Customer/members of the Wells Rural Electric Cooperative from Carlin to Wendover will not have to worry about having their power shut off during this bitter winter even if they are seriously arrears in paying their bill, said WREC spokesman Garrett Hylton Wednesday.
“We have lots of plans out there for people who are behind,” Hylton said. “But WREC would never cut anyone off during this kind of weather. In Wendover, Utah utilities are forbidden to cut off power when the temperature falls below 32 degrees (freezing) and while there is no similar law in Nevada, WREC has never cut off power to family over the winter because of failure to pay.”
Wells Rural Electric Company is a member-owned nonprofit cooperative which was incorporated in 1958 to provide electric power to at first Wells and later to all of the communities of rural Elko county and some parts of Tooele County, Utah.
“We take it to heart our motto ‘owned by those we serve.’” Hylton added.
Last week WREC reminded its customer/members of several programs available to help low income house holds keep abreast of this winter’s high than average electrical bills.
The Energy Assistance Program offered by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Support Services, which provides a minimum of $180 to low-income families and individuals who meet the criteria.
Stop by the WREC office or Plaza Furniture store to pick up a form and get help completing the application.
In addition, WREC owners may look into the cooperative’s “Commitment to Community” program, which assists local service organizations and social service agencies in helping families struggling to pay their electric bills. The program provides a $50 voucher for electricity that can be redeemed at the local WREC office. While each agency uses its own criteria for issuing vouchers, every membership can use up to three.
Contact the Wendover Senior Citizen Center, the Wendover Resource Council or one of the area churches to determine whether you are eligible to take advantage of the program.
Aside from assistance programs, WREC owners are also encouraged to be proactive and observe winter conservation and efficiency tips to help keep their bills in check. A list of tips can be found at www.wrec.coop. If owners have any questions about either program or would like to discuss winter conservation tips, they can contact WREC at 775 664-2204.
“I just happened to mention our discussion to our operations manager and he shared that in Wendover we also have another option.” Hylton added in an email Wednesday. “Our new meters there give us the ability to limit an account’s usage if they are behind on their bill. In essence, we could limit somebody who is defunct to somewhere in the area of 20 amps during a month like this so they could still get their heat going, but wouldn’t have enough energy to do that and watch TV and use other appliances without tripping the breaker. We haven’t made use of that feature yet, but it is an option going forward.”