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Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know that this Green Power is actually being run into my home?

The renewable energy that you will be purchasing is not directly routed to your home, but by subscribing you are helping to support the purchase of additional clean energy and encouraging more investment nationwide in environmentally friendly ways to generate power. For every environmentally friendly kilowatt hour purchased by cooperative members, one less kilowatt hour is being purchased from other less environmentally friendly sources such as coal-based energy.

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What is Green Power?

Green power is electric energy produced by renewable, more environmentally
friendly sources, leading to less negative air, water and natural resource
impacts. Typical technologies used to create green power are solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydropower.

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Why does Flint have elections?

As compared to an investor-owned organization where Board members are seated based upon their ownership shares in the company, Flint is a non-profit member-owned, member-controlled electric cooperative. It is designated a 501(c) 12 organization by the IRS. All members have one share under the concept of one member, one vote. Large electric consumers like businesses have just one vote, no matter how much electricity they purchase.

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If not nominated by the Nominations Committees, how else can a member get on the ballot?

Nominations by petition must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting. To be nominated by petition a member must obtain signatures from at least one percent of the membership. (Roughly 690 signatures today. The signatures have to be from discrete members whose names are on an account...not a husband and wife, for example). Persons nominated by committee or by petition shall be placed on the ballot.

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How are Directors nominated?

The Board of Directors, according to the Bylaws, appoints a Nominating Committee each April. The Nominating Committee considers resumes of members that are mailed to the Nominating Committee chairperson at Flint Energies' Reynolds headquarters (P.O. Box 308 Reynolds, GA 31076-0308). This committee meets in June to complete nominations and posts them at the headquarters immediately after the meeting.

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What member participation occurs in the election process?

The process calls for the naming of two committees, made up of members, to handle the election process. The two committees are the Nominating Committee and the Election and Credentials Committee.

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How long does a director serve once elected?

Members elect directors for a three-year term. They serve until expiration of their term or until a successor is qualified and elected.

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Who are the members of the Elections and Credentials Committee?

Each of them is a Flint Energies member. Like most organizations, the Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors to serve each year. The Committee members come from all across the system, representing the different service areas over the 16 counties.

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Who are the members of the Nominating Committee?

Each of them is a Flint Energies member. Like most organizations, the Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors to serve each year. The Committee members come from all across the system, representing the different service areas over the 16 counties.

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What are the qualifications for Directors?

Qualifiers must be at least 18 years old and a Flint Energies member for at least 1 year prior to the date on which he or she would take office, and cannot be an immediate relative of a Flint Energies employee. No person, who is elected by the general electorate for an elected public office in connection with which any remuneration is received either as salary, fee per diem or reimbursement for services in any form, shall take or hold office as director. Additional qualifications are found in the Flint EMC Bylaws.

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Why not allow nominations from the floor at the annual meeting?

Floor nominations were ended some years ago as the cooperative grew in numbers. Floor nominations requires an extensive on-site registration process to ensure that only members vote and that they have time to consider they vote. Onsite voting greatly extends the time necessary to register and vote at the meeting.

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Who are the directors now?

The Flint directors are listed under the "ABOUT US" section on our website.

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Who counts the ballots?

Much like at the Academy Awards, Flint leaves the ballot collecting and counting to the professionals at its independent auditing firm: McNair, McLemore, Middlebrooks (MMM) and Company, Inc. in Macon. All ballots are returned to a post office box in Macon, where MMM has the key. MMM representatives pick up the ballots every day until the annual meeting and report the results to the Election and Credentials committee. If a member brings their ballot to the annual meeting, it is added in before the results are announced.

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How does a member find out how to run for election?

Information is published in the Georgia Magazine each spring. All the information is also online at this website.

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What governs the Flint Energies election process?

The Flint Electric Membership Corporation (dba Flint Energies) Bylaws specify the process for elections. The nominations and the elections are conducted by appointed groups of members. The staff executes the logistics of the meeting, but not the election itself.

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Where can I found out if a deposit will be required to establish service?

When you apply for electric service (a membership) with Flint, we'll query the Experian credit database through Online Utility Exchange to see if you need to pay a deposit. Some credit scores require no deposit and other scores may require a $250 deposit to start service. (Apr. 1, 2013: Deposits after multiple disconnections for non-payment may be $500 or two times the average usage of the home)

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What is meant by "good credit" when referring to your deposit being refunded?

Deposits are refunded after 36 months of service when the member has zero late payments, zero bad checks, and zero disconnection notices over the most recent 13 months.

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I had an account with Flint before and moved away. I just recently moved back to Warner Robins. Do I have to pay a deposit?

Possibly. Just call to set up your account. We'll do a quick credit check with your permission. Some members with great credit have no deposit requirement.

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What are the procedures for a returned check and how much are the fees?

If a dishonored check is returned to Flint, we reverse the payment in our accounts and add a fee of $30 plus the fee charged back to us by our bank. That's in accordance with current Georgia law. A member has 10 days to make the check good by paying their account. If a member gives us three dishonored checks, Flint changes their status to a cash only basis and no other checks will be accepted.

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If I am required to pay a deposit for new service, how much would that be?

Our current residential deposit is $250. New service also requires a refundable $15 membership fee and a non-refundable $15 service charge. You may choose Pay Your Way prepaid service and not pay a deposit.

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Where is the best point of contact at Flint to have an address sent to enable continued contact for such things as Capital Credit Refunds after moving from the Flint area?

Any of our member service representatives can help at 988-3500 or 1-800-342-3616.

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If I use billpay on the computer, how long does it take to post to my account from your third party computer. Sometimes I am almost at the cutoff date before I am able to pay my bill and 1 or 2 days would put me on the cutoff list.

If you pay Flint online at our website, the payment is updated in real time...there is no delay. If you use your bank's billpay feature, it may 7 days for your bank to cut a paper check and mail it to us. But most banks have automated their process and we get your payment on a next day basis.

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I'd like to know what documents are needed in order to transfer electrical services to a new location and what would be the charges? Thanks.

If you come into the office, we'll need to see your identification, but you can just call us over the phone. We need one business day to work the disconnect at your prior address and turn on the power at your new address. The charge is a $15 transfer fee, which we can bill to you.

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What is driving up the costs of fuels to generate power?

Just like the price of gasoline at the pump, the price of natural gas, oil and coal used to fuel our power generation have taken dramatic jumps.

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Why doesn’t Georgia power charge a WPCA/FCA?

They do. Georgia Power chooses not to show the fuel cost adjustment as a separate line item on their bill.

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What is the Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA)?

The power cost adjustment clause has been in effect in all of Flint's rates for more than 20 years. It was always used to "adjust" the rates charged to members when the price of fuels to generate electricity (primarily coal and natural gas) spiked and fell over time. Flint had not charged a WPCA to its members since 1995, but restarted in January of 2005. Fuel cost adjustments can be additions or subtractions to a rate dependent upon how much Flint's wholesale power provider had to pay for generation fuels. It is not a fee to pay for fuel for Flint's vehicles.

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When are off peak hrs.?

We are off peak any and all hours from Oct. 1 through May 31. In the summer, 2 pm to 7 pm every day are peak hours, leaving off peak hours the rest of each day.

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Is my cost for electricity at home greater during peak hours?

This is a great question. The costs paid by your electric oooperative (Flint) on your behalf are much greater during peak times than during off peak times, but we do not charge the residential consumer directly for those peak demands. As an example, electricity cost Flint about 50% more in June than it did in November. Those costs have been paid by member-consumers in higher Wholesale Power Cost Adjustments (WPCA) so in effect you did pay more for peak usage. Using less electricity on hot summer afternoons and cold winter mornings will reduce the costs to your electric cooperative. And energy conservation is a good idea anytime for your personal electric bill. Flint wants you to have all the power you need, but none that is wasted.

