate what their capital credit check or electric bill credit might be.

When you open your Horry Electric bill statement during the month of April, be sure to pay close attention to the contents.  Inside, you’ll find three very important communications.

“We’re not sure in what order they’ll be inserted, but they are equally important,” says Danny Shelley, executive vice president and CEO.

One of the items is a reminder that everyone needs to participate in the 2020 Census. “This is critical to us in South Carolina because the results can have an impact on growing communities by providing funding for after school programs, food assistance programs and much more,” says Shelley. “By making sure we’re all counted, we have a better chance of getting what we need from the Federal Government when they distribute funds to the different States.” The results of the Census also help determine how many seats we get in Congress. “It also creates jobs and helps fund emergency services, builds schools, roads and housing,” he continued. Census information is confidential. For more information, visit 2020Census.gov or call 1.844.330.2020 (English) and 1.844.468.2020 (Spanish).

Another insert is the Current Word. It features some important details pertaining to our 2020 Annual Meeting of Members, which is scheduled for May 12, 2020. “We may have to end up postponing the meeting, but we believe the information in the newsletter is something members can use, regardless,” says Shelley.  

One side of the publication features convenient options for members to pay bills, including the HEC Mobile app, MyEnergy Online and the Local Pay Stations made possible by Conway National Bank and Anderson Brothers Bank. “The only thing that isn’t valid in our current business operations is in-person transactions in our office lobbies,” he continued, adding that drive-thru windows in Conway and Socastee are still open.  

The third insert is an invitation to Let’s Stay Connected during the COVID-19 crisis. “In addition to serving as a reminder of the many different ways for members to connect with their cooperative, it is reassurance for members that we are continuing to monitor the crisis and we are adjusting our sails accordingly,” says Shelley. “We rushed to put this special insert together to call special attention to  things put in place for members by the board of trustees for the month of April.”

 

 

WHEN COVID-19 BECAME A THREAT to our community, the Board of Trustees took immediate action and announced that all disconnects for regular and Advance Pay accounts would be held until further notice. Shortly after their decision, the Governor announced he was asking all utilities to do the same. At that time, penalties and late fees applied.

“The Governor has not lifted the provision for late fees and penalties, but the Board of Trustees of Horry Electric has unanimously taken action to discontinue late fees and penalties during the month of April,” announced Danny Shelley, executive vice president and CEO. “It’s an effort to further help members impacted by the COVID-19,” he continued.

As the Coronavirus crisis has evolved, the Board of Trustees and co-op employees have been proactively searching for more ways to provide relief to members.

“In addition to eliminating the late fees and penalties, we are happy to announce we are reducing the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment Rate to zero,” said Shelley.

The total savings for both actions is more than $650,000.

On top of all those savings, the Board of Trustees has decided that Capital Credit distribution will proceed as planned in mid-April, with a few changes. “The total Capital Credit distribution impact for our members is more than 3 million dollars,” said Shelley. Individual Capital Credit distribution of $25 or more will be delivered to members in the form of a check. Amounts less than that will be applied to member electric accounts as a credit.

“We hope this is good news for our members and I applaud our Board of Trustees with taking these actions,” said Shelley. “These are big business decisions, but you can rest assured the best interest of our members; our communities and our co-op are at the heart of everything being done.”

Although the co-op is not disconnecting and is eliminating late fees and penalties, alerts and reminders about account status and energy use are continuing. Members are advised to monitor their energy use and keep up with payments to the best of their ability. “When this crisis is over, we will have to resume disconnects and we don’t want anyone to be so far behind they can’t recover,” cautions Shelley.

Members are still responsible for paying for the electricity they use. “Your cooperative cannot provide free electricity,” says Shelley. “If we did, your fellow members would have to pick up the tab because we are a not-for-profit, member-owned company that operates on a cost of service basis,” he continued. “So we urge you to keep paying on time. Don’t let your bill grow.” 

