Season of giving
The holidays have arrived. For many of us, our focus turns to giving instead of receiving. With everyday expenses rising, many families are struggling to make ends meet.
Through the Operation Round Up (ORU) program, the Central Georgia EMC Foundation assists our communities with needs related to food, shelter, clothing, and health expenses through local nonprofits.
Operation Round Up is funded by CGEMC members who choose to have their monthly electric bills rounded up to the next dollar. Your spare change can change the lives of others in your community. The average ORU donation is $6 a year and tax-deductible.
Will you help your neighbors by signing up for ORU today?
To join with the more than 30,000 CGEMC members who donate to Operation Round Up, log in to your CGEMC account online at www.cgemc.com or call us at 770-775-7857.
Did you know you can also contribute when you holiday shop through AmazonSmile? You can designate the Central Georgia EMC Foundation as your charity of choice to receive a 1/2 percent donation from eligible purchases. AmazonSmile is a free program that does not increase your purchase cost. What an easy way to support local communities!
- Visit www.smile.amazon.com.
- Sign in with your Amazon credentials.
- Search for the charity of your choice: Central Georgia EMC Foundation Inc.
- Start shopping to support ORU!
Technician Tuesday
CGEMC celebrated Technician Tuesday with a hearty breakfast and thanks to our vital and often behind-the-scenes employees, Metering, Field Services, Warehouse, Shop, and Engineering departments. Thank you for all you do to keep CGEMC running!
celebrating service!
In celebration of Veterans Day and recognition of their service, CGEMC provided breakfast boxes for our Veteran status employees. Thank you for your service, and we are proud to have them on our team!
Congratulations!
Round of applause for Apprentice Lineperson Alex Martin! Alex completed the Northwest Line College Lineworker Certification Program. The program includes 40 modules and 4 week-long labs. Great accomplishment!
Fiber-to-the-home update
With fiber internet from Connect, powered by Central Georgia EMC, your screen won’t freeze up this holiday season. Fiber internet will be the perfect gift for your family this holiday season! High-speed, reliable service will keep everyone on the nice list and won’t make you fight over bandwidth. Enjoy fast, affordable internet anytime, anywhere.
Connect fiber internet will allow you to:
- Stream your favorite holiday movies seamlessly.
- Video chat with friends and family both near and far.
- Play online games with no buffering or lag.
- Get everything on your wish list with online shopping.
- And more!
Connect like never before with fiber internet in partnership with your local, trusted electric cooperative. Check availability at www.ConexonConnect.com or call us at 1-844-542-6663 to get the gift that keeps giving. Get connected today!
be aware of electric and fiber lines when hunting
Not practicing good gun safety could make you VERY UNPOPULAR in your neighborhood. Please remember that shooting in the air toward fiber lines could damage them. These lines provide vital services to our community hospitals, schools, homes, and businesses.
Shooting at wired lines, even during hunting season, could result in unnecessary outages as well as an expensive repair price tag that could possibly fall on responsible parties.
Community Enrichment, the Co-op Way
Central Georgia EMC (CGEMC) presented 22 checks in October totaling $325,386 to area chambers of commerce, industrial development authorities, and school boards throughout the service territory. These funds come from capital credits that remain unclaimed after five years.
Capital credits are margins over and above the cost of providing service for CGEMC customer-owners for a specific year after financial obligations have been met. Unclaimed capital credits that remain after five years stay in the communities served by CGEMC for the sole purposes of funding education, economic development, and 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in the EMC service area. A list of unclaimed property can be found at www.cgemc.com.
Safety Practices Earn Statewide Recognition for CGEMC
CGEMC recently received accreditation for its safety practices from Georgia's Electric Cooperative Safety Accreditation Program (ESCAP). The award is based on the utility’s safety record and programs over the last three years. CGEMC is one of nine in the state to receive ESCAP accreditation at the Georgia EMC Annual Meeting in Savannah.
During the on-site inspection, observers visit the utility’s main office, warehouses, and service area. Inspectors ensure that cooperative employees use safety equipment – everything from bucket trucks and rubber goods to fiberglass-insulated sticks used to handle live wires – complies with testing protocols.
The inspection process also determines whether the cooperative is keeping the public safe. Observers inspect public rights of way, utility poles, and overhead and underground wiring to ensure that proper utility practices are followed.
“Georgia’s EMCs take workplace safety very seriously, making sure they do everything possible to keep workers and members of the public safe,” said Harry Reeves, Georgia EMC’s vice president of training, education, and safety. “Achieving accreditation shows that a cooperative is taking the right precautions and teaching the right lessons to stress safety on the job.”
Capital credit checks are on the way!
Capital credits refunds totaling approximately $2,885,098 are being mailed during December. This year’s checks are your portion of margins over and above the cost of providing electric service during portions of 2003 and 2004.
Capital credits are just one of the many additional benefits of your membership. According to the cooperative business principles that govern our not-for-profit business model, capital credits may be returned to each customer-owner on a pro-rata basis.