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Is Flint higher on the electricity rates than Georgia Power? Does this change by season...winter or summer?

At low usage under 1000 kWh, Flint's average cost per kWh may be a bit higher than Georgia Power. At higher usages, Flint is a bit lower than Georgia Power. We currently do not change our rates by season. You can see rates compared at Compare Rates at GA Public Service Commission website

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What is my cost per kilowatt?

I am sure you are asking the price of a kilowatt-hour (a kilowatt of energy used for one hour). Flint's current price for residential members is 9.5 cents per kilowatt-hour plus the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) for the month. The WPCA changes each month. Taxes are not included either. Your actual cost per kilowatt-hour for your home (total price divided by total kilowatt-hours) may be greater.

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When is the last time Flint had a rate increase?

Flint last adjusted its basic charges for most members in 2012 and will again in 2013, but the last time there was a general increase in rates was back in April of 2009.

 

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I paid a bill one day after the power was cut off and had to pay a fee of $50. Now my bill is 400+ because of a $250 deposit I have to pay. Where is this $250 deposit coming from?

Every member who has their power cut off because of non-payment of the bill is required to have a deposit of at least $250 (two months times the average bill amount) as security for their account.

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I paid my bill on line. When will my electric service be turned back on? Do I have to call to let them know the confirmation number?

No. When you paid your bill, it sent a notice to our staff to reconnect your power after the disconnect for non-payment. We will reconnect just as soon as we can.

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I was looking online at load management boxes that cover your whole house by reducing the energy everything uses when not actually in use. Is this something that is worth the cost which is about $300 plus installation? If so, how do I know?

Please be wary of so called "black boxes" that claim to save you energy. Most of them are based on capacitors that improve your home's power factor, which is not used to determine the amount of energy you use. If there are any savings at all, it is likely to be pennies per year. May we suggest this weblink: http://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=903669

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What would the deposit be for light activation?

There is no additional deposit required to have a security light added to your residential bill. If the light currently exists, but is disconnected, just call our office to have it reconnected. If you need a new light added, the monthly cost is different, depending upon whether Flint sets a new pole for the light, or it is attached to an existing pole.

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What temperature should you keep your house at in summer and in winter?

The target temperature indoors is 78 in summer and 68 in winter, but you may want to modify for comfort. Remember that every degree of difference can change your cooling or heating costs by 5%.

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How much does it cost to run electric heaters....but I am not talking about a heat pump?

For those members using electric baseboard heat, electric space heaters, and electric furnaces (not heat pumps) remember these calculations using our average retail price: 10 kW furnace x 1 hour of operation x 10 cents/kWh = $1.00/hour; to run 1.5 kW space heater x 1 hour of operation x 10 cents/kWh = $0.15/hour; to run 5.0 kW wall heater/baseboard heater x 1 hour of operation x 10 cents/kWh = $0.50/hour to run Roughly figure the number of hours a day that any of these appliances may run, and multiply that cost times the number of days in the billing cycle to see how much heat may be contributing to your bill.We have seen examples of electric furnaces in apartments costing $15/day for heat. This does not mean that member equipment is not working correctly. Everything can be working perfectly and the bill can still be of this magnitude.

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Is electricity still a good value?

Even with the rate changes, the value of electricity remains very high. The national cost of electricity today, when adjusted for inflation, is less than what it was in 1980. Very few commodities have remained such a good value. Compared to other consumer products and services, electricity is a bargain.

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Someone said my outdoor floodlights were making my bill run higher? Is that possible?

Yes, it can. One dual light (2-150watt) under the eaves of your home used for one hour each evening for 30 days will add approx $0.90 to your bill. But leave that dual spotlight on all night long (12 hours) and your bill will be approx $10.80 higher. Leave it on 24 hours a day and it will add approx $21.60 to your monthly bill.  

There are three ways to save:

1.                  Use your current spotlights less

2.                  Convert your current spotlights to compact fluorescent spots

3.                  Install motion sensors so the lights only work when motion is

            detected

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What are the guidelines for using the meeting rooms?

