“The holidays.” I love everything about this time of year. Just the thought of the holiday season brings a smile to my face and evokes a sense of comfort and nostalgia, recalling family gatherings and traditions.

It’s a time of reflection. I’m grateful for my own family as well as my co-op family. At Noble REMC, we’re driven by a sense of mission and purpose. Our team feels a strong connection to our members, because we’re part of the same community. 

While many of our community-focused programs and activities ramp up this time of year, we have several programs and services in place to help our members year-round. I’d like to remind you about some of these offerings in hopes you’ll find them beneficial. 

We hope you’ll take advantage of SmartHub, our mobile app that empowers you to monitor, manage and pay your energy bill conveniently through your phone. It also allows you to receive outage and restoration notifications in real time.

We also offer energy efficiency programs to save you money and energy. Give our energy advisor a call to learn about our Power Moves rebate program and other opportunities to save now and in the future.

Our Operation Round Up grant program helps our community and residents’ quality of life by supporting local nonprofit organizations. Through members’ generous donations over the last 19 years, we’ve been able to give more than $850,000 to those in need. 

In addition to helping members save today, we’re focusing on the future. 

In our area, we’re seeing increased interest in renewable energy sources. Noble REMC and our wholesale power supplier, Wabash Valley Power Alliance, have been able to adjust our fuel mix by incorporating more renewables. This allows our members access to renewable energy at an affordable price, without the large investment in installation and maintenance at your home. (Learn more on page 7.)

You may have noticed our all-electric Mustang Mach-E around town. We invested in an electric vehicle (EV) to promote greater understanding and use of EVs, especially when it comes to fuel and maintenance savings, given the focus on electrification of the transportation sector.

But one of our most important investments is in our local youth. Noble REMC supports schools, youth clubs and programs. This includes providing three $1,000 in scholarships for local students each year and our annual camping trip for selected seventh graders, now named Camp Kilowatt. Each year, through our Youth Tour program, we send two high school juniors to Washington, D.C., for a week-long immersion to experience democracy in action.  

At the heart of all of these programs is you –– the members we proudly serve. Looking back, I’m grateful for so many wonderful community partners and for the positive impact we can continue to make. 

This holiday season, I wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and prosperity. Speaking on behalf of our team at Noble REMC, I know the future will be be bright, because of you.