In addition to the $35 reward, the program will also benefit members by allowing them to save up to $150 a year in energy costs as a result of lower electricity usage. Typically, the appliances recycled through the program are outdated units used for extra storage and kept in garages and basements. But the convenience of chilling an extra six-pack and some leftovers can come with a steep price. Refrigerators manufactured before 1990 can use three times more electricity than new appliances.

“If your spring cleaning plans include the garage or basement, getting rid of that old clunker refrigerator or freezer gives you a great head start in freeing up space, saving more money, and getting paid $35 just for letting us move it out and haul it away,” said Doug Ferrell, energy advisor for Northeastern.

The refrigerator recycling program is not a traditional rebate program because there is no purchase of a new appliance necessary. To receive the $35 reward, qualifying members only have to schedule a pickup time to have their old, working refrigerator or freezer removed. Appliance recycler JACO Environmental will then recycle them through a process that returns 95 percent of their material back into the manufacturing stream. It also safely extracts various components that are found inside refrigerators, including contaminated oils, mercury and CFCs.

There is a limit of two appliances per household. Refrigerators and freezers to be recycled must be in working order with an inside measurement of 10-30 cubic feet. Program ends November 15. Offer is subject to change without notice.

To schedule the pick up of a refrigerator or freezer for recycling, call 1-877-395-5535 or visit www.nremc.com\ea_energyadvisor.shtml. Members will receive a bill credit for $35 within four to six weeks after the collection of the appliance.

The Senate bill contains a few improvements over the Waxman-Markey bill, but further analysis is necessary to fully understand the implications of the 987 page bill.

Majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and other top Democrats may begin to plot floor strategy for later this summer or fall.

Senator Lugar plans to introduce his “Practical Energy and Climate Plan” soon. Lugar is crafting an alternative to the traditional cap and trade bills, focusing on transportation fuels and energy efficiency efforts, coal plant retirement incentives and aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). RPS regulation requires increased production of energy from renewable sources such as biomass, wind, solar and geothermal. Lugar’s bill would require utilities to accomplish an 11 percent reduction of CO2 by 2015, building to a 50 percent reduction by 2050.

Learn more at www.fairpowernow.org or go to www.nremc.com\our_energy_our_future.shtml for additional links.

The purpose of Operation Round Up and Northeastern REMC Community Trust, Inc. is to accumulate and distribute funds for charitable purposes to individuals, families, groups and organizations within our area.

The source of these funds is members of Northeastern REMC who voluntarily have their electric bills rounded up to the nearest dollar each month.

Those eligible to apply for funds include all individuals, organizations and families with financial need. For the most part, funds will be provided to meet the needs of applicants which aren’t being met through other sources. The maximum amount available to an individual or family in any one year is $2500. The maximum amount allowed for groups and organizations in any one year is $10,000. Funding for political contributions and payment of utility bills will not be considered.

Applications for funds are reviewed by a separate trustee board established for Operation Round Up. Applications for funding and additional details are available at Northeastern’s office in Columbia City. Questions can be directed to the customer service department at 260-244-6111 or 625-3700.

If you would like to participate in our local Operation Round Up program, please call our office or visit our website at www.nremc.com. Signing up is very easy and is greatly appreciated by friends and neighbors in need right here in our community.

ProSystems LLC of Churubusco, and ChromaSource and 80/20 of Columbia City, each received grants to fund lighting retrofits and energy efficiency changes within their facilities.

To qualify for a grant, the proposed projects must provide simple paybacks for the C&I customer over 1.5 years based on energy savings. Grant money is paid following completion of the project with a verification of savings.

Currently the Woodland substation on Dupont Road is being expanded to allow Northeastern to best serve the continued growth in that area.

In Aboite Township, overhead power lines in the Rolling Hills and Limberlost subdivisions are being converted to buried lines. At the same time, failing underground lines are being replaced in Windover, a subdivision in northeast Allen County.Poles and power lines are also being replaced along McComb Road and in the area of SR 9 and SR 205.

• STOP AGITATING YOUR LAUNDRY
  Never have your clothes ruined in the wash again. ENERGY STAR advanced front-load clothes washers use top of the line systems to spin laundry through reduced streams of water, which can extend the life of your clothing.
• SAVE A TON OF WATER
  Your old washer could be wasting nearly 30 gallons of water per load—using up to 17 gallons more than with a new ENERGY STAR qualified washer.
• YOUR DRYER WILL THANK YOU
  Most ENERGY STAR qualified washers feature a better spin cycle, getting more water out of your clothes before they hit the dryer. This means you’ll use less energy on the dry cycle and cut down on drying time.
• WASH WITH GOOD CONSCIENCE
  Reduce your overall water consumption with an ENERGY STAR qualified washer and you’ll help protect our nation’s water supply.
• LARGER LOADS IN LESS TIME
  Without a large agitator, more usable space is created in newer washers resulting in fewer loads of laundry, less water wasted and more time in your schedule.

Eligibility:

In order to obtain the rebate, you must:

• use an electric water heater in your home
• purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer (visit energystar.gov for a complete list)
• have a home located on Northeastern’s lines

Offer can be combined with other state and local rebates. Offer dates are subject to change without notice.

Energy Star Clothes Washer FAQ (PDF) sheet
4 pgs., 168 Kb.

Energy Star Clothes Washer Fact Sheet (PDF)
2 pgs., 123 Kb.

Energy Star Clothes Washer Rebate Form (PDF)
2 pgs., 154.97 Kb.

Eligibility…

• Co-op members with electric forced air furnace systems, electric baseboard, electric ceiling cable, older less efficient air source or ground source heat pumps with electric backup who replace them with an electric backup air source heat pump or geothermal heat pump that meets our minimum efficiency criteria
• New home construction is not eligible for this rebate
• Homes switching from gas, propane, wood, or some other form of heating fuel that is not electricity are not eligible for this rebate. Dual fuel heat pumps are not eligible.

Offer period… (subject to change without notice)

• March 15, 2010 – November 15, 2010

Specifics…
Members can pair this rebate with any existing state, federal or local rebates or tax credits. The rebate is $150 per ton for geothermal and $125 per ton for air source up to 10 tons total (residential applications only). Existing Northeastern REMC incentives will not apply.

For additional information, and information on NREMC's rebates, contact Northeastern REMC’s Energy Advisor, Doug Ferrell, at 625-3700, ext 436 or d_ferrell@nremc.com.

This request is being made by Northeastern as a result of a change in Wabash Valley Power Association, Inc.’s (WVPA) whole­sale rates to its member Rural Electric Membership Corporations (REMC).  Northeastern is a member of WVPA. This change in wholesale rates will be passed through to its member systems’ retail rates via the wholesale power cost tracking procedure. 

This action will result in a decrease in the wholesale power cost tracker included in the rates charged by Northeastern. The decrease is expected to be $0.001040 per kWh. 

This decrease will result in a decrease to all consumers of Northeastern receiving service pursuant to the schedule of tariffs set forth in Appendix A on file at the IURC showing the revised schedule and the rates to the members which will be effective for the first practical consumption period following approval of such revised rates by the IURC (anticipated to be applicable to May, 2010 consumption).

Any objections to this filing should be addressed to either the Secretary of the IURC, National City Center, 101 West Washington Street, Suite 1500E, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 232-2701 or the Secretary of the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC), 115 West Washington Street, Suite 1500 South, Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 232-2494.

DATE: March 25, 2010