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• The importance of electrical safety measures for older adults

  By Brett Brenner, Electrical Safety Foundation International

  Statistics show that home fires, from a variety of causes, result in a significant number of deaths and injuries each year. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 371,700 home structure fires per year. These fires cause an estimated average of 2,590 civilian deaths and 12,910 civilian injuries.
  
  Although electrical hazards plague the public at large, older adults are burdened with the gravest risk. Adults over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to die from a house fire as the general population, and this risk increases with age. Those 75 years of age and over are challenged with a risk that is 2.8 times higher, and adults over 85 are at a staggering risk that is 3.7 times higher. As baby boomers enter retirement age, the United States Fire Administration (USFA) has predicted that the percentage of older Americans will increase significantly, thus making a corresponding increase in fire deaths and injuries among older adults probable.
  
  Electrical failures are a leading cause of home fires every year, and electrical distribution and lighting equipment fires have been shown to increase in frequency with increasing dwelling age. Homes with aging electrical systems are at a heightened risk for electrical fires, posing a serious risk for older adults who have remained in the same home for an extended period of time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, half of the homes in use in the United States were built before 1973, which is long before many of the electronics and appliances we use today were even invented. Unfortunately, our increased demands for energy can overburden an older home’s electrical system causing fires or electrocutions.
  
  Many home electrical fires can be prevented by using more up-to-date technology and by recognizing warning signs your home may be showing. Follow these easy safety tips to identify and prevent electrical hazards in your home:
  
  • Regularly check all cords, outlets, switches, and appliances for signs of damage or wear.
  • Use extension cords only temporarily.
  • Be sure that outlets that are not overloaded with too many devices. They can overheat and start a fire.
  • Look and listen for warning signs of an electrical problem such as outlets and switches that are warm, or make crackling, sizzling or buzzing sounds.
  • Always replace fuses or circuit breakers with the correct size and amperage. And make sure all circuits are labeled correctly.
  • Consider having your breakers upgraded to state-of-the-art AFCI circuit breakers. Keep the electrical panel accessible so you can quickly shut off power in an emergency.
  • Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Place alarms inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area. Test them once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, and replace the alarm itself every ten years.
  
  These vital tips are featured in ESFI’s newly launched “Home Fire Safety for Older Adults Safety Awareness Program,” which provides tools to educate older adults and their families nationwide about home fire hazards related to cooking, heating, and electrical equipment. A full range of resources for older adults, including detailed fact and tip sheets as well as public service announcements, can be found by visiting www.esfi.org/safetyeducators. This effort is part of ESFI’s National Electrical Safety Month initiative, “Electrical Safety for All Ages,” which takes a multigenerational approach to electrical safety by encouraging family members of all ages to work together to identify and correct potential home fire hazards.
  
  Visit www.esfi.org/NESM for ESFI’s full range of National Electrical Safety Month materials, which also include children focused materials are part of its “Be Smart about Fire and Electrical Safety” program.
  
  The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school, and workplace. ESFI proudly sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May, and engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities.
  
  
  
  

• Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives turns 15

  By effectively marketing co-op values and offering programs that benefit members, the ‘brand ID’ for the nation’s electric co-ops rounds a milestone

  By Reed Karaim

  
  In marking its 15th birthday this month, Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives―the branding program for the nation’s electric cooperatives―can point to a host of accomplishments: 741 member co-ops from around the United States (up nearly 100 from just five years ago, and double the original enrollment of 371 on its official launch date of April 4, 1998) and more than 50 different programs that help electric cooperatives bolster operations and better serve their consumer-members. But perhaps its greatest achievement can be summed up in three words: increased member engagement.
  
  “We want to bring power to the doorstep of every electric cooperative by offering them the tools they need to cement bonds with their members,” says Jim Bausell, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives chief operating officer. “At the end of the day, co-op consumers must trust that the brand stands for real value.”
  
  There’s solid evidence that Touchstone Energy Cooperatives member co-ops are earning that trust. In the fourth quarter of 2012, the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which regularly surveys consumer attitudes toward some 200 companies, recorded an all-time high rating of 85 for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. That’s nine points higher than investor-owned electric utilities and among the highest scores recorded by any industry group. Twenty co-ops scored a 90 or above, which is usually achieved only by high-end car brands and large household appliance manufacturers.
  
  To reach this level, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives has fashioned a toolbox that includes services such as the Co-op Connections® Card, which provides co-op consumers with discounts at participating local and national retailers and pharmacies; energy education programs like Super Energy Saver, aimed at teaching children grades K-5 about electricity, electrical safety, and energy savings, as well as Get Charged! Electricity and You curriculum kits targeted toward instructing middle school students about electric cooperatives and electricity in general; branded hot-air and cold-air balloons; SitesAcrossAmerica.com, a web-based clearinghouse of commercial and industrial properties available in electric cooperative service territories; and ongoing national advertising and energy efficiency promotional campaigns.
  