We have meeting rooms at Hwy 96 and in Reynolds. Non profit community groups can use the rooms for free. While there is no charge to use the room, admission cannot be charged. The rooms cannot be used for political functions. There may be other limitations on scheduling, too. Call Flint to check it out.

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Does Flint Energies have budget billing?

Yes. It's called levelized billing because it is a rolling average....you never have a catch-up payment. You'll need 12 months of history and a zero balance to get started. Just let us know.

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If you had a return check and the power was cut off and it was taken care of in hours can you write a check the next time your electric bill is due ? What are your policy on return checks ?

When a member has had 3 returned checks within a 15-month period, future checks will not be accepted as a method payment.

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What Holidays are Flint closed?

New Years Day Martin Luther King Day Good Friday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day after Thanksgiving Christmas Day The Flint Appliance Center observes less holidays. If a holiday falls on a weekend, we close the workday closest to the holiday.

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I have paid my bill online with a check how long does it take to process.

Your payment to Flint clears the Flint account immediately. Our online check processor likely presents your payment in near-real time to your bank as well.

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Why do my lights blink off so that I have to reset my clocks?


“Blinking lights” are a result of momentary outages, or a flicker on our power lines, that occur when some type of disturbance exists on the line. This could be a lightning strike, vehicles striking poles or guy wires, a squirrel or tree branch contacting the line, a downed line or outage in a nearby area, underground line dig-ins, or equipment failure. When lights blink, it is an indication that the cooperative’s equipment is operating properly. If a fault or short circuit happens on a power line, a device called a recloser opens to stop it, then quickly closes back in. Although the process is quick – and usually temporary – it may cause your lights to blink, making it necessary to reset digital clocks and appliances with digital displays. The recloser is essentially a breaker, functioning much like a breaker in the electrical panel in your home. It permits power to continue flowing through the line with only a brief interruption of service – rather than causing an extended power outage. If the short circuit continues, the recloser will operate or ‘trip’ three times before eventually stopping the flow of electricity and causing a power outage. This protects the lines from damage, cutting off power to the affected section of the line and isolating the problem until it can be repaired. A tree limb coming in contact with the line, for example, will cause our protective equipment to automatically disconnect the line just momentarily to allow the problem to correct itself or to isolate the problem area from the rest of the system. Although electricity is disconnected for only a split second, it is enough to reset all digital clocks. If this type of line protection were not used, there could be longer outages, because of more serious line damage. Without this self-healing system, temporary interruptions would automatically become longer outages. (Credit-Matt Berry)

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If half of the bill has been paid by the due date, will it still be disconnected?

If one-half of your monthly bill is not paid on the disconnect date, it is subject to be disconnected. Your disconnect date is usually 7-9 days after your due date.

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If someone asks the Cooperative for help because such person cannot pay all or part of his bill, does the co-op have any way to help?

As a not for profit electric cooperative, members are expected to cover the costs which they incur. When a situation arises, members may be helped with a list of agencies who offer financial support in times of need, or the cooperative may be able to make late payment arrangements that can help for a short time. However, our not for profit cooperative cannot ignore payment due dates or “write off” a portion which is owed because that would require all the other member-consumers to make up the difference.

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Does the deposit policy follow the requirements of Public Service Commission (PSC)?

Our rural electric cooperative is locally regulated by an elected Board of Directors who are all members who live in our area…just like you. We are not regulated by the PSC in Atlanta. While our Board has no requirement to do so, our deposit policy mimics the best practices in the industry and is very close to the PSC policy.

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Does the member get his/her deposit returned?

Yes, after 36 months of service with the cooperative and “good credit” (no delinquents, no cutoffs and no bad checks) over the most recent 13 months, a residential member will receive a bill credit for their deposit.

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Do you pay interest on deposits?