Important Announcements
Important Notice for Estate Accounts
Following CGEMC Bylaws sections 2.04 and 2.06, member accounts listed in estate status (where the original account holder is known to be deceased) will be subject to disconnection beginning in January 2023. If your bill statement is listed as an estate account, please contact customer service at 770-775-7857, and we will assist you in transferring ownership of the account.
Year-End System Maintenance and Holiday Notice
Central Georgia EMC will be performing year-end computer maintenance beginning at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, December 31, 2022. The customer information and payment system will not be available until Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Central Georgia EMC's office will be closed Monday, January 2, 2023, for New Year's Day. Additionally, our office will be closed Monday, January 16, 2023, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Our remote self-service account options and the on-site payment kiosk will be available. In case of a power outage, please call our 24-hour automated system at 770-775-7857 or 1-800-222-4877 for an immediate response. System Operators are on duty to assist you.
Scholarship Opportunities
We are now accepting applications for the statewide $1,000 Walter Harrison Scholarship program. Additionally, the top three applicants from CGEMC will receive a $500 Central Georgia EMC Scholarship! Qualifications and applications can be found at www.cgemc.com. Applications are due January 27, 2023.
GATE Card Exemption Will Expire Soon
If you are currently receiving a GATE sales tax exemption, your card will expire on December 31, 2022. To continue receiving the exemption, send copies of your renewed GATE card to:
Central Georgia EMC, Attn: Chris Mitchell, 923 S. Mulberry Street, Jackson, GA 30233 or fax to 770-504-7877.
System Inspections
CGEMC has contracted with Cappstone Energy Group LLC to perform system inspections in Henry county. Cappstone Energy Group LLC technicians will have signs on their vehicles (pickup trucks and UTVs) identifying them as CGEMC contractors. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact CGEMC at 770-775-7857.
In November, the Central Georgia EMC Foundation awarded $17,125 in grants to charitable organizations in our territory.
- Abundant Life Soup Kitchen: $1,650 - To purchase a washer and dryer for the soup kitchen.
- Atlanta Community Food Bank: $3,000 - To purchase food for distribution.
- Godfrey Community Park: $4,475 - To purchase supplies for repairs to the picnic pavilion.
- Rachel's Gift: $5,000 - For staff training, counseling sessions, keepsake items, and follow-up support for families that experience the loss of an infant.
- Second Chance Ministry: $3,000 - To purchase food for the food pantry.
Qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations in our service territory are invited to submit an application to the Central Georgia EMC Foundation.
Through Operation Round Up, our members support local organizations with a mission to make our communities even better places to live, work, and dream big. By simply rounding up your monthly electric bill to the next dollar, you can join in! Our pennies add up to make BIG CHANGE!
Qualifying organizations are invited to submit an application to the Operation Round Up Foundation. The Foundation Board will review grant requests and administer the funds, based on the merit of each grant application and available funds.
co-op connections deals
'Tis the season of giving and we want to help you save on any last-minute shopping you do. The Co-op Connections website and mobile app are packed with lots of different ways to save.
Find the perfect gift and save on these categories:
- Local Deals
- National Discounts
- Travel
- Sports and Concert Tickets
- Health and Wellness
Visit www.connections.coop to sign up. This is a free benefit of your membership with Central Georgia EMC.
Add Your Local Business
Local businesses are invited to join the Co-op Connections program! Click the link below. It is simple and free!
Holiday guests are the best
During the holidays, the arrival and stay of guests can be a little easier with a smart lock. If you choose a smart lock with Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or Zigbee, you can lock and unlock the door from wherever you are.
In addition, you can set up custom codes for guests with longer stays to open the door. With some systems, you can set up a period for their code to be active or disable it when they leave.
You will enjoy the benefits of having a smart lock because you will no longer be fumbling for keys trying to bring in the groceries, and no more keys for the family to lose, thus compromising your home security.
Need some suggestions on what smart home products to buy? Find this and other Smart Home tools in our Amazon store.
Keep it cozy with fuel Georgia!
Our Fuel Georgia team would love to welcome you to the neighborhood! We are local and available to help you stay cozy this winter. Give us a call at 678-774-6010 or visit us at www.fuelgeorgia.com.
Recipe of the Month
Submit your original recipes to marketing@cgemc.com. Published recipes receive a $20 bill credit!
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Credits:
Created with images by digidreamgrafix - "york south carolina white rose city" • ekostsov - "Orange mail box with big house on background, 3d rendering" • onephoto - "Planned Maintenance" • zimmytws - "Scholarship cap on money" • flownaksala - "Tractor in a field on a Maryland farm at sunset" • StaCheck Photography - ""Support small businesses" text on a plain brown paper bag flat lay with pine cones and stars - Christmas shopping message concept" • niekverlaan - "lamp idea pear" • sanechka - "Happy family with gifts in their hands"