Author: Jennifer Cummings

The April 2022 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com! This edition is the OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING and it includes a special cover wrap with more important details!

The magazine is being delivered to ALL Horry Electric members.

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 April 2022 edition has six pages dedicated to important Annual Member Meeting information, including: 

• CEO Column– Important Annual Member Meeting information you need to know, including registration requirements.
• Official Notice of the Annual Member Meeting: Details on the Annual Member Meeting early Drive-Thru Registration, prize drawings, and registration gift.
• Capital Credits: Co-op returning $4.1 million in capital credits to members (expected by the end of April).
• Board of Trustees: Meet the Board of Trustees.
• Meet the candidates: Read more about the trustee candidates.
• 2021 Financial View: A breakdown of the numbers; Comparative operating statistics.

Bradford Pear trees are known for having pretty blossoms, but also for their foul odor. These trees are not native to the United States, but can be spotted throughout South Carolina. They also pose a threat to our system during storms. Bradford Pear branches are known for breaking during storms and causing outages.

Homeowners have the opportunity to cut down their Bradford Pear trees and replace up to five for an equal number of free, healthy, native, replacement trees through the Bradford Pear Bounty. This is a collaboration between Clemson Extension and the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

Horry Electric will not cut down Bradford Pear trees for members, unless the tree is in our right-of-way area and on the schedule for our trimming cycle. Property owners are responsible for tree removal.

These are the participation requirements from Clemson Extension’s website:

• Pre-registration is required, once available.
• Only the property owner can register and get the trees.
• Any South Carolina resident can participate in the program.
• Property owners are responsible for tree removal.
• Take a photo of yourself with the cut tree (a selfie, if you will) and bring it to the exchange event.
• Replacement trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. If your preferred replacement tree is not available at the time of distribution, you will be provided with a healthy alternative. Specific tree species cannot be reserved ahead of the event.

Horry County’s exchange date is set for Saturday, March 5 from 8 a.m. until noon at 200 Laurel Street in Conway. For more information, click here.

Pay your bill on time every month without having to write a check through the Horry Electric Bank Draft program. Members can sign up for the easy, safe and convenient way to pay their electric bill.

When a member signs up, Horry Electric will begin automatically drafting their checking or savings account for the amount of their monthly electric bill on the due date. Members will still continue to receive statements showing their kWh use and the amount due, but will not have to write a check or visit the office. There are also no convenience fees.

During the month of March, any member who signs up as a new participant in the Bank Draft program will be automatically entered into a prize drawing for one of five $50 electric bill credits.

Members have until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, March 31 to sign up. You can sign up by logging in to the MyEnergy Online portal, or by calling (843) 369-2211 to speak to a member service representative during regular business hours. Members can also sign up via our free HEC mobile app.

The winners will be announced in early April. 

The contest rules are outlined below.

Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Bank Draft Sign-Up Competition & Prizes
Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions

1. No Purchase or Entry Fee Required.

2. Timing. The Bank Draft Sign-Up Competition & Prizes (“Promotion”) begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on March 1, 2022, and ends at 11:59 PM ET on March 31, 2022 (the “Promotion Period”).

3. Overview. This promotion is a submission contest solely intended for members of Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“Cooperative”) who currently are not registered for Bank Draft but who register for Bank Draft during the Promotion Period. Interested parties (the “Entrant” or “Submitter”) may be:

a)     an individual member of the Cooperative (“Entrant”), or

b)     an individual member entering on behalf of a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative (“Submitter”).

Entrants and/or Submitters may sign up for Bank Draft, and five randomly selected Entrants will be awarded a $50.00 (USD) bill credit on their next bill from the Cooperative.

4. To Enter. Entrants and/or Submitters may enter online by visiting MyEnergy Online to sign up in the member portal, by calling us at 843.369.2211 during regular business hours, or by clicking here. Entrants and/or Submitters must enter only one submission. Entries submitted in violation of the contest entry rules will not be considered [be void]. All entries become the property of the Cooperative and will not be returned. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM ET on March 31, 2022, the official end date of the Promotion Period.

5. Eligibility. Entrant and/or Submitter must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of entry, and the Entrant and/or Submitter must be a member of the Cooperative.  The following are not eligible to participate: a) officers, directors, and employees of the Cooperative; and b) the immediate family members (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and their respective spouses) of Cooperative employees and household members with whom they may reside (whether related or not); existing members of the Cooperative who are currently registered for Bank Draft; members with poor credit. This Promotion is void outside of South Carolina and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

6. Judging Criteria. Five winners will be randomly drawn from all properly submitted entries by April 8, 2022.

7. Prize Awarding. The five winners will be randomly selected and announced on or about April 8, 2022 from among all eligible entries received. The five winners will be notified in writing that the credit has been applied to their respective accounts.

