As the winter weather season approaches, I want to remind members of our community about the power of preparation. While you don’t have to achieve a “doomsday prepper” level of preparedness, there are several practical steps you can take to keep yourself and your family safe. During a prolonged power outage or other emergencies, this means having enough food, water and supplies to last at least a few days. 

Even at a modest level, preparation can help reduce stress, anxiety and lessen the impact of an emergency event. We recommend starting with the basics. 

In today’s digital world, cyberattacks are unfortunately commonplace. Cyber criminals can attack on a multitude of levels, from large-scale attacks targeting corporations to smaller phishing attacks aimed to gain an individual’s personal information.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but good cyber hygiene should be practiced year-round. When we hear about massive data breaches, it can feel overwhelming and lead us to think we’re powerless as individuals to stop cyber criminals. 

More people die from extreme heat each year than from any other weather-related hazard, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Ready.gov site. Please keep these tips in mind during high summertime temperatures.

Metallic balloons are great indoors and brighten the bleakest and most dreary winter days. They are great at birthdays, graduations, and other special occasions. However, you must know how to use and dispose of metallic balloons properly, or you could cause a power outage and damage to electrical utility equipment. Because of the metallic coating, they conduct electricity well and can short out circuits in your community’s power system. You and your neighbors could lose power, traffic lights could go out, and entire blocks of homes and businesses could go dark.

Don’t Get Tripped Up

Never tamper with or remove a meter seal
Please take notice that not only is tampering with a meter seal illegal, but it could also result in severe injuries or an additional cost at the member’s expense. Under TCEC’s tariffs, the cooperative must be notified when a meter seal needs to be removed. In this case, TCEC will send personnel to the site as soon as possible. 

A tampered meter could result in: