York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Q&A

Member wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to AnaMaria Garcia-Solis of Sharon, whose question was selected to be answered this month, and she received $25.

Question: Is it possible to pick and choose your electric supplier? How is it that some homes are served by YEC and others on the same street are served by another provider?

Answer: Electric cooperatives were first formed in the 1930s when it became evident that established power companies were not ready to supply power to people living in rural America. YEC was founded in 1941 by a group of farmers and businessmen who realized that the only way to bring electric power to rural York County was to do it themselves. Over the years, the population growth significantly increased, making the lines between territories for electric companies much closer. Territories for each utility were determined by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina to plan for this growth and, in some cases, the line that determines this territory may now be right across your street. That’s why you may be served by YEC and your neighbor by another provider. Today, territorial assignments continue to be monitored and governed by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina. The electric provider is determined by the area in which you live.

YEC services portions of Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster and York counties and is one of 20 electric cooperatives in South Carolina.

To enter the contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to YEC, P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745, Attention: SCL Q & A.
Related Topics:
What is a Co-op
Frequently Asked Questions

Member Wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to Edward Bielicki of Clover, whose question was selected to be answered this month, and he received $25.

Question: As members of YEC, do we build equity in the co-op, and if we leave the area do we get a payout?

Answer: Capital Credits are a benefit of membership in a member-owned utility. Each year, YEC uses the revenues that exceed operating costs as equity. These funds and borrowed capital allow YEC to serve a growing number of members while implementing the latest technology to provide the best possible service. As a not-for-profit utility, YEC later returns these revenues to the members who originally paid them in his/her electric bills.

Each year, our members receive Capital Credit checks. This month YEC will retire $800,000 in Capital Credits to people who were members in 1989, 1990 and 2011. Members will receive Capital Credit checks in the mail unless the amount due to them is less than $15. If the member’s refund is less than $15, the amount will be distributed and printed on their utility billing statement as a line item credit. The amount of Capital Credits returned is determined by total revenues received over expenses for the cooperative and your total energy billings for the year. They are paid periodically with board approval after review of YEC’s financial status.

If you leave YEC’s service area, your Capital Credits remain in your name and member number until they are retired. Therefore, you need to make sure YEC has your current mailing address.

To enter the contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to YEC, P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745, Attention: SCL Q & A.
Related Topics:
What is a Co-op
Frequently Asked Questions

Member Wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to Leo Smith of Fort Mill. Smith’s question: “How much insulation do you need in your ceiling to get effective insulation protection?” was selected to be answered this month, and he received $25.

Answer: Answer: The minimum requirement for ceiling insulation is R-30, but the recommendation is R-38-49. Proper insulation can cut energy costs by as much as half! Also, consider insulating outside walls, attics, spaces between floors, around heating ducts and pipes that are exposed to the elements. Insulate nooks and crannies such as wall outlets, gaps in siding and around the foundation and holes around pipes, ducts and exhaust fans.

To enter the monthly contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to YEC, P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745—Attention: SCL Q & A. The deadline for receiving questions is the first of the month, but questions that come in after the deadline will be considered for the following month.
Related Topics:
Continuous Improvement
Frequently Asked Questions

Member wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to Tom Carico of Clover. Carico’s question: “Has YEC ever considered offering Internet service to their members?” was selected to be answered this month, and he received $25.

Answer: YEC participated in a small pilot program with other electric cooperatives in the state and determined that it was cost prohibitive to offer Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) at this time. YEC will continue to follow the research for this offering and will investigate any new advancements in this technology.

To enter the monthly contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to YEC, P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745—Attention: SCL Q & A. The deadline for receiving questions is the first of the month, but questions that come in after the deadline will be considered for the following month.
Related Topics:
Continuous Improvement
Frequently Asked Questions

Member wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to Christopher Beasley from Rock Hill. Beasley’s question “Has YEC considered burying some power lines to prevent frequent power outages? How costly would that be and would it negatively impact the number of linemen needed to service lines?” was selected to be answered this month and he received $25.

Answer: Approximately 1,500 of the 3,500 miles of line YEC has are underground. The majority of new lines we install annually are underground, and we see this trend continuing as this has become the norm for new residential and commercial developments.

While we do replace some overhead lines with underground service throughout the year, it would be too much of a financial impact on the membership to replace our existing 2,000 miles of line underground. It is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take more than 10 years to complete. The impact on the rates we charge you, our members, would be tremendous. YEC’s linemen are extensively cross trained in all areas of operation. It would not have a negative impact on them.

To enter the monthly contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to YEC, P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745—Attention: SCL Q & A. The deadline for receiving questions is the first of the month, but questions that come in after the deadline will be considered for the following month.
Related Topics:
Continuous Improvement
Frequently Asked Questions

Member wins $25

YEC Member Q&ACongratulations to Tonia Collins from Fort Mill. Tonia’s question: “Why do my lights ‘blink’ from time to time?” was selected to be answered this month and she received $25.

Answer: Momentary outages occur when a disturbance on the line is detected. These disturbances could be caused by a lightning strike, a squirrel or tree branch contacting the line, or a downed line or outage in a nearby area, etc. If a fault or short circuit occurs on a power line, a device called a recloser opens to stop it and then quickly closes. This device allows power to continue flowing through the line with only a brief interruption of service rather than causing an extended power outage. Although the process is quick and usually temporary, it may cause your lights to blink. If the short circuit continues, the recloser will operate or ‘trip’ three times before eventually stopping the flow of electricity and causing a power outage. This process protects the lines from damage by cutting off power to the affected section of the line and isolating the problem until it can be repaired.

To enter the monthly contest, submit your question by emailing it to Porter.Gable@yorkelectric.net or by mailing it to York Electric Cooperative, Inc., P.O. Box 150, York, SC 29745—Attention: SCL Q & A. The deadline for receiving questions is the first of the month, but questions that come in after the deadline will be considered for the following month.
Related Topics:
Frequently Asked Questions