York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

A core value of cooperatives upheld by local people you know and trust. 

YEC is proud to have local people looking out for you. We are residents like you, sharing your same values, schools, churches and aspirations of providing good lives for our families. Our dedication to making a difference goes beyond our job descriptions; we care about the heart of the matter–the great communities we share in York, Chester, Lancaster and Cherokee counties. Making your life better means we are making life better for our friends and family. Therefore, our commitment runs deep, our intentions are honest, and our promise is true.

They say there is strength in numbers, and we believe that's true. We have many different departments at YEC that work together to provide you with excellent service. We would like to introduce several of our employees who work hard each day to serve you in different capacities. And guess what? They are co-op members, too. Keep an eye out for more locals serving you in future editions.

Showing our commitment to community

Let us introduce you to York Electric's employees—and a few family members. Hear their thoughts on being a part of our community and serving you.

'At YEC, we all work together'

Q: How long have you been members of YEC and how long have you been an employee?

Wes Dover: I've been an employee just a few years longer than I've been a member. I started at YEC in 2001 and have been a member since 2003.

Q: What is your favorite part about your job?

Wes: One benefit of my job is being able to meet with members and help determine how to get them power. By living and working in our community, I have the opportunity to continue that relationship afterwards.

Q: Speaking of providing for your family, does your job affect your family life?

Wes: Sometimes I'm not able to make school functions or family dinners, but it is for a good reason. Since I'm helping other people, my family appreciates what I do and understands my absence. Luckily, we don't have many outages, so I can be there most of the time.

Q: Anna Kate, what do you think about your dad being away working?

Anna Kate: I wish he was there, but I understand that his job is important. He's helping other families in our community when they need it most.

Wes: It's a team effort–both at work and at home. Hayley and my kids support me so that I can do my job to the best of my ability. Whether I'm helping get the lights back on or planning for future growth–it's all about taking care of our members. At YEC, we all work together to provide our members with great service and make a difference in our community.

'Going above and beyond' and 'Taking care of members'

Q: What do you do here at YEC?

Jamie Duston: I am the front office coordinator at YEC, and my goal is to provide support and leadership to our front office staff including collections, cashiers, and our Fort Mill branch office. My ultimate goal is to take care of our member services team so that they are well-prepared to give excellent customer service every day. I also work directly with members and give every effort to go above and beyond to make their experience a pleasant and simple one.

Jennifer Brooks: My role as call center coordinator is to provide support and leadership for the ladies in the call center. I'm usually signed into the call loop taking calls and taking care of the members just like the others in the call center.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Jamie: I would say the most rewarding aspect is when I know I have really made an impact in someone's day, when I know that what I did provided hope to what seemed to be a hopeless situation.

Jennifer: The most rewarding part of my job is being able to help our members. We receive all types of requests in the call center, so making sure our team has the knowledge to take care of each question is important. Whether we are looking at a member's billing question, connecting new service, entering an order for a repair or reporting an outage, we have the opportunity to make a difference and show our members the value of their membership.

Q: You are both members of YEC. Do you feel like that impacts your decisions at work?

Jamie: I feel like being both a member and an employee help bring things full circle for me. I am proud of what I do because I know what kind of service York Electric provides both in the field and within the office.

Jennifer: In every decision I make, I think about what is best for our members. I always try and treat people the way I would want to be treated whether at work or in my personal life.

Q: How do your families feel about being members of the co-op and about your job here?

They 'like the challenge' of 'working in a dynamic environment'

Q: You two have some of the most hazardous jobs at YEC. Why do you do what you do?

Jeremy Huffstetler: I like the challenge of my job and learning new things every day. I also get to apply what I know to help members. I help them troubleshoot any problems they are having and point them in the right direction to get them repaired. If I can fix it, I do, so that it saves the member time and money.

Zack Smith: I enjoy working in a dynamic environment. I'm also proud to be part of an organization that strives to serve the community in a positive way.

