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Installing a security light will increase the safety of your home and property, allow you to spend more time outdoors, and give you peace of mind. MLEC installs and maintains residential security lights for low, monthly fees, conveniently added to your electric bill each month.
Choose from:
- 100 watt high pressure sodium
- 250 watt high pressure sodium
- 400 watt high pressure sodium
For security light rates, click here.
Stop by, call or e-mail us to get signed up for a security light at your home or business.
Heat Pumps / Heat Pump Loans / Choosing a Contractor
A heat pump is the cleanest, most efficient and least expensive way to heat and cool your home. In the summer, it removes the warm air from inside your home and moves it outside, leaving cool air inside. In the winter, the process reverses itself. The solar heat from the outside is pumped inside, keeping your home warm.
A heat pump needs no flue for venting fumes, does not require a flame and does not leave residue in your home. It is quiet, clean and safe, and it’s also the most cost-effective way to heat and cool your home.
There are different types of heat pumps. The most common in our area is an air-to-air source heat pump. There are other types that are more efficient (meaning your utility bills will be lower) such as dual-fuel, geothermal, and variable speed to name a few. For assistance in deciding which is the best for your home, e-mail MLEC’s Energy Specialist, Gene Hale at gene.hale@mlec.com.
For maximum operating efficiency, proper installation of your heat pump is key! Choosing a heat pump dealer who is a member of the Quality Contractor Network (QCN) will insure your heat pump works correctly.
MLEC offers qualified members low-interest loans.. You have ten years
to repay the loan, and payments are added to the electric bill for convenience.
Dual fuel units are eligible for financing.
Choosing a heating and cooling contractor:
Installation is almost as important as the heat pump itself. The better the installation, the more comfortable and efficient your electric heat pump will run.
That’s the reason behind the Quality Contractor Network (QCN) and the energy right® program. QCN members have the skill and knowledge to install the right system for your home, service your equipment down the road, and even coordinate financing.
Tips for choosing a heating and cooling contractor:
- Find out if he or she is a member of the Quality Contractor Network.
- Ask the QCN contractor for references to find out if other customers were satisfied.
Get bids for the job from several QCN members. (Quality Contractor Network List)
Electric water heaters are safer and cleaner than natural gas or propane water heaters.
Electric water heaters offer these and other benefits:
- Safe, clean, efficient
- No open-flame or exposure to gas by-products such as carbon monoxide
- No need for special ventilation
- Put them almost anywhere
- Easy to install
- Cash incentive from MLEC. Contact MLEC to see if you qualify
MLEC also wants to help you make informed decisions about the appliances you purchase for your home. That’s why we’d like you to meet the lifetime warranted water heater.
MLEC offers a cash incentive for the installation of electric water heaters in new and existing homes and manufactured homes. Incentives range from $25 to $50. To see if you may qualify , call your local MLEC office or e-mail gene.hale@mlec.com.
To receive your incentive, supply proof of purchase with an original receipt to your local MLEC office.
If you are in need of a plumbing contractor, see the yellow pages.
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Go electric and find yourself with some extra money! The true cost of a home isn’t the “mortgage” price, but what it costs to buy and operate. The energy right® program gives you lower utility bills because of the money-making decisions made during construction. Did we mention incentives? Aside from the energy savings your home can provide each month, MLEC offers a one-time cash incentive to homes meeting program standards in one of the following classifications:
energy right® = $300 |
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Also, new homes that qualify for the program, can receive an additional $100 when installing a lifetime warranty water heater! (Note: HERS software is used to determine the home’s rating. Incentive is awarded to the building decision maker, which is determined by the homeowner and/or contractor.) Call MLEC or ask your builder today about the energy right® program. You’ll be glad you did! You can also contact MLEC's Energy Specialist Gene Hale at gene.hale@mlec.com for more details. |
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Purchase a manufactured home meeting energy right® program standards and save money on your heating and cooling bills. These homes have extra weatherization and insulation and an electric heat pump.
Just look for the energy right® symbol on the outside of the manufactured home. For a list of area dealers that sell manufactured homes under the energy right® program, contact MLEC.
This voluntary program allows members to contribute each month to help those in temporary financial difficulty pay their winter energy bills. Most members have one dollar added to their monthly bill; others make a one-time contribution. Money is distributed each year through community action agencies in each county. All funds stay in the county in which they are contributed. If you would like to contribute to Project Help, please e-mail power@mlec.net with the following information:
- the name on your MLEC account
- the full mailing address
- your phone number
- the amount you wish to give
- indicate if this is a one-time gift, or if you want it added monthly to your electric bill.
