September 2007
New Energy Efficiency Resources Debut Online
Co-op Connections Adds New National Discount, Announces Production Schedule
SitesAcrossAmerica.com Challenges Co-ops to be ‘Top Contenders’
Upcoming Web Conferences and Events
NET2008 Features New Energy Managers Summit
Boone Electric Celebrates High American Customer Satisfaction Index Score
Site Selection Boot Camp Rides into Wyoming
Share Your Brand-Building Success Stories
New Energy Efficiency Resources Debut Online
Residential energy efficiency just got a little bit easier for members of Touchstone Energy co-ops, thanks to a new set of animated applications. Known collectively as “Touchstone Energy $avers,” the new applications identify quick and simple ways for co-op members to save on their energy bills. All of the new applications can be found at www.touchstoneenergysavers.com.
In addition to the Light Bulb Energy Saver—an animated savings calculator that promotes the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs—the Touchstone Energy $avers Web site features a Kids Energy Zone, which teaches younger co-op members about electricity, saving energy, safety, renewable energy and more. The site contains stories, games, coloring books and links to Touchstone Energy resources. While the focus is on fun and games, the site provides kids with ways they can help their parents save money on their electric bills and create a more energy-efficient home.
The site also includes a Virtual House Tour, which takes users through each room in a typical home,
providing tips along the way on simple ways to save energy. For example, a stop in the virtual home’s bedroom advises users to keep vents clear and clean, use Energy Star appliances, turn off lights when possible and use compact fluorescent light bulbs. The virtual home's living room encourages users to use power strips as a central "turn-off" point for appliances, close drapes in the summer to help keep the house cool, and close the fireplace damper when not in use.
The new Water Heater Energy Saver features a virtual battle between an electric and gas water heater. The victory of the energy-efficient electric water heater is an entertaining way to promote the overall benefits of using an electric water heater. The tool also links users to additional resources and tips for ensuring an electric water heater is as energy-efficient as possible.
Co-ops will soon be able to access customized links to each individual application that they can place on their Web sites to provide to their members. For now, co-ops are encouraged to link members directly to www.touchstoneenergysavers.com. The logos for the Kids Energy Zone and Touchstone Energy $avers can be downloaded from the Touchstone Energy Web site.
For more information, contact Kristine Jackson-DeJarnette at Kristine.Jackson-DeJarnette@nreca.coop or 703.907.5633.
Co-op Connections Adds New National Discount, Announces Production Schedule
The Co-op Connections member benefit program now offers cardholders savings from shopKitchenAid.com,
the online KitchenAid® store for high-performance countertop appliances and other kitchen supplies. Members and employees of participating co-ops can click on this link to receive free shipping and 20 percent off select items.
For a limited time, cardholders can also receive a free KitchenAid Food Grinder attachment by mail when they purchase select KitchenAid Stand Mixers between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, 2007.
For more information on Co-op Connections national discount deals, visit www.connections.coop.
For co-ops that want to plan ahead, the program has set the card production schedule for 2008. For the first quarter, co-op logos and commitments are due Jan. 25, 2008, with the cards delivering on or before May 9. Second quarter commitments are due May 30, with cards delivering around Sept. 8. Third quarter commitments are due Aug. 29, with cards delivering around Dec. 4.
For more information, contact Scott Bialick at 703.907.5627, or scott.bialick@nreca.coop.
SitesAcrossAmerica.com Challenges Co-ops to be ‘Top Contenders’
SitesAcrossAmerica invites all Touchstone Energy co-ops to “wrestle” their way to increased visibility for available properties in their communities by taking on the National SitesAcrossAmerica.com Challenge! Touchstone
Energy's free online database for available sites and buildings has proven to be a powerful economic development tool for co-ops and their communities, with 227 co-op served properties listed on the site sold or leased in just three years. The site provides daily exposure to top real estate decision-makers.
The SitesAcrossAmerica.com Challenge is an opportunity for co-ops that haven't taken advantage of the tool to get off the sidelines, and motivation for co-ops that have properties listed, but haven't updated them recently, to get back in the ring! During a 90-day period, co-ops will contend, by region, to list as many properties as possible on the site.