Q: You are also both members of the co-op. How does it feel to be an employee and a member?

Jeremy: As a co-op member, you know you are going to receive safe, reliable power. As an employee, we play an integral part in making that statement true. When my family and I cut the lights on, I know I played a part in providing that service. My family and I have lived on co-op lines for four years, and I have been a lineman here for almost 11 years.

Zack: I've technically been a member all of my life. I grew up on co-op lines, have been an official member for the last 13 years, and an employee for 12 years. It's satisfying to provide the same level of service to my family that I provide to my friends, neighbors and the membership.

'I'm making a difference'

Q: You've been an employee for a while. What has made the biggest impact on you?

Cathy Heffner: Being an employee of the co-op has allowed me to see our community in a different light. I've been blessed to meet so many wonderful people working in the field as a meter technician. Sometimes, you need to be a friend. Sometimes, you need to offer your help. Sometimes, the people you meet give you help you didn't know you needed. My job allowed me to appreciate the power of human connection.

Q: What makes the co-op different?

Cathy: We truly care about our members. Being local and a member myself, I'm able to help my neighbors and my friends. As an employee, I'm making a difference where I live and in the lives of people I know. Helping others is a way of life that won't stop after retirement.

Members 'first and foremost'

Q: What role do you play in looking out for our members?

Karen Good: I look out for the members from an accounting perspective. I do my best every day to make sure the cooperative's financials are recorded properly as all profits are returned to the member through capital credits.

Q: How long have you been at YEC?

Karen: I joined YEC in May 2017.

Q: You are a member, too. What does your YEC membership mean to you and your family?

Karen: There's a different culture here that I greatly appreciate. We don't cut corners. Employees take their tasks at hand seriously and everything is completed with the highest quality. Being an employee and seeing day to day business makes me even more appreciative as a member because I know YEC, as a whole, is looking out for the member first and foremost.

Q: What does community mean to you?

Karen: To me, community means people supporting one another. We all work as a team and support each other, but we also support our community through various programs and events like Operation Round Up and the Teddy Bear Trot. I'm happy to be a part of the co-op and our community.

All in the family

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

Ben Hall: I am the warehouse coordinator for YEC and have worked here for seven years. For the first three years here at the co-op, I was a lineman. I've been a member for 31 years–nearly all my life–and now live in my family's old farm house with my wife and three boys.

Q: What does membership mean to you?

Ben: Membership has a unique meaning for me. I grew up knowing a lot about the co-op because my grandmother, Jean Hall, was an employee here back when the YEC office was in downtown York. When she married my grandfather, John Hall, a state cooperative newsletter headlined their announcement as the "Co-op Wedding." My grandmother, the co-op employee, married a member. The co-op was a lot smaller then, so being a member was exclusive. Even though we have grown a lot over the past 78 years, your co-op membership still means the same today–we are still owned by those we proudly serve and employ people from around here.

Q: What does being a co-op employee mean for your family?

Heather Hall: Although Ben is busy at work and sometimes has to leave us when outages occur, I'm grateful his job allows him to provide for our family. My husband is a talented guy–kind of a "jack of all trades," so it makes me happy and proud to know that he can use his skills on the job, helping other people.

Ben: There's something new every day in my job. I like being able to use my knowledge to help take care of our members and other employees.

Establishing a connection when you meet someone new is a typical conversation starter. We all want to find common ground, which usually starts by playing the name game. Finding a mutual friend bridges the gap between strangers and acquaintances. Suddenly, because you know the other person's friend or family member, you are welcomed into the inner circle, vouched for, and taken seriously. Building those relationships is an important part of your cooperative's values. Community. Service. Family. Our members. You.

Let's take a minute to get acquainted. My name is Paul Basha, and I am a proud YEC member. I'm a family man–a normal guy–just like you. I bet if you asked around, I'm not the only person you might know that works here at your co-op.