  

  Given public skepticism regarding large institutions and the information overload of our modern society, Bausell contends Touchstone Energy Cooperatives’ credibility remains vital. “The brand makes even more sense than it did in 1998. Given all of the challenges reaching people today, it exists as a critical component in making sure that a local cooperative’s message rings loud and clear.”

   

  Services galore

  Touchstone Energy Cooperatives’ early forays centered on building public awareness of four values all electric cooperatives share: innovation, accountability, integrity, and commitment to community.
  
  “Initially, we zeroed in on what makes co-ops different from other power suppliers,” recalls Nelle Hotchkiss, senior vice president of corporate relations with the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives (statewide) in Raleigh, N.C., who took part in the brand’s formation. “Now, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is reviewing new ways to aid co-ops in reinforcing their message while raising member engagement.”
  
  One example involves a new online learning platform called Cooperative University. “It will give member co-ops ‘virtual’ classrooms to reach folks,” Bausell explains. “Each co-op will have its own channel and be able to host training programs for employees and directors/trustees. It recognizes that in many cases co-op leaders can’t just attend a conference and absorb everything. Issues and technology move so quickly, it’s critically important for co-ops to spend time continually learning.”
  
  As part of the effort, NRECA and Touchstone Energy Cooperatives will layer in training and educational materials, notably energy efficiency and safety information, as well as online discussion boards and social media. “I see this platform as being as important to the future of electric co-ops as Cooperative.com has been over the past decade,” Bausell asserts.
  
  Another important initiative, CoopWebBuilder.com, a custom content management system featuring three web design templates, debuted in 2010.
  
  “The user-friendly interface lets cooperatives easily edit content, upload images, and feature their own programs, news, and events,” Bausell stresses. “With it, co-ops can save thousands of dollars in potential programming fees that web developers typically charge while still producing sleek, professional-looking websites. Essentially, a co-op can reinvent its online presence for no additional cost beyond its annual Touchstone Energy Cooperatives investment fee.”
  
  CoopWebBuilder.com has been popular since day one―so far, 151 websites have been constructed using it, with another 60 to 70 in the pipeline. Soon, CoopWebBuilder.com 3.0 will be introduced, sporting more design templates and more flexibility. “With its 10-step wizard process, whether you’re an experienced web designer or a novice, you’ll be able to work with it the first time out,” Bausell indicates.
  
  But arguably the most successful Touchstone Energy Cooperatives offering has been the Co-op Connections Card. The free cards and key fobs (38 million in circulation), customized with the name and logo of 446 participating electric co-ops in 46 states, allow consumers of those systems access to more than 25,000 discounts brokered nationally by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives or that individual electric co-ops have arranged with local merchants.
  
  In addition, co-op consumers nationwide have saved approximately $60 million at more than 60,000 pharmacies since Co-op Connections began in May 2007. On top of that, the cards can also be used for trips to the dentist, optometrist, or audiologist―even taking pets to the veterinarian.
  
  Kathy Taylor, vice president of corporate relations at Corn Belt Power, a generation and transmission co-op based in Humboldt, Iowa, praises the Co-op Connections Card as a great example of the power of the Sixth Cooperative Principle, “Cooperation Among Cooperatives.” “No co-op on its own could achieve that volume of discounts for members,” she observes. “But through Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, we can deliver those opportunities for savings.”
  
  In 2009, the brand unveiled an aggressive energy efficiency promotional campaign, “Together We Save,” centered around the TogetherWeSave.com website. This year, the website will add a self-directed energy audit instrument that will let users tailor energy efficiency action plans for their residences.
  
  “The tool is perfect for those who’ve already taken the home tour on the website and learned about simple energy-savings steps,” suggests Alan Shedd, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives director of residential & commercial energy programs. “It will let them make wiser choices about whether to invest in more significant energy-efficient upgrades, such as new windows or appliances. It will even guide someone through deciding if they can do an energy efficiency improvement project on their own, or if hiring a contractor may be a better idea.”
  
  

  The next 10 years

  Over its first 15 years, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives has worked to boost public recognition of the co-op difference and assist member co-ops in instituting a series of best operational standards, practices, and benchmarks. As the brand drives forward, Martin Lowery, NRECA executive vice president of external affairs, sees it lending expertise even more directly to co-op member engagement.
  
  “Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is studying how to help cooperatives enhance local outreach activities and really be viewed as integral parts of the regions they serve―which will lead to goodwill and better member trust and loyalty,” he points outs. “The brand could end up creating resource libraries on topics such as infrastructure development, water quality, and other areas critical to supporting consumer-driven quality-of-life improvement efforts. This kind of undertaking goes well beyond electric service and focuses on the real purpose of cooperatives.”
  
  Back in 1998, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives came into being with a sole TV ad. Since then, Bausell has witnessed the emergence of “a true brand that encompasses every element of our identity as cooperatives. I hope the day will come where every electric co-op calls Touchstone Energy Cooperatives their own.”