“We want to assure members that we are here to keep the power flowing and to provide the services we can during this time of social distancing,” said Shelley. “We urge members to stay in touch with us through using the MyEnergy Online member service portal; engaging with us via social media; reading any eBlasts we send out; emailing us or by simply picking up the phone and giving us a call,” he added.

 

Electric Cooperative Washington Youth Tour for High School Juniors:  Experience Washington D.C. with nearly 1500 high school juniors from across South Carolina and the country, meeting lawmakers and touring all the sights.

Cooperative Youth Summit for High School Sophomores: Experience South Carolina’s capital like never before! Tour the Statehouse, meet lawmakers and see how co-ops are preparing for our state’s energy future. Plus, there’s plenty of time to visit Columbia’s popular attractions, including Riverbanks Zoo!

A personal interview is part of the selection process for all Horry Electric representatives. Study materials are sent to nominated students well in advance of the date scheduled for the process of selecting the four sophomore representatives Cooperative Youth Summit and the four junior representatives for Washington Youth Tour.

Applications are available in an online submission format for the Cooperative Youth Summit and for the Electric Cooperative Washington Youth Tour.

You can also download a copy of the 2020 Youth Summit application or the 2020 Electric Cooperative Washington Youth Tour application and submit them in paper form.

Find out more

Horry Electric Cooperative’s Youth Tour Coordinator is Toni Gore, who can be reached at 843.369.6359 or toni.gore@horryelectric.com

 

Did you know that hourly electricity use on Thanksgiving and the following day (Black Friday) tend to have different demand patterns from other weekdays?

Peaks in electricity demand result from simultaneous electricity use in the residential and commercial sectors.

On the HORRY ELECTRIC system, demand peaks during Winter months are typically early in the mornings (6-9 am). In Summer months, the peak is in the early evenings (4-7 pm).

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, on Thanksgiving Day, residential electricity demand tends to be highest late morning, as families cook meals and gather to celebrate the holiday. And because most businesses are closed, overall electricity demand on Thanksgiving Day tends to be lower.

Weekend days tend to have different electricity use patterns, as the total demand is typically much lower than on a weekday. Unlike most Fridays, Black Friday’s electricity demand closely resembles weekend electricity demand patterns.

We don’t expect to have a Beat the Peak event during the holiday weekend, but it’s always a good idea to monitor your energy use!

Many electric, water, and natural gas customers throughout the country are being targeted by impostor utility scams each day. Scammers typically use phone, in-person, and online tactics to target customers. Raising awareness and educating utility customers about scams is Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) top priority. UUAS will continue to help spread awareness of the suspicious behaviors and the evolving tactics that scammers use to target victims.

ALWAYS CALL HORRY ELECTRIC AT 843.369.2211 TO CHECK ON YOUR ACCOUNT IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF A CALLER OR IDENTITY OF A SERVICE WORKER! Please also call to report any suspicious activity.

Download a handy guide to imposter utility scams created by UUAS at http://www.utilitiesunited.org/Documents/Guide_UUAS_Guide_Utility_Scams.pdf

The November 2019   edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com!  It was delivered to the mailboxes of subscribing members earlier this month. It is a combination of November/December news and is the last for 2019. You can look forward to the next edition of the publication in January 2020.

The main part of South Carolina Living magazine, which can also be found online includes the usual recipes, a list of festivals and events, plus a few feature articles about interesting people and places in our own state!

The November 2019 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op.   Highlights include: 

• CEO Column – Looking forward to 2020; Continuing to grow strong, not just in size
• Various co-op news: W.I.R.E. Scholarship Winner; Employee recognized as Quiet Kiwanian; water heater program promotions and notification of special medical needs.
• Season’s Greetings from us to you: May the spirit of the season power you throughout the year. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
• Co-op awards teachers $10,000 in grants through the Bright Ideas program.
• How to become a trustee of Horry Electric Cooperative and the 2020 Time Schedule for the Annual Meeting.