“The holidays.” I love everything about this time of year. Just the thought of the holiday season brings a smile to my face as I recall family gatherings and traditions that warm my heart and fills my senses. 

It’s a time of reflection. I’m grateful for my own family as well as my co-op family. At Decatur County REMC (DCREMC), we’re driven by a sense of mission and purpose. Our team feels a strong connection to our community and our members, because we live here too. 

While many of our community-focused programs and activities such as our support for the Greensburg/Decatur County Cheer Fund and our Operation Round Up program 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, an app that empowers you to monitor, manage and pay your energy bill conveniently through your phone. Another service we offer is prepaid metering, which is intended to help budget your monthly energy costs. DCREMC members can pay for electricity before it’s used, then use the electricity until the “energy bank” is depleted. With this program, you’ll receive regular feedback on your balance. Through SmartHub, members can monitor their energy use by the hour, day, month, and year.  This really puts the power in the members’ hands (pun intended!) We also offer energy efficiency programs and incentives like our residential rebate programs including HVAC, hybrid water heaters, electric lawn equipment, and more, designed to save you money and energy.

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. Recent innovations and advances have led to significant cost decreases in renewable energy, making it more feasible and accessible. In recent years, our power supplier, Hoosier Energy, has been able to adjust its portfolio by incorporating more renewables. Today, over 10% of Hoosier Energy’s energy mix is comprised of renewable energy sources.  

But the most important investment we make is in our local youth. DCREMC and its employees have logged hundreds of volunteer hours supporting schools, youth clubs and programs along with providing unique development opportunities for our youth through our Camp Kilowatt and Youth Tour programs. In fact, one of our former Youth Tour students is serving as an intern with us this semester – furthering our level of investment and commitment to our youth.

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 DCREMC, I know the future will be be bright, because of you.