Again, the key element is we are a not for profit electric cooperative. In the tenets of the cooperative form of business, members are not investing their money expecting a return on investment like you would receive from a bank. Interest payments to members would raise the total costs for all members who are served by the cooperative. The definition of the cooperative form of business is that everyone shares in the costs and benefits of the electric service, and that those who incur costs pay their own fair share.

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Why are deposits required?

The key element is the fact that we are a not for profit electric cooperative. If one member does not meet his payment obligations, the rest of the members would have to make up the difference. A required deposit is a reflection of a member-consumers credit history and the likelihood that his will meet all of his payment obligations. Members with good credit can have their deposits refunded to them after a period of time.

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Why does the Flint member-consumer not have a choice of power supplier?

There are two answers. In 1973, the Georgia Legislature made a decision to assign the service territories of all power providers in the State. Generally, the Territorial Act of 1973 codified the territories that were already being served by each provider, though there are some areas of overlap today. But the Territorial law makes provision for a requirement we refer to as: “once connected, always connected” to keep members from changing the wires provider to their homes. In the second answer, the Legislature did evaluate allowing consumers to choose their energy provider back in the 1999-2000 time frame, but no such “deregulation” law was passed for electricity in Georgia. Only a handful of states have such choice and all those states are “blessed” with higher electric rates that Georgia.

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What is levelized billing?

It's a version of budget billing which helps a residential member to budget their monthly bills. A levelized bill is a rolling 13-month average, so the amount may change a dollar or two each month as it "corrects" its average. But there is never a catch up month as with a budget bill. With a level bill, you pay no more or no less than normal, but it's a lot easier on the monthly household budget. Call us if you want to find out your average and want to "try it out."

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I'm a residential customer already and was wondering if I wanted to establish service in a commercial location also...would I have to pay another deposit?

Probably so. The commercial deposits are usually two times the average monthly bill at that location. But the final decision may depend upon the business organizational structure...sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc. Just call and we can check the location and all the details for you.

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I received one of your Capital Credit refund checks for someone who doesn't live here anymore. What do I need to do with it? Send it back?

Yes, please. Thanks for catching this for us. We are working hard to get good addresses for all of our members from 1981-82 who may not have left a forwarding address. Please send it to PO Box 308, Reynolds, GA 31076

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My neighbor received a patronage capital refund check. How can I find out if I am also due a refund? Thank you

Just call the Flint office and have tell the Member Service Representative the last name that should be checked. We'll be glad to see if you are due a capital credit refund.

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I need to have the name/billing address changed on an account due a tenant no longer being at a rental property. The account does not need to be closed just a transfer of ownership. Please advise on how to do this. Thank you.

The new tenant should apply for electric service with Flint (online if you prefer). Once everything is set up for the new tenant, we can handle as a "read in, read out" which closes the original tenant's account without us actually turning off the power. The new tenant (member) will need a credit check to see if a deposit is required.

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I have misplaced my Flint Energies Co-op Connections discount card. Can I get another one?

Yes. Just drop by any Flint office and they will be happy to give you a free replacement.

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Do you ever get rid of the large spools that cable comes on? If so how can you get one?

Yes, we usually have them at the Service Center warehouse in Warner Robins. Call and ask at the warehouse at 988-3591.

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Do you have an automatic bill pay option so I don't have to log on every month?

We sure do. Just fill out this

Form

and send it back to us and you will be on your way to saving time!

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What is the Touchstone Energy Co-op Connections card and how do I get one?

The card is a free benefit of your membership in Flint Energies. There are more than 100 local deals and thousands of deals online and nationwide if you travel. Stop by any Flint office to pick up your free replacement card and keyfob. You can see all the deals at http://www.connections.coop/index.php?coopID=95

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Georgia Power has a program to help people pay their electric bill. Do you have a program for seniors on fixed incomes.

Yes, but it is not specifically for older folks. If you qualify for the federal LIHEAP program, Flint discounts your electric bill for a 12-month period from the time you qualify. Contact you local Community Action Agency to see if you qualify.

