Picture of Horry Electric’s May edition of South Carolina Living magazine.
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 May 2021 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op. Highlights include:
CEO Column– New, exciting changes; Horry Electric launches new programs and payment method.
Board member retires: Bobby Jordan of District 2 retires from the Board of Trustees after 23 years.
Who Owns What: Graphic depicts equipment owned by the co-op and the member.
Safety hazard, violation inspections: Crews working to inspect every meter on HEC system.
Various co-op news: May is Military Appreciation Month and National Electric Safety Month.
Kevin Crave, advanced line technician, directs traffic safely through a Horry Electric work zone.
Every year, workers along the side of the road are injured or killed when a car crashes into them, despite the work zone being marked with bright cones and warning signs.
There’s an easy way to reduce those incidents that harm first responders, road construction workers and utility crews. Slow down and move over. It’s good advice to keep people safe. It’s also the law in South Carolina and every other state.
In South Carolina, the law is clear. Work zones along roadways should be marked with cones, signage, barriers and other appropriate traffic control devices such as speed limit reduction. Driving recklessly through these zones or exceeding the speed limit can result in fines up to $5,000 and imprisonment, the severity of which depends on whether there is bodily harm or a fatality.
As Horry Electric’s motto states, “Safety is our first concern.” Protecting line crews is a top priority and it’s a safety measure everyone can help with.
“Our job is a very hazardous job; everything from the electricity we deal with on a daily basis to being exposed to the elements of Mother Nature,” says Chris Grainger, operation trainer. “Our job becomes even more dangerous when we fail to mitigate those hazards with proper training and equipment and using controls. The one thing we have no control over is the driver behind the wheel of a vehicle moving through our work zone. If you do your part, we will do ours to keep our employees and members safe.”
Electric utility crews are especially at risk. The temporary nature of power line repairs can surprise motorists. Utility work can be finished in a matter of hours, or it can take several months to complete.
“Most of our work is conducted on the side of roadways. Crews could be setting poles for new lines to be installed, replacing equipment on existing poles, or dealing with weather related issues that caused damage to our system,” says Brian Chestnut, safety coordinator.
Advanced Line Technician Jonathan Cartrette shows the stop/slow paddle to demonstrate what people may see while driving through a work zone.
A flagger is sometimes necessary for a road job. The flagger is one of our crew members, put in a visible area to control traffic. “South Carolina DOT (Department of Transportation) requires that if we encroach on or block a lane of traffic in any way, we must notify vehicles through signage and utilize a flagger, or flaggers in some cases, to direct vehicles around the work area,” says Chestnut.
It’s important to slow down if you see a crew in the roadway. “Slowing down saves lives,” says Burroughs Nobles, manager of operations. “If you are traveling too fast, you can’t react in the event something happens.”
An important fact to keep in mind – stopping sight distance increases with speed. “According to the sight distance table in the SCDOT Flagger Handbook, the sight-to-stop distance for a car traveling at 55 miles per hour is 495 feet. A car traveling at that speed will be completely through our work zone before they are able to stop, should something happen,” says Grainger.
We understand slowing down or stopping may add a few seconds or minutes to your commute, but at the end of the day, it’s a preventative measure that keeps everyone safe. “We can all do our part to protect ourselves and each other by slowing down and not being distracted by other things while driving,” Chestnut says. “We can all go home safe at the end of the day.”
Picture shows cover of 2021 Annual Member Meeting edition of South Carolina Living magazine.
The April 2021 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com! This edition is the OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING. It has a special Annual Meeting wrap with more important details!
The magazine will be delivered to ALL Horry Electric members on file as of March 31. It will be delivered to mailboxes soon, if you haven’t already received it!
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 2021 edition has 10 pages dedicated to important Annual Meeting information. Information includes:
CEO Column– Important Annual Meeting information you need to know, including COVID-19 precautions.
Official Notice of Annual Meeting: Details on the Annual Meeting early Drive-Thru Registration, grand prize announcement, and registration gift.
