Avoid back-feeding power which can electrocute a member of the public or a lineman. A generator can energize our 7,200 volt lines for several miles by back-feeding through a transformer. The safest way to use a portable generator is to plug your refrigerator/freezer or appliance directly into the generator outlet using an approved extension cord.
An opening must be kept between your portable generator and the WCEC system. Generators can also cause fires, and will produce carbon monoxide so they must not be operated in an enclosed space or residence.
Energy costs are rising, and there will become a time when our great State of Texas, and the entire United States, will not generate enough electricity to keep up with the growing demand of consumers. It is important to contact our elected officials reminding them that we are aware of the crisis and are concerned. Our National organization has provided a form that allows you to send a letter to each representative in your area by simply entering your information and clicking 'Send'.
Below is a copy of the email that will automatically be sent to all of the representatives in the state you choose to contact.
"Our country faces a crisis as electricity use increases faster than available supply. I believe that by unleashing American ingenuity we can solve this problem.
What are you doing to speed the development of new technology which will allow me to have the electric power I need while meeting our national climate policy goals?
I look forward to your answer and will share it with my friends and neighbors. Thank you."
The State of Texas and United States needs your help to get the point across that America understands the situation we are facing and are interested in a resolution. If we don't act now, the costs of electricity will skyrocket and the availability will slowly deteriorate.
As we head into summer, and rising electric costs, it's time to evaluate your home and look for ways to lower your energy usage and make your home more efficient. WCEC's energy costs have increased slightly due to the increase in Natural Gas which is used at South Texas Electric Cooperative to generate energy. The following recommendations are simple and cost effective ways to reduce your monthly electric bill.
Home Improvement Projects to Save Energy and Lower Your Energy Bills
The right home improvements can save you money beginning almost immediately and increase the resale value of your home, while also making your home a more comfortable place to live. In the future many home buyers are going to be much more concerned with energy efficiency and total cost of ownership.
Click the 'Read More' below to read the entire topic.
**** IMPORTANT: Any payments received after 1:00 pm will be posted the following day. ****
All bank draft payments and re-curring credit card payments will be processed on the 10th of each month, depending on what day of the week the 10th falls on.
WCEC has recently upgraded its online bill-pay and pay-by-phone automated systems. The URL to pay online is https://ebill.wcecnet.net/css/ and Phone Number is 979-543-5394.
In order to access the Online bill-pay, please visit: https://ebill.wcecnet.net/css/ or by going to http://ebill.wcecnet.net to securely pay your bill online. If it is your first time to pay your bill online with the NEW WCEC online bill-pay system, you will need to create a new account. You can do so by clicking the following link: Register Here! . Once you have successfully registered, you can then login to your account to pay your bill, view your previous balances, view your capital credit history, and view your previous service requests.
Click the Read More link below for instructions on accessing the new system.
The WCEC headquarters has recently been annexed into the City limits of El Campo. We are now required to charge city tax on all services and products, other than electricity, sold to our members and non-members. The tax increase will be shown as an additional 1.5% on your statement if you are currently an Internet customer of Wirehand Wireless or Wildblue Satellite Internet.
"(1) For local sales tax purposes, city, county, transit authority, and/or special purpose district sales taxes are due if the Internet access service provider has only one place of business (the location from which the provider accepts orders for Internet service) within the boundaries of a local taxing entity. Local sales tax must be collected based upon the tax rate at that location, except that no transit authority sales tax is due on services provided to a location outside the boundaries of the transit area. In the case of multiple locations, if an order for Internet service is taken at one location but the service is provided from another location from which customers may order service, the place of business from which the service is provided will determine to which local taxing entity the tax is allocated."
June and July have gone into the record books for record setting high electric usage and bill levels.
In June of 2008, members used more electricity than any month in the history of WCEC. Historically, August is the highest use month during a year and at the time of writing this article; we still do not have those usage numbers.
To compound matters our power cost from our supplier has been higher this year with natural gas going as high as $13 per million BTU’s. (A few years ago we purchased fuel for less than $2 per million.)
Many people believe that the earth is warming abnormally due to carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burned in cars, planes, trucks, heaters and power plants. There is indeed evidence that the earth is warming but it is only opinion that it is caused by man’s activity. The opinion is becoming so emotional that it has become political… science and reason seem to be going out the window.
Rural Texas is losing political clout in the state and federal legislatures. It is a sad reality that urban areas now dominate the elections of state and federal representatives leaving rural and agricultural interest out in the cold.
Wirehand Wireless along with WildBlue Satellite Internet gives WCEC the ability to offer several high speed packages of internet access.
At a strategic planning session of directors and management staff last summer, one of the strategies for success of the future of Wharton County Electric Cooperative was to have broad band high speed internet service available in rural areas.
HURRICANE PLANNING
The full-fledged hurricane season will be on us again in the next few weeks. Now is the time to plan. WCEC personnel have been conducting serious hurricane planning based on the damage and experience of east Texas electric cooperatives and the coops in the Louisiana area. We have learned much from sending employees to help in those areas and by making on-site visits after the hurricane restoration to better prepare WCEC for such an eventuality. Experts say that weather trends indicate a period the next few years of higher than normal hurricane activity.
Worried about increased usage of electricity? We have compiled a list of things that you can do as a homeowner to reduce the amount of wasted energy used on a daily basis:
Online Bill-Pay
Click the image above to pay your Electric or Internet bill online. Or, go directly to http://ebill.wcecnet.net or Pay by Phone at 979-543-5394.
Connections.coop
Click above to see details on local and national discounts.
Tips of the day
*Take quick showers or baths using less hot water. Hot water heaters contribute to a great deal of a home's energy bill and lowering it's run-time will keep money in your pocket.
Energy Conservation
Click below to find out how to lower your electric bill.
About WCEC 