After your request to contribute is received, you will be contacted by an MLEC representative to verify your request.
As a courtesy to our members, this publication is mailed each month to all residential members. It contains articles on everything from recipes to travel. The five-page MLEC section is written specifically for our members. If you are an MLEC member and are not receiving The Tennessee Magazine, but would like to, e-mail us and we'll make sure you're on the mailing list. If you are not an MLEC member and would like to receive the magazine, just e-mail us for subscription information.
Electric Grills, Smoker & Accessories:
With electric grills you never have to wonder if your propane tank is empty or if there's enough to cook your dinner before it runs out. Electric grills are fast, clean, safe and available to purchase from MLEC. Pick up a brochure at your local office, request one by phone, or e-mail power@mlec.net. Order electric grills, smokers and accessories online at the MLEC Store.
By Doug Rye, National Energy Architect
- The three most important things to remember for lowering your utility costs: 1) air infiltration, 2) air infiltration and 3) you guessed it – air infiltration. If you added up all the gaps, it would be like having a door open all year. Close the door.
- When in doubt, caulk it. Use high-quality silicone caulk around doors, windows and other places where building materials are connected.
- Eliminate moisture problems. If you have a crawl space under your home, roll out thick sheets of plastic across the dirt. In your attic, make sure there is adequate ventilation.
- Duct leakage is a major problem in almost every home. All duct work should be sealed with a mastic paste and insulated.
- Get the duct work out of your attic. If possible, place ducting in conditioned space, a basement or crawl space.
- For insulation, I prefer wet-blown cellulose insulation. It forms an air-tight barrier.
- If you have an electric water heater, wrap it with a water heater jacket. If it rests on a concrete slab, place a two-inch thick insulation board underneath it.
- If you’re building or remodeling, choose insulated windows with low-e glass. The glassed area of your exterior should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of exterior walls.
- Geothermal heat pumps are 400 percent more energy efficient than traditional furnaces or air conditioners and can save you 50 percent on annual heating and cooling costs.
- Most people have the least efficient heating and air conditioning equipment allowed by federal law. Buy heat pumps and air conditioners with a 12 SEER rating or above. SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is like a miles-per-gallon efficiency rating.
To have a copy of the brochure “Energy Management and You: Learning to use wisely” mailed to you, please e-mail MLEC at power@mlec.net. List your name, address and the brochure name in your e-mail.
Should severe weather arrive, MLEC employees will be on alert to minimize and begin repairing any damage to the power system as quickly as possible. While MLEC makes proactive steps to prevent outages during severe weather, like right of way clearing and quality equipment and material, Mother Nature sometimes causes outages out of our control.
When those outages occur, rest assured that MLEC is working to restore electricity quickly. The key is to be prepared.
Here are a few tips and information for you.
- What causes storm outages?
- What should my family do during an outage?
- What should we do during an extended outage?
- What do I keep in an outage kit?
- What can I do to help?
Many outages are weather-related. High winds and traffic accidents can bring down electric lines and poles. This leaves large areas in the dark. Storms frequently cause trees to fall across power lines, leaving a home, a neighborhood or an entire area without power. MLEC works throughout the year to cut trees back from power lines and maintain the entire electric system. But the rugged, rural terrain of our service area means that outages will be possible.
What should my family do during a storm outage?
- Keep an outage kit. MLEC offers tips for what your kit should include on this site.
- Call MLEC to report an outage. If the lines are busy, your neighbors probably also are reporting the outage. Please be patient. Telephones are answered 24-hours a day, 7-days a week - even on holidays. The phone number and areas are:
After hours & holidays 1-800-482-6553 (including Dyer Rd.)
After hours & holidays 1-800-256-2807
After hours & holidays 1-800-316-2342 (including Pleasantville)
After hours & holidays 1-800-893-8273
After hours & holidays 1-800-650-6814
- Leave your freezer and refrigerator closed unless absolutely necessary. Food will stay frozen for several days if left undisturbed.
- Turn off all appliances. Leave only one lighton to let you know when power is restored.
What should we do during an extended outage?
- If radio reports indicate that power may be out for several days, or if your power has been out for several hours, consider moving in with a relative or friend who has heat.
- Remember to check on the elderly and shut-ins in your community.