Board of Trustees: Meet the Board of Trustees.
Meet the candidates: Read more about the trustee candidates.
2020Financial View: A breakdown of the numbers; Comparative operating statistics.
Capital Credits: Co-op returning $3.5 million in capital credits to members (expected by the end of April).
Various co-op news: Beat the Peak gift card contest; Right-of-way access for transformers; Lineworker Appreciation days celebrated in April; Members may receive a survey from Horry Electric.
Social media graphic with Payment Kiosk information.
Horry Electric is excited to announce a NEW way to pay your electric bill!
A Payment Kiosk has been added to both the Conway and Socastee office drive-thru lanes. These kiosks allow members to make a payment 24/7.
Each kiosk accepts cash, check, and credit card payments. Please keep in mind, the kiosk does not accept coins, nor does it give change back. Members will need to use the correct bills for the amount they wish to pay.
There is no transaction fee for cash payments, but check and credit card payments will be charged transaction fees consistent with the current fees for online and mobile app payments.
We believe the kiosks will be a great payment method for members who need to drop off a payment quickly, or can’t make it to our office during business hours.
Questions? Call and speak to a member service representative at 843.369.2211.
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 March 2021 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op. Highlights include:
CEO Column– Save the date for Horry Electric’s 2021 Annual Member Meeting.
Various co-op news: Annual Meeting details; Trusted Energy Advisors encourage action; Unclaimed capital credits posted online.
Bright Ideas: Grant applications available to teachers – deadline June 1.
WIRE Scholarship: Apply now for the Jenny Ballard Opportunity Scholarship.
“I need space”: Social distancing on Horry Electric lines; Tree planting guide to keep your distance from co-op equipment.
Slow down: Move over for Horry Electric’s line crews.
Cover of Horry Electric’s edition of South Carolina Living.
The Feburary 2021 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com! It will be delivered to the mailboxes of subscribing members soon!
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!
We only published two pages of local co-op news in this month’s edition of the magazine. The main feature of this publication is the 2021-2022 Legislative Guide. You can use it to keep in touch with elected officials in Columbia and Washington, D.C.
The directory includes the name of each legislator, plus their district number and the names of the counties in which they serve. Addresses and telephone numbers for each are included. Some of our representatives have websites, while others have email addresses.
The Legislative Guide also includes information about the Public Service Commission and the Office of Regulatory Staff.
All information in the directory is current as of January 2021, but is subject to change without notice.
The February 2021 edition has two pages dedicated to local news about your co-op. Highlights include:
CEO Column– A thank you to legislators.
Various co-op news: Virtual Youth Experience returns in 2021; applications open now for two WIRE scholarships.
Horry Electric’s WIRE (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) logo.
Women returning to school to earn college degrees have until June 1 to apply for financial assistance from the 2021 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.
“One of our Horry Electric members, Charliss Wilson, was awarded this scholarship in 2020,” says Susan Brown, WIRE coordinator at Horry Electric. You can read more about Wilson in our October 2020 edition of South Carolina Living magazine.
The scholarship is named after Jenny Ballard, who founded WIRE 40 years ago. The Opportunity Scholarship program began funding education for women returning to college in 2004.
The January 2021 edition of South Carolina Living magazine has been uploaded to horryelectric.com! It will be delivered to the mailboxes of subscribing members soon!
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 January 2021 edition has six pages dedicated to local news about your co-op. Highlights include:
CEO Column– Stay tuned in to all things Horry Electric; We want to connect with you.
Tis the Season: HEC employees give back to the community for the holidays.
Virtual Youth Experience: Apply now for the Virtual Youth Experience set for this summer (June 21-25).
H2O Select: Program information, plus how you can be entered in a prize drawing for making your new electric water heater a smart device.
Mark your Calendars!: Annual Meeting and Drive-Thru Registration is set for 2021; Meet the 2020 prize winners.
Various co-op news: Watch out for phone scammers; New ways to save with the Co-op Connections card.
Picture of a Wi-Fi enabled LCT. These are available while supplies last.