8. Prizes/Odds. There will be five (5) prizes awarded: five $50.00 (USD) statement credits on the member’s next bill from the Cooperative. Odds of winning will be based on a random drawing from the total group of eligible submissions.

9. Terms/Conditions.

a) By submitting an entry, Entrant warrants and represents that he/she is a member of a South Carolina Electric Cooperative;

b) By submitting an entry, Submitter warrants and represents that he/she registered a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative;

c) The Cooperative reserves the right to disqualify any submission at any time in the event the Cooperative determines, in its sole discretion, that the submission is inappropriate, not in keeping with Cooperative’s image, or that an Entrant or Submitter has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions;

d) By claiming a prize, the winner agrees that the Cooperative, and its officers, employees, members, affiliates, agents, and advertising and promotional agencies, [do not have any] have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind related to participation in this Promotion, or from acceptance or use/misuse of any prize offered;

e) Acceptance of a prize shall constitute the winner’s agreement that the Cooperative or its agent(s) may use and/or display the winner’s name, address (city, state only), likeness, entry (and content) and/or prize information, without limitation, for promotional purposes, without further consideration, except where prohibited by law;

f) You agree to release Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform and acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform;

g) All taxes on prizes (if applicable) are the sole responsibility of the winner;

h) Prizes are not transferable or assignable, except to a surviving spouse, or at the sole discretion of the Cooperative.

10. Direct Marketing. By entering the Promotion, Entrant acknowledges that he/she may receive various marketing or other information from the Cooperative or its affiliated member electric cooperatives regarding their products or services. If an Entrant does not desire to receive this information, an Entrant may opt out by calling 843.369.2211 or emailing Service@horryelectric.com

11. Sponsor. Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc., 2774 Cultra Road, Conway, SC 29526.

Void outside of South Carolina and wherever prohibited or restricted by law.

Horry Electric members have the opportunity to participate in an innovative program that provides funding for co-op members in need of food, shelter, clothing and healthcare.

By rounding up your bill to the next highest dollar, the extra cents collected from each member goes into the Operation Round Up fund. The average member will contribute about six dollars a year, which amounts to less than $0.02 per day. Money collected stays right here in your co-op community.

This program is administered by the Horry Electric Trust, a board of community leaders from Horry County who serve on a voluntary basis.

During the month of February, any member who signs up as a new participant in our Operation Round Up program will be automatically entered into a prize drawing for one of five $50 electric bill credits. Members have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 28 to enroll. The winners will be announced in early March. 

Members can enroll in Operation Round Up by logging into MyEnergy Online or by calling 843.369.2211. You also enroll by clicking here.

The limited-time offer is for NEW participants only. All member accounts are eligible to participate.  The contest rules are outlined below.

Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Operation Round Up Sign-Up Competition & Prizes

Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions

1. No Purchase or Entry Fee Required.

2. Timing. The Operation Round Up Sign-Up Competition & Prizes (“Promotion”) begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on February 1, 2022, and ends at 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2022 (the “Promotion Period”).

3. Overview. This promotion is a submission contest solely intended for members of Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“Cooperative”) who currently are not registered for Operation Round Up but who sign up for Operation Round Up during the Promotion Period. Interested parties (the “Entrant” or “Submitter”) may be:

a)     an individual member of the Cooperative (“Entrant”), or

b)     an individual member entering on behalf of a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative (“Submitter”).

Entrants and/or Submitters may sign up for Operation Round Up, and five randomly selected Entrants will be awarded a $50.00 (USD) bill credit on their next bill from the Cooperative.

4. To Enter. Entrants and/or Submitters may enter online by visiting MyEnergy Online to sign up in the member portal, by calling us at 843.369.2211 during regular business hours, or by clicking here. Entrants and/or Submitters must enter only one submission per email address. Entries submitted in violation of the contest entry rules will not be considered [be void]. All entries become the property of the Cooperative and will not be returned. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2022, the official end date of the Promotion Period.

5. Eligibility. Entrant and/or Submitter must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of entry, and the Entrant and/or Submitter must be a member of the Cooperative.  The following are not eligible to participate: a) officers, directors, and employees of the Cooperative; and b) the immediate family members (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and their respective spouses) of Cooperative employees and household members with whom they may reside (whether related or not); existing members of the Cooperative who are currently signed up for Operation Round Up. This Promotion is void outside of South Carolina and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

6. Judging Criteria. Five winners will be randomly drawn from all properly submitted registration entries by March 7, 2022.

