Southern Pioneer Electric H.U.G.S. team members met with representatives of the Liberal Recreation Department on Monday, Jan. 23, to present a $10,000 Helping Us Give to Society (H.U.G.S.) grant. Liberal Recreation. Travis Martinez, Assistant Director, says the grant will fund the new Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program.

“We started the program in 2022 and had great success,” said Martinez, “with the help of the H.U.G.S. grant, we’ll be able to improve the program and better serve our special needs community in Liberal and the surrounding areas.”

Martinez said The Adaptive Sports Program, will give adults and students the opportunity to participate in sports and events like stretching, t-ball, volleyball, dancing and more. The program will also focus on encouraging participants to stay mobile and fit through exercise.

“The Liberal Recreation Department is working hard to ensure that all members of the Liberal community, and those around us, can lead an active and healthy lifestyle,” said Ruby Terrazas, Southern Pioneer energy services coordinator and H.U.G.S team member. “We hope this grant will go a long way towards helping them continue to do so.”

Electric space heaters can help warm a room quickly. However, they can be as dangerous as convenient if used improperly. Safe Electricity urges everyone in the home to understand the importance of using space heaters safely:

• Purchase only space heaters that have been safety tested and UL-approved. Make sure the unit has an emergency tip-over shut-off feature and heating element guards. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for operation and care.
• Before using a space heater, make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working condition.
• Make sure the heater is clean and in good condition.
• Place the heater out of high-traffic areas and on a level, hard, non-flammable floor surface.
• Space heaters have one purpose —to provide supplemental heating. Never use them to thaw pipes, cook food, or dry clothing or towels.
• Remember to keep space heaters at least three feet from combustible liquids, like fuel, spray cans, and paint, and flammable items such as draperies, blankets, and sofas.
• Never allow pets or children near an electric heater. Accidental contact could cause serious shock or burns.
• Do not overload circuits. Never use extension cords or multiple plugs with a space heater and make sure not to plug the unit into the same circuit as other electric appliances.
• If your space heater is plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) and it trips, don’t assume there is something wrong with the GFCI. Immediately stop using the heater until a professional can check it— if not, a serious shock could occur.
• Never leave space heaters unattended. Turn off your space heater and unplug it before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Replace older space heaters with newer, safer models.

 

During the months of November, December, and January customers will notice a credit in the Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA) section of their bills. This credit is a direct benefit of Southern Pioneer’s efforts to ensure our customers receive power at the lowest rate possible.
Customers will also notice a rate decrease in their energy (kWh) charge. This rate was effective August 1, 2022.

Why is Southern Pioneer issuing an ECA credit?

Southern Pioneer and its generation and transmission (G&T) company, Sunflower Electric, operate at the cost to provide energy. Sunflower budgets annually for the load capacity it expects will be needed. Like all budgets, this can fluctuate. Budgets for the 2022 load capacity were determined in 2021.
As a not-for-profit utility, Southern Pioneer Electric will pass through any credits it receives to its customers. This credit was applied to Southern Pioneer’s G&T bill and then passed on to its customers.