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There is a Senior Citizens option listed on your site. What are the perimeters/requirements and/or benefits of this program? I couldn't find an explaination, only an option to sign up. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this question.

We may be able to help a senior shift the due date on their bill to match up with their Social Security check. Call any office to ask about it. Low income seniors may qualify for a lower electric rate if they qualify for a federal LIHEAP energy assistance payment. Check with your local Community Action Agency.

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When is the best time to do laundry? What temperature setting should I use to minimize my electric bill for the summer months?

We ask that members avoid using energy from 3-7 pm on hot summer afternoons. Other times are okay for doing laundry. We recommend an air conditioning setting of 78 degrees (or higher) to keep those costs down during the summer.

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I'm moving I have Flint service now and will still be with Flint where I move to but in the mean time I need power in both places to clean and other moving tasks. Can this be done? and how?

Absolutely. Just call our office now to set up the "start" service at your new location on the appropriate date. Tell us your "off" date for the old location...or just tell us you will call when you are ready to have it turned off. It's okay to have more than one service on at a time.

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How do you read the meter on the side of the house?

Great question. We send a signal from our office to each individual meter, and it sends back its reading over our electric lines.

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I would like to pay my bill online using Bill Pay from my bank, is that possible? And if so what is the address I should send the check to, or can I do an electronic transfer from my bank to my Flint Acct? This helps me maintain my banking account better.

Yes. We have thousands of members who already pay through their banking website. Just select Flint Energies as a payee. Most banks have EFT connections to Flint's bank for your payment...only a very few still have to print a check and mail it to us. Just fill out the online form at www.flintenergies.com/draft and get started.

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I want to get a meter pole. How would I go about doing that?

Flint sells complete meter poles with the setup already attached. Just call the main number 988-3500 during regular work hours and tell the MSR you would like to purchase a meter pole setup. You may need a city/county inspection depending on your location before we can connect it.

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If I already have service at one residence, can I get service at another residence also? Can I have Flint Electric service at 2 residential locations, both in my name?

Yes, you absolutely can.

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Do you have a service that you offer to Flint Energies customers that would allow someone to come to a customers home and give a review of the home and offer advice on how to make the home more efficent and show them how to reduce their bill?

Yes. Your first start is to run the free online energy audit you'll find in our online Home Energy Suite link (click here). It can help you with these type of improvements and decisions. Next, you can call Flint and tell us you would like to schedule an in-home energy audit. Keep the results of your online audit...it will be very helpful when we visit.

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Do you still have insurance protection for major electrical appliances and how do I get info about it?

The only appliance warranty we currently offer is the $2.99/month water heater warranty. For this price, we will repair or replace your water heater for free.

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Has Flint thought about cutting down on size of paper for billing and the size of the envelope to help reduce our power costs?

Yes, we have. Rather than reducing the bill and its envelope, we now offer ebilling...an emailed bill that brings its own link to your monthly bill. Since their is no paper bill, an ebill incurs no cost of mailing for Flint, saving money for every member. To sign up, go to www.flintenergies.com/ebill today. Nearly 25% of Flint's members already receive an emailed bill instead of paper.

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What can I do about the size of my bill?

Conserving energy is always a good idea. Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature setting in the winter and the highest comfortable setting in summer. Insulate your water heater. Repair leaking hot water faucets.  For more information click here  

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What is Green Power EMC?

Green Power EMC is a group of member-owned electric cooperatives in Georgia who have joined together, creating a non-profit corporation, to facilitate procurement and marketing of electricity from cleaner, greener Georgia sources. This most-environmentally friendly power ever created in Georgia will be added to the member-cooperative¹s power mix, and offered to members on a subscriber basis as a power option that will enable them to contribute to a cleaner environment.

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What are the components of a landfill gas system?

A landfill gas to electricity system has three basic components: a gas
collection system, which gathers the gas being produced within the landfill,
a gas processing and conversion system, which cleans the gas and converts it
into electricity, and interconnection components.

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