7. Prize Awarding. The five winners will be randomly selected and announced on or about March 7, 2022 from among all eligible entries received. The five winners will be notified by phone that the credit has been applied to their respective accounts.

8. Prizes/Odds. There will be five (5) prizes awarded: five $50.00 (USD) statement credits on the member’s next bill from the Cooperative. Odds of winning will be based on a random drawing from the total group of eligible submissions.

9. Terms/Conditions.

a)     By signing up, Entrant warrants and represents that he/she is a member of a South Carolina Electric Cooperative;

b)     By signing up, Submitter warrants and represents that he/she registered a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative;

c)     The Cooperative reserves the right to disqualify any submission at any time in the event the Cooperative determines, in its sole discretion, that the submission is inappropriate, not in keeping with Cooperative’s image, or that an Entrant or Submitter has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions;

d)     By claiming a prize, the winner agrees that the Cooperative, and its officers, employees, members, affiliates, agents, and advertising and promotional agencies, [do not have any] have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind related to participation in this Promotion, or from acceptance or use/misuse of any prize offered;

e)     Acceptance of a prize shall constitute the winner’s agreement that the Cooperative or its agent(s) may use and/or display the winner’s name, address (city, state only), likeness, entry (and content) and/or prize information, without limitation, for promotional purposes, without further consideration, except where prohibited by law;

f)     You agree to release Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform and acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform;

g)     All taxes on prizes (if applicable) are the sole responsibility of the winner;

h)     Prizes are not transferable or assignable, except to a surviving spouse, or at the sole discretion of the Cooperative.

10. Direct Marketing. By entering the Promotion, Entrant acknowledges that he/she may receive various marketing or other information from the Cooperative or its affiliated member electric cooperatives regarding their products or services. If an Entrant does not desire to receive this information, an Entrant may opt out by calling 843.369.2211 or emailing service@horryelectric.com.

11. Sponsor. Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc., 2774 Cultra Road, Conway, SC 29526.

Void outside of South Carolina and wherever prohibited or restricted by law.

Women returning to school to earn college degrees have until June 1 to apply for financial assistance from the 2022 Jenny Ballard Opportunity Scholarship program.

Sponsored by Women Involved in Rural Electrification (WIRE), a service organization associated with South Carolina’s electric cooperatives, the scholarship is a one-time award based on financial need and personal goals.

“We know there are so many inspiring women in our community who are resuming their education after starting families and careers,” says Susan Brown, WIRE coordinator at Horry Electric. “They are an inspiration to us and their fellow members and this is an opportunity to support them.”

Horry Electric member Erica Gore was awarded the Jenny Ballard Opportunity Scholarship in 2021 to complete her associate degree in baking and pastry arts from Horry-Georgetown Technical College. You can read more about Gore in our September 2021 edition of South Carolina Living magazine.

The scholarship is named after Jenny Ballard, who founded WIRE over 40 years ago. The Opportunity Scholarship program began funding education for women returning to college in 2004.

Application forms for the 2022 WIRE scholarship are available online, or you can download a copy here.

Applicants for the program must:

• Be a member of Horry Electric or another South Carolina electric cooperative.
• Have graduated from high school or earned a GED at least 10 years ago.
• Be accepted into an accredited S.C. college or university.
• Demonstrate financial need and clear academic goals.

Recipients will receive the scholarships for the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semester, with funds paid to the college or university.

Completed application forms can be attached to an email addressed to Peggy.Dantzler@ecsc.org, or mailed to:

Peggy Dantzler
The Electric Cooperatives of S.C., Inc.
808 Knox Abbott Drive
Cayce, S.C. 29033

Horry Electric Cooperative’s W.I.R.E. (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) chapter is accepting applications for the 2022 W.I.R.E. scholarship.

Applicants must be an active member of Horry Electric or dependent of an active member. The applicant must also live in the home with the member.

The $1,500 scholarship is for one academic year for a freshman entering Coastal Carolina University or Horry-Georgetown Technical College. $750 will be awarded for the fall semester and the addition $750 will be awarded for the spring semester contingent upon meeting the G.P.R. requirement.

The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 1, 2022. All applications must be received by 12 p.m. (noon). All applications received after Tuesday, March 1, 2022 are NOT eligible.

Download the full scholarship criteria and application here: WIRE Scholarship Criteria and Application 2022.

Applications and transcripts can be mailed to:

Mrs. Susan Brown
Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
P.O. Box 119
Conway, S.C. 29528-0119

You can also email applications to susan.brown@horryelectric.com.

