Horry Electric Cooperative is co-sponsoring with the Horry County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) for the Grinding of the Greens December 26 through January 29.

When you’re ready to take down your Christmas decorations, you can drop your ornament-free tree(s) at any of the 24 SWA Recycling & Convenience Centers. If you live in the city limits of Myrtle Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Loris or Aynor, you can place your trees on the curb for pick-up. City of North Myrtle Beach residents can do the same between January 2-20.

The SWA asks that you remove all decorations, including lights, decorations and tinsel. Wreaths are not accepted. All of these things can cause issues with the chipper, so double-check and make sure there is nothing left on your tree.

You can help the environment through this initiative because HEC Contractors will come in to grind your trees into free mulch for people to use. Contractors will normally do this mid-February.

Once all the trees have been ground, free mulch is available, while supplies last, to all citizens at these four locations:

• County landfill: four miles northeast of Conway, next to SWA administrative office, 1886 Hwy 90.
• Myrtle Beach: 10th Avenue North Extension and 21st Avenue North Extension, behind Myrtle Waves.
• Cherry Grove: Public parking lot at Ocean Boulevard and Shorehaven Drive, near 19th Avenue North.
• Crescent Beach: Parking lot across from the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center at 1030 Possum Trot Road, North Myrtle Beach.

When going to pick up mulch, please be sure to bring your own container.

The January 2020 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com!  It will be delivered to mailboxes of subscribing members soon.

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 January 2020 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op.   Highlights include: 

• CEO Column– We want to hear from you; we strive on two-way communication with our members
• Two unforgettable experiences: Apply now if you are a high school junior/sophomore for Washington Youth Tour and Cooperative Youth Summit!
• SC Lineman’s Rodeo: Get ready to rodeo! The Lineman’s Rodeo is happening in March 2020 at Horry Electric!
• A journey. An adventure. A passion: a continuation of our series on the Local People Serving You at Horry Electric: Ricky Martin and Kevin Crave
• Various co-op news: Grinding of the Greens; Energy Advisors to speak to your group; Apply now for $,1500 W.I.R.E. scholarship

Horry Electric Cooperative’s W.I.R.E (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) chapter is now accepting applications for the 2020 W.I.R.E. scholarship.

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

The 2019 scholarship was awarded to Mackenzie Johnson, a senior through Bob Jones Homeschool Program.

Mackenzie (pictured with parents Craig and Jennifer Johnson) received the scholarship in May 2019 with plans of attending Horry-Georgetown Technical College to major in physical therapy.

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 additional $750 will be awarded contingent upon meeting the G.P.R. requirement.

The deadline to apply is Monday, March 2, 2020.

Applications have been sent to all Horry County high schools and are available through the guidance counselor. Students can also download the full scholarship criteria and application from this news story.

Applications can be mailed to:

Mrs. Susan Brown
Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
P.O. Box 119
Conway, S.C. 29538-0119

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

WIRE Scholarship Criteria and Application 2020

South Carolina high school teachers and guidance counselors, you have a chance to apply for an unforgettable experience! The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina are searching for chaperones to join high school students on Washington Youth Tour and on the Cooperative Youth Summit in 2020.

Washington Youth Tour: Explore Washington, D.C. with over 1,500 high school juniors from across the country, meeting lawmakers and touring the sights!

Cooperative Youth Summit: Experience South Carolina’s capital by touring the Statehouse, meeting lawmakers, and seeing how co-ops are preparing for the future!

Click here to apply to be a chaperone for one or both trips! You must be a current high school teacher or guidance counselor. If you’re selected, South Carolina’s electric cooperatives will pay for your transportation, hotel stay, exhibit admissions and three meals a day. It’s all free!

The deadline to apply is Friday, January 31, 2020.

If you have any questions, please contact Horry Electric’s Youth Tour Coordinator Toni Gore at 843-369-6359 or email 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.

Fall is here, putting those triple digit temperatures in the rearview mirror. As temperatures start to fall, Horry Electric needs your help to Beat the Peak throughout the fall and winter months.

Beat the Peak is a voluntary program for members, but joining means you can help prevent a heavy load on our system. When an abundance of members use power during these peak times, there’s a heavy demand on our system; therefore, Horry Electric is paying more to provide power.

Signing up is easy! Plus, it might get you some extra cash this holiday season! Any member enrolled in the Beat the Peak program by 11:59 p.m. on December 15, 2019 will be entered into a drawing to win a $1,000 Visa gift card! Participation is limited to one entry per account. The contest is open to other electric cooperatives across the state. The winner will be selected at random by December 20.

Click here for more information on the contest rules.

To sign up, all you have to do is enter your information and select if you’d like to receive peak alerts via phone call, text or email. With your help, we can work to bring down these peak power costs.