Now is the Time to Get Involved
Appeared in March 2001 Country Living

"One determined person can make a significant difference, and a small group of determined people can change the course of history."
Sonia Johnson

How would you like your electric bill to double, even triple?

Of course, that isn't happening here. Nor is this some kind of scare tactic, because after all, I already know your (and my) answer to this question.

You can, however, be very thankful you don't live in California right now. Specifically, in the San Diego market, customers in July 2000 became the first to experience fully deregulated rates with their bills immediately doubling and tripling.

Just as we experience deregulation front and center right here in Ohio, the expectation in the Golden State was that deregulation would cause overall prices to drop, not surge. There is an extensive chain of events leading up to the cause for all these price spikes, but the lesson for Ohio's Cooperatives is clear: wait, watch, learn. Fortunately, we've done all three, and none of this state's Co-ops have opted to compete.

Even though HWE is not deregulated, what exactly does all this mean to you?

It means that as a Co-op member, now is your time to get involved. You are a part owner in this business, just like being a stockholder in a for-profit company. You'll find much age diversity within HWE. There are still some Co-op members who have been around since our inception in 1938. Some of today's newer members understand and appreciate very little about our history.

No matter your age, you can and should get involved in the Co-op. Use your voice to demand change for the things you care about. Whether you send an email to us, vote in the trustee election, or talk to your children about electrical safety, you are making a difference.

Here are just a few ways in which you can do so:

1. Run for trustee elections - Nominations and elections are conducted by mail starting in summer. Members in a district receive a blank ballot, and they can write in the name of any member in the district. The two persons receiving the most nominations who wish to run become the candidates. -
2. Get connected - Contact your trustee or myself to offer your feedback and comments.
3. Attend our Annual Meeting - Held once per year in the fall, it's an excellent opportunity to understand the financial and production of the Co-op over the past year, read our annual report, meet up with old friends and enjoy a great meal.
4. Read/understand - Our website -- and plenty of other ones -- has a wealth of knowledge on deregulation, services and tips all for free.

With over 11,000 members within our great Cooperative, it would seem like individuals cannot make a difference on their own. But, as the word "Cooperative" indicates, every vote counts, every action counts.

You've already joined the Co-op as a member. Now I ask you to symbolically join again by becoming active.