Winter storm season is here, so now is a great time to prepare for any type of power outage. Members can stay connected during outages by adding a cell phone number to their account. By doing this, members will be automatically opted in to Horry Electric’s MyOutage program. This outage text alert program provides a convenient way for members to report outages without having to call us. Members can also request status updates regarding their outage.

How does it work? The MyOutage number is 1-844-369-2767. Save this number to your contacts and text “OUT” to report an outage or “STATUS” for an update.

During the month of January, any member who adds a mobile number to their account to participate in the MyOutage program will be automatically entered into a prize drawing for one of five $50 electric bill credits. Members have until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 31 to enroll. The winners will be announced in early February. 

Members can add their cell phone number by logging into MyEnergy Online or by calling 843.369.2211. You also update all of your contact information by clicking here.

The limited-time offer is for NEW participants only. All member accounts are eligible to participate.  The contest rules are outlined below.

Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.

MyOutage Sign-Up Competition & Prizes

Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions

1. No Purchase or Entry Fee Required.

2. Timing. The MyOutage Sign-Up Competition & Prizes (“Promotion”) begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on January 1, 2022, and ends at 11:59 PM ET on January 31, 2022 (the “Promotion Period”).

3. Overview. This promotion is a submission contest solely intended for members of Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“Cooperative”) who currently are not registered for MyOutage but who sign up for MyOutage during the Promotion Period. Interested parties (the “Entrant” or “Submitter”) may be:

a)     an individual member of the Cooperative (“Entrant”), or

b)     an individual member entering on behalf of a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative (“Submitter”).

Entrants and/or Submitters may sign up for MyOutage, and five randomly selected Entrants will be awarded a $50.00 (USD) bill credit on their next bill from the Cooperative.

4. To Enter. Entrants and/or Submitters may enter online by visiting MyEnergy Online to sign up in the member portal or by calling us at 843.369.2211 during regular business hours. Entrants and/or Submitters must enter only one submission per email address. Entries submitted in violation of the contest entry rules will not be considered [be void]. All entries become the property of the Cooperative and will not be returned. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM ET on January 31, 2022, the official end date of the Promotion Period.

5. Eligibility. Entrant and/or Submitter must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of entry, and the Entrant and/or Submitter must be a member of the Cooperative.  The following are not eligible to participate: a) officers, directors, and employees of the Cooperative; and b) the immediate family members (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and their respective spouses) of Cooperative employees and household members with whom they may reside (whether related or not); existing members of the Cooperative who are currently signed up for MyOutage. This Promotion is void outside of South Carolina and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

6. Judging Criteria. Five winners will be randomly drawn from all properly submitted registration entries by February 7, 2022.

7. Prize Awarding. The give winners will be randomly selected and announced on or about February 7, 2022 from among all eligible entries received. The five winners will be notified by phone that the credit has been applied to their respective accounts.

8. Prizes/Odds. There will be five (5) prizes awarded: five $50.00 (USD) statement credits on the member’s next bill from the Cooperative. Odds of winning will be based on a random drawing from the total group of eligible submissions.

9. Terms/Conditions.

a)     By signing up, Entrant warrants and represents that he/she is a member of a South Carolina Electric Cooperative;

b)     By signing up, Submitter warrants and represents that he/she registered a legally-registered organization or association that is a member of the Cooperative;

c)     The Cooperative reserves the right to disqualify any submission at any time in the event the Cooperative determines, in its sole discretion, that the submission is inappropriate, not in keeping with Cooperative’s image, or that an Entrant or Submitter has not otherwise complied with these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions;

d)     By claiming a prize, the winner agrees that the Cooperative, and its officers, employees, members, affiliates, agents, and advertising and promotional agencies, [do not have any] have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind related to participation in this Promotion, or from acceptance or use/misuse of any prize offered;

e)     Acceptance of a prize shall constitute the winner’s agreement that the Cooperative or its agent(s) may use and/or display the winner’s name, address (city, state only), likeness, entry (and content) and/or prize information, without limitation, for promotional purposes, without further consideration, except where prohibited by law;

f)     You agree to release Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform and acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platform;

g)     All taxes on prizes (if applicable) are the sole responsibility of the winner;

h)     Prizes are not transferable or assignable, except to a surviving spouse, or at the sole discretion of the Cooperative.

10. Direct Marketing. By entering the Promotion, Entrant acknowledges that he/she may receive various marketing or other information from the Cooperative or its affiliated member electric cooperatives regarding their products or services. If an Entrant does not desire to receive this information, an Entrant may opt out by calling 843.369.2211 or emailing Service@horryelectric.com

11. Sponsor. Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc., 2774 Cultra Road, Conway, SC 29526.

Void outside of South Carolina and wherever prohibited or restricted by law.