- If you use a portable generator, plug appliances directly into the unit. DO NOT plug the generator into a wall outlet, as that allows electricity to travel out of the house and onto electric lines. MLEC linemen working to restore power could be injured or killed from your electric generator. To have a diagram on using electric generators and installation instructions mailed to you, contact your local office or e-mail power@mlec.net.
What do I keep in an outage kit?
- Flashlights
- Extra batteries
- Candles and matches
- Kerosene, propane or oil lamp and appropriate fuel
- Paper plates and plastic utensils
- Battery-powered radio (and even more batteries)
- Wind-up or battery-operated clock
- Extra blankets or sleeping bags
- Containers for storing water and extra water
- Portable fire extinguisher
- Manual can opener
- Canned foods that don't need to be cooked or other easily prepared foods: fresh or canned fruit, powered milk and dry cereals, canned tuna, meat spreads, cheese spreads, peanut butter and crackers.
* Never try to move a downed line or the tree that has it pinned. Call MLEC immediately. Our linemen have the equipment and training to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
Trees and Electricity Don't Mix
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Trees falling or coming into contact with power lines is by far the most common cause of power outages on the Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative system. That's why MLEC has a strong and proactive program to keep trees and brush from the lines.While trees and electricity are great to have, they do not mix. When they do, power reliability and personal safety are at risk. When trees touch, or come close to touching, an overhead electric wire, several things can happen. Children climbing that tree can get shocked or killed. The branch can break from the weight of snow and ice in winter and fall on the wire causing a power outage. Winds can whip limbs into the line and break one or both. Or, a branch can merely brush against an energized wire and catch on fire. |
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MLEC contracts with workers who are trained to trim trees so limbs are a safe distance from overhead power lines. Utility workers urge homeowners to leave the trimming to professionals when branches are within 10 feet of a power line. They're trained to know which direction the pieces will fall, unlike the homeowner, whose cut might land a branch on top of a live wire.
For more information, e-mail MLEC's Forester Hal Falls at hal.falls@mlec.com. Or, to request a FREE brochure about MLEC's Right-of-Way program, e-mail your name and address to power@mlec.net. Type "Right of Way" in the subject line.
For more tips to make sure trees and electricity don't mix at your home, click here:
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For more information, e-mail MLEC's Forester Hal Falls at hal.falls@mlec.com. Or, to request a FREE brochure about MLEC's Right-of-Way program, e-mail your name and address to power@mlec.net. Type "Right of Way" in the subject line.
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The switch is on… Green Power Switch® |
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What is Green Power Switch®? Green Power Switchâ is a renewable energy initiative that offers consumers in the Tennessee Valley a choice in the type of power they buy. TVA and local power companies, working in cooperation with the environmental community, developed Green Power Switch®, as a way to bring green power electricity that's generated by cleaner renewable resources to Valley consumers. MLEC chose to be one of the public power companies in the TVA service area to sell energy generated by solar, wind, and landfill gas resources. How much does it cost? You can buy green power in 150-kilowatt-hour blocks (about 12 percent of a typical household's monthly energy use). Each block you sign up to purchase will add $4 to your monthly power bill, and you can buy just one block or as many as you like. Is the green power you purchased delivered right to your home? No. The green power you pay for will be added to TVA's electric system as part of the Valley's total power mix. What is the environmental benefit? Buying two blocks of green power ($8 per month) for a year is equal to recycling 480 lbs. of aluminum (that's 15,322 cans!) or recycling 1,766 lbs. of newspaper. How do I sign up for Green Power Switch®? It's simple. Visit your local office for quick and easy sign-up, or call us and request a form be mailed to you. MLEC members can also sign-up online by visiting the Green Power Switch® website. For more information visit www.greenpowerswitch.com. **As part of our accreditation criteria with the Center for Resource Solutions, we are required to disclose the electricity fuel mix for Green Power Switch delivered to participating customers during the prior year. See the link below for more information. |
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Another CFL topic Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative members are asking about is a link between CFLs and mercury. What are the health issues and what needs to be done for proper disposal? While CFLs do contain mercury, ironically they present an opportunity to prevent mercury from entering our air, where it most affects our health. The highest source of mercury in our air comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal, the most common fuel used in the U.S. to produce electricity. A CFL uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent light bulb and lasts at least 6 times longer. A power plant will emit 10 mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4 mg of mercury to run a CFL for the same time.
So what questions should be asked relative to the CFL and mercury issue?
Q. How much mercury are we talking about?
Q. What is the best way to dispose of a CFL once it burns out?
Q. What do I do if a CFL breaks? |
Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative - Copyright 2002