Each participant from the winning region will receive a special Touchstone Energy t-shirt and recognition in Touchstone Energy communications. The individual participant from each region who lists the most properties will win an iPod and will be recognized during the NET2008 Conference in Hilton Head, S.C., Jan. 30-31, 2008.
To participate in the competition, visit www.sitesacrossamerica.com and click on the "Submit Site Info" link on the top menu bar. Log in with username Coopsites and password Buildings. Touchstone Energy staff will track the number of properties listed by each co-op. The competition concludes Dec. 4, 2007.
For more information, contact Kristine Jackson De-Jarnette, Touchstone Energy's SitesAcrossAmerica.com project leader, at kristine.jackson-dejarnette@nreca.coop, or at 703.907.5633.
Upcoming Web Conferences and Events
National SitesAcrossAmerica.com Challenge
Sept. 4-Dec.4, 2007 (see article above for details)
In the Pipeline: Be in the Know about your Top Oil and Gas Pipeline Customers (Web Conference)
October 2, 2007 - 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT
E-Source/Touchstone Energy Industry & Technology Update (Web conference)
October 25, 2007 - 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT
2008 New and Emerging Technologies Conference (NET2008)
Jan. 30-31, 2008 Westin Hilton Head Island Resort, South Carolina
Pre-Conference events: Jan. 28-29
2008 Connect Conference
May 13-16, 2008 Hilton Portland and Executive Tower Hotel, Portland, Oregon
NET2008 Features New Energy Managers Summit
The ninth annual New & Emerging Technologies Conference, which takes place Jan. 30-31, 2008 (pre-conference events are Jan. 28-29), features an added incentive for cooperatives to invite their business customers to attend--a new Energy Managers Summit, which will precede the conference. The summit, scheduled for Jan. 29, has been designed to address energy and technology issues
important to businesses and is targeted to co-ops' business customers. The addition of the summit has already proven to be a popular event, with an overwhelming registration response from national energy managers. As always, the NET will also offer a Key Accounts Summit, also slated for Jan. 29.
Because of the high number of energy managers expected to attend NET2008, Touchstone Energy national staff is seeking volunteers to serve as "co-op ambassadors" and help host the energy managers. Contact Kathryn Momot at 703.907.5707 for more information.
For complete program details, visit the NET2008 Web site.
Boone Electric Celebrates High American Customer Satisfaction Index Score
The employees of Boone Electric Cooperative (Columbia, Missouri.) were recently treated to lunch by the co-op’s
board of directors and GM/CEO to celebrate their recent 90 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) score. After a December 2005 score of 84, employees dedicated themselves to improving member service, and the efforts paid off.
Over hot dogs and burgers, Board President Joel Bullard and GM/CEO Todd Culley explained the significance of being scored among the top utility service providers. The Boone Electric score of “90” is 18 points ahead of the utility industry average and 8 points better than the national average for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Each employee was honored for their hard work and commitment to improving the score. A congratulatory letter from Touchstone Energy COO Jim Bausell was also read to the employees.
For more information on implementing the ACSI locally, contact Erin Keogh at erin.keogh@nreca.coop.
Site Selection Boot Camp Rides into Wyoming
The Wyoming Rural Electric Association, the Wyoming Business Council, the Wyoming Rural Development Council and Touchstone Energy Cooperatives will sponsor a site selection boot camp October 17-18 at the University of Wyoming Outreach Center in Casper.
Economic developers, government officials and business people will learn how to market and sell their communities more effectively. Recent activity shows about 40 percent of businesses interested in the area are using a site selector or consultant to identify available properties, according to Wyoming Business Council spokesman Tom Lacock.
The boot camp will allow attendees to understand what site selectors and consultants are looking for when they are asked by clients to help them decide where to locate, relocate or expand their businesses. Lockwood Greene of Spartanburg, S.C., a world-class site selector, will be facilitating the boot camp, telling the story from their point of view.
To register, contact Sean Stevens of the Wyoming Business Council at 307.777.2864.
Editor, Erin Keogh
erin.keogh@nreca.coop
703.907.5572