We live in a “connected” world. When most of us think about being “connected,” we think about technology. In today’s world, we can control most of our devices through our smart phones. Why should your water heater be any different?
If you’re installing a new electric water heater and you’re interested in making it a smart device, Horry Electric can help through the H2O Select program. We have Wi-Fi enabled Load Control Transmitters (LCTs) available. Beginning January 1, 2021, any member who installs a Wi-Fi enabled LCT will be entered in a drawing for one of five $50 electric bill credits, in addition to the H2O Select rebate.
Members must enroll in the H2O Select program and have their switch installed between January 1, 2021 and 11:59 p.m. on February 26, 2021 to be entered in the drawing.
H2O Select program logo.
What is H2O Select?
Are you installing a new electric water heater? If so, you could qualify for a rebate from Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. The water heater has to be a minimum 50-gallon tank to qualify for a $125 rebate. If you’re installing a new 80-gallon tank, you could qualify for a $250 rebate. Rebates are issued per unit, so if you install multiple water heaters, that means more money for you.
By enrolling, members agree for Horry Electric to install a Load Control Transmitter (LCT) device on their new electric water heater. The LCT allows HEC to set control periods and modify the electric consumption by the water heater during peak times. Peak times occur when member demand for energy is at its highest, so early winter mornings or hot summer afternoons.
This may sound inconvenient, but think about it this way: Horry Electric has thousands of LCTs on the system. “When you collectively turn off thousands of water heaters via LCTs, it helps the cooperative save money, and in turn, keeps members’ electric bills reasonable,” says Garrett Gasque, one of our Trusted Energy Advisors.
How does it save the cooperative money? Energy is most expensive during peak times. By working together to reduce our demand during peak times, we can save the cooperative and members money.
How to enroll
Enrolling in the program is easy. If you’re not sure what tank best suits your home, call our office and ask to speak with one of our Trusted Energy Advisors.
“Once you agree to participate in our H2O Select program, contact a plumber to install your new water heater,” says Ricky Lowder, senior energy management representative. “You can do it yourself, but remember to keep the installation within all applicable plumbing and electrical codes.”
After your new water heater is installed, contact an H2O Select representative with the model and serial number to make sure program requirements are met. Horry Electric will then dispatch an approved electrician to your home to install the required load control device and issue a check to you.
Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
H2O Select Wi-Fi LCT Sign-Up Competition & Prizes
Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions
1. No Purchase or Entry Fee Required.
2. Timing. The H2O Select Wi-Fi LCT Sign-Up Competition & Prizes (“Promotion”) begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on January 1, 2021, and ends at 11:59 PM ET on February 26, 2021 (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 the H2O Select program but who sign up for a Wi-Fi enabled LCT through the H2O Select 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 a Wi-Fi enabled LCT device through the H2O Select program, and five randomly selected Entrants will be awarded a $50.00 (USD) bill credit on their next bill from the Cooperative, in addition to their H2O Select program rebate.
4. To Enter. Entrants and/or Submitters may enter by calling our Energy Management department 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 February 26, 2021, 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 H2O Select. 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 on March 2, 2021.
7. Prize Awarding. The five winners will be randomly selected and announced on or about March 2, 2021 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
Attention Horry County school teachers! If you have a bright idea for a classroom project, you can apply for a grant through Horry Electric’s Bright Ideas program.
Bright Ideas is a grant program designed to provide funding for innovation classroom-based educational projects. The grants are intended to fund projects outside normal public school funding parameters and can be made available to all disciplines in grades K-12 in Horry County.
A school may submit an application, and teachers are limited to one application per year. $1,000 is the maximum amount teachers can apply for.
In 2020, 11 teachers were awarded grants for their innovative projects, totaling $10,000.
“We encourage any teacher in the district to apply! We would love the opportunity to help fund any project a teacher may want to do for their class,” says Toni Gore, coordinator of the Bright Ideas program.
The deadline to apply is June 1, 2021. Grants will be awarded in the Fall.
Anyone interested can apply online through our website.
