Tag: OCT19

Veterans Day: Mon., Nov. 11
Thanksgiving: Thurs., Nov. 28/Fri., Nov. 29

Christmas: Tues., Dec. 24/Wed., Dec. 25

New Year’s: Tues., Dec. 31/Wed., Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Mon., Jan. 20

There will be an increase in HU’s Electric rates effective October 1, 2019.  HU’s residential customer charge will increase by $1.00 per month and the energy charge will increase by $.00043 per kWh.  The monthly increase for our average residential customer, who uses 1,256 kWh per month, will be $1.54.

Vegetation around transformers and meters can become overgrown without a homeowner realizing it. When this happens, HU crews have difficulty reading meters – or worse, could be unable to reach a transformer during a power failure.

This is a safety issue, explains Customer Service Manager Terri Harris. “We understand that a pad-mounted transformer looks like an ugly green box in your front yard. However, our crews need a minimum area of six feet to work on most electric equipment, and workers cannot safely work through bushes.”

Customers can hide equipment from the street view with landscaping, Harris says, as long as utility crews are able to access the equipment from the side or back.

Customers with shrubs or other vegetation blocking access are notified by letter, asking them to remove the vegetation or obstruction.

“While we try to avoid it, we can charge a restricted access fee,” Harris says.

From mid-October through December, crews from Osmose will inspect utility poles on the Hartselle Utilities system in the area from Nance Ford Road N to Rhodes Street, starting at Highway 31 to Tunsel Road.

During this time, notes Electric Superintendent Jonathan Hampton, customers may see crews in your yard as they inspect and treat poles.

Over time, decay and wood-destroying insects can cause wooden utility poles to lose their strength. Hartselle contractors inspect and treat every pole within the system every 8-10 years.

This helps identify bad poles before they break, Hampton explains, and by treating every pole that isn’t bad, it prolongs their expected life span. Crews will inspect and treat approximately 1,200 poles this year.

Based on the last round of inspections and information gathered from this inspection, Hartselle Utilities is creating a rating system to predict when a utility pole is getting weaker. This will help both with future budgeting and emergency pole replacements.

At your next visit to Hartselle Utilities you may notice a brand new smiling face to greet you as you pay your bill. Ashley Wright joined Hartselle Utilities’ customer service department in July. Ashley is a native of Hartselle and alumna of Hartselle High School. She brings with her an extensive background in customer service with over nine years of banking experience. We are excited to have Ashley join our Hartselle Utilities family.

Hartselle Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant has been recognized with a top award for excellence in plant operation. In September the Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) gave the WWTP the Best Operated Plant Award in the Mechanical Plant 2.6-4.0 million gallons per day category for 2019. It was the facility’s second award from AWPCA in two years; last year the WWTP received the second-place Award of Excellence.

Since 1937, Hartselle Utilities and the Tennessee Valley Authority have generated and delivered low-cost, reliable power to the people and businesses in and around Hartselle.

It’s an honor that we don’t take lightly. You expect the power to be on when you need it, and we aim to deliver. But more than that, we live and work here, too. You’ll see us at the local grocery store, church and ball fields.

Most likely, getting your electricity – and other utilities – from a local, publicly owned company isn’t something you think about often, and that’s the way it should be. We’re honored to power your life so you can focus on the important things.

Here are just a few of the benefits of Public Power:

Local

• We play a key role in the local economy – and partner to provide good jobs to folks who live right here in our community.
• Our managers and board members come from the community we serve. Together, we make decisions with Hartselle in mind!
• We love giving back through involvement with schools and community organizations.

Community Focused

• Because we live here, we want to see our community grow and thrive. We work with partners to attract businesses that bring jobs and opportunities to our community.
• Our daily work is delivering power to you, but our employees also volunteer with community and school groups.
• Local utilities work together to restore power when major storms hit our area.

Low Cost

• We keep the cost of power as low as possible so you can focus on living life to the fullest.
• Our resources come from the rates you pay. We appreciate that fact and we are committed to using those resources wisely to keep the power flowing and our communities strong.
• Public power means we are focused on delivering reliable, efficient service today, tomorrow and for the years to come.

Reliable

• You expect the lights to come on when you flip the switch. We don’t take that lightly.
• You expect your power to be on rain or shine. That’s our goal – but when it does go out, we work as quickly and safely as possible to restore it.
• Part of using our resources wisely means investing in the people, technology, and equipment needed to keep reliability high and rates as low as possible.