Relating you to the local men and women who are dedicated to serving you with excellence should provide you with a peace of mind and comfort in knowing you are a priority at YEC.

Our commitment to our members is much deeper than any other utility. As a co-op, we are dedicated to improving our communities and the lives of those around us. We take every outage, phone call, question, new construction, security light, and economic development opportunity seriously because it matters. These ideals come naturally to us because we live where you live. We eat where you eat. We shop where you shop. Our kids attend school with your kids. We worship where you worship.

Your service matters to us because we work in the same community you do, and a lot of us get our power from the same place you do. The men and women who respond during an outage experience the same outages at their homes, too. We are real people, who value the same things as you do, answering the call to provide you with the safe, reliable and affordable energy you deserve. Enriching lives means helping our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends and family–you. That's the power of human connections. That's why we are proud to have local people serving you.

Likewise, your relation to YEC is more than just a consumer; you are a member and an owner of your co-op. This is the most important connection of all. In this issue, we would like to take the time to introduce you to some of our employees who are members just like you. If you didn't know them before, we hope you take the time to make some new friends. As for me, it's nice to officially meet you. Remember, we are local people looking out for you–and that's the cooperative difference.

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

The results are in and your co-op came out on top. Thank you for participating in our recent customer satisfaction survey and providing feedback to help us continue reaching new service goals. As always, YEC is looking out for you. That's why we asked for your feedback to compare the service you receive from YEC against all industries in America. Compared to all publicized ACSI scores in every industry in 2018, your cooperative has the best, with a score of 94–and that's because of you.

We're not finished yet. Your support and responses have provided us with the guidance we need to continue improving. Last year, we focused on making your service experience frictionless–no muss, no fuss–just good service. This year, we want to break the mold on business as usual. We aim to provide our members comfort–an ease of doing business–and the peace-of-mind that your power is reliable, affordable and safe. We've already taken strides to make your life easier.

Did you know you can make a payment arrangement, pay your bill, report an outage, and make changes to your account all from our free YEC Mobile App? You can even apply for new service or disconnect your account all from our website.

Remember, we are here for you and want to know what you think. If we can help, let us know! Contact us through our Member Services Email form. You can also call our office, reach out through social media or fill out one of our improved surveys. We are committed to making a difference, serving you with local, like-minded people and, most importantly, keeping your lights on and your bill low. That's the cooperative advantage and our promise to you. Thank you for your support and putting your cooperative above all others!

Show us your talents by participating in this year's coloring contest! York Electric is proud to sponsor our 6th annual Linemen Gear Up for Safety Coloring Contest for children who are in the first grade.

Teaching you about electrical safety is important because we want you to stay safe around power lines. It's another way we are looking out for you–our youngest members. To participate, download the coloring sheet. Learn how our lineworkers stay safe around electricity while showing off your creativity.

Speaking of safety, our Rodeo Team has been hard at work practicing their skills for the event this month. Although friendly competition is fun, being a part of the Rodeo Team is one of the best forms of safety training for our lineworkers here at the co-op. We are proud to have yet another way to incorporate safety in our daily work so that we all go home safe, every day.

[PDF] Linemen Safety Coloring Sheet

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Download PDF

The 2019 Rodeo Team will be judging the artwork to award prizes of $100, $50 and $25 for the three best entries. The winners will be invited to come to the co-op for a picture with the lineworkers and a close look at one of our bucket trucks.

All entries should be turned in by Friday, April 5, 2019.

Providing you with peace of mind that your cooperative is ready in all types of weather is our priority. Weather may come in the form of wind and rain, but a storm can also be changes in policy, procedures and opinions.

As they say, actions speak louder than words which is why showing up, getting the lights back on, standing up for cooperative values and service excellence shows how we look out for you. Your cooperative is not complacent. We have a sense of urgency to continue improving for you. That's member comfort. That's the cooperative difference.

