Manager Connection – Your Trusted Energy Advisor
By Syd Briggs,
General Manager
“We’re here to serve you.” These words may sound generic, but to us—your local electric cooperative—they mean everything.
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric was created to serve our rural communities. Back in the day, neighbors banded together and formed our co-op for the common good. In our case, it was the only way the area could bring electricity where there was none. In doing so, Steele-Waseca helped the rural communities thrive. That mission-focused heritage is the golden thread that is woven throughout our history.
Today, we are continuing to power our service area. While our focus has remained steady on providing safe, reliable, and affordable energy to our members, today’s energy landscape and consumer expectations are far different than they were decades ago. That’s why we’re adapting, to keep pace with changing technology, evolving needs and new expectations.
Serving as your trusted energy advisor means we want to help you save energy (and money) and provide advice and information on a broad range of energy topics. For example, if you’re looking for ways to save energy, check out our website at swce.coop, for energy-saving tips and ideas to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Identify ways you can save energy at home. Understanding how your home uses energy can help determine the best ways to modify energy use and thereby keep more money in your wallet.
If you’re considering a rooftop solar installation, our energy advisors in Operations would be happy to give you an unbiased view of the pros and cons.
Investing in a solar panel system is a major decision, and it’s important to fully understand the costs, responsibilities, and potential energy savings. Unlike a solar company that has one objective—to sell their products and services—we will look at the total energy picture and help you determine the best options for your home. We understand that homeowners must undertake their due diligence, and we’re here to help you through that process.
In a similar vein, we recognize that many members are considering electric vehicle (EV) options. Steele-Waseca provides information about EV charging and electric requirements to our members so you can make informed decisions about EVs. We can provide a candid assessment of residential and business charging requirements for all types of EVs. Steele-Waseca is also offering ways to save on EV charging like through the ChargeWise program. No matter what our members drive, we want to help you achieve energy savings.
Steele-Waseca continues to offer their dual fuel and electric water heating programs to give members options.
So, the next time you hear Steele-Waseca use the phrase, “We’re here to serve you,” we hope you know we mean it.
Service is deeply ingrained into who we are. We continue to evolve with the times, and in return, we’ve found additional ways to serve you and provide more options for you to power your life.
In the recent past, Steele-Waseca has contacted our members to perform occasional surveys. We plan to continue this valuable practice to remain aware of our members desires and needs for new programs, and/or modifications to existing programs.
Also, please stay in touch by reading Sparks, accessing our web page, or watching for links or announcements on Facebook. We have some coming enhancements with some of our rates that you may be interested in.
In this Sparks issue, we are recognizing our line technicians. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is continuing to recognize lineworkers on the second Monday in April, which this year is April 8. Our line technicians are committed to going out in all sorts of weather conditions, day or night, and restore power when conditions or circumstances interrupt power for our members.
Service
#swceSERVICE