We can't control the weather, but we can prepare for the worst and stand up for what is in our membership's best interest. Your cooperative is just as dedicated to forming good relationships with our legislators and cultivating growth in our economy to improve your lives as we are to restoring power in a storm. We stand up for what is right and good for you.

In the February 2019 issue of South Carolina Living magazine, please take note of your local delegation. These men and women spend their time forming laws and updating policy that affects your day-to-day lives. We encourage you to reach out, let your voice be heard and always remember to vote.

New operations center, same dedication

Last year, we dedicated resources to improve our operations center. We are now officially up and running. That's the hub of your cooperative and the brains behind the organization of our crews. From here, we can use technology to locate outages, dispatch our lineworkers efficiently, focus on safety and organization, and communicate important information to our employees in the field. Although we might not be outside, our connections and communications to employees working across our service territory puts us in the trenches with them when it matters most.

Holding true in a changing world

Our world will continue to change. Our promise is that we will continue adapting and improving—we will weather whatever storm comes our way—holding true to providing you with safe, reliable and affordable energy. Your cooperative is ready for the future. In fact, we look forward to what it brings for our membership.

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Together with the York County Department of Social Services, York Electric will host the third annual Teddy Bear Trot on Saturday, March 30, 2019, benefiting the Children's Attention Home of York County. Scan the QR code to take advantage of the early bird pricing from now through March 18 for our certified and timed 5k race and mile-long fun run/walk!

Race prices from now until March 18 will be $30 for participants 13 years of age and older. The cost for children 12 years of age and younger will be $15. After March 18, prices will increase to $40 per person. Participants who register before March 18 will be guaranteed a race shirt. All race participants will be entered to win various door prizes and will be given a snow cone from Pelican's SnoBalls of York.

Can't come but still want to support the cause? Register as a Couch Cuddlier for $15 and still receive a shirt! All shirts must be picked up at York Electric's main office no later than Friday, April 5.

York Electric Members receive competitive prices for prescriptions with the use of their Connections Card.

Did you know you could save anywhere from 10-85 percent off prescription drugs at local supporting pharmacies in your area? Make sure you are getting the best price on your meds by going online to compare prices at connections.coop. As a proud Touchstone Energy Cooperative, we are happy to provide our members with extra savings through multiple participating pharmacies across our territory.

But wait–there's more! Just scan the QR code to get all the benefits from the Connections Card from the convenience of your phone.

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There is something special about being at home, feeling safe, and taking it easy. Home is a sanctuary where families come together, and the American dream comes true. Your cooperative helps make your house a home by keeping your lights on and toes warm and by dedicating ourselves to serving you and our communities. That's the value of your membership.

You may remember last year we focused on providing you with a frictionless service experience. This year, we are starting a member comfort initiative that will bring that same comfort of home to you in each aspect of service. The feelings you get from being in the comfort of your own home, the ease of access to make your day-to-day lives easier and the family atmosphere are the essence of the cooperative difference. Your Cooperative's value goes beyond reliable service–it's community-minded, locally owned and operated, and provides peace of mind that we are looking out for you.

This year, we will continue focusing on communication, keeping you up-to-date on cooperative news, improvements to your service and new tools to increase your awareness of your energy use. Look for "Member Comfort" news briefs in the magazine and on social media, along with tutorials on electrical safety, service reliability and saving energy. For example, we are working to continue improving outage notifications to include estimated times of restoration and improved online experiences so that you can take care of your account from the convenience of your phone.

We look forward to serving you and are excited for the additional service perks that will become part of your valued membership. Sit back, enjoy the ride and look for a comfortable 2019.

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

2019 York Events

Save the date for local co-op events!

• Saturday, March 30, YEC will be hosting our third annual Teddy Bear Trot benefitting the Children's Attention Home of York County.
• Come see YEC for an Earth Day Celebration at the Anne Springs Close Greenway on Saturday, April 27.
• Your 78th Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 11. We hope to see you there!