Guard against utility service scams, fraud and identity theft

It is the world we live in today — the necessity to pause and consider before we click, answer or respond to someone seeking information. No industry, person or business is off limits to scammers, who even try to con their way into the utility industry.

The Better Business Scam Tracker reports that victims usually lose $274 in all types of scams and $500 in a utility scam.

When it comes to power bills, scammers make threatening phone calls to consumers to demand immediate payment, or else their service will be shut off, they threaten. This deceiving claim is often made during the height of summer or winter, when people want to stay comfortable during the extreme heat or cold.

However, utilities typically send initial disconnection notices in writing.

Utility Scams: How They Get You

Scammers request that immediate payment be wired, loaded on a reloadable gift card or debit card or sent using cryptocurrency (a digital money system that does not rely on banks for verification). Only scammers request this type of payment and threaten immediate service disconnection. Do not provide any information (including your utility account number) or agree to immediate payment. Instead, hang up and check with your utility by using the phone number listed on your power bill. Fake numbers and links can appear in emails and texts.

Utility bills that double the amount typically due may be a utility scam. Utilities are closely regulated and may not have the right to raise prices substantially without previous notice. Consumers should trust their gut reaction; if it seems like a fraud, it probably is.

Protect Personal Info

When supplying your utility (or any business or person) with sensitive information such as a social security number, proof of address or death certificate, do not email the information. Additionally, do not give out sensitive information to anyone who calls you. Verify the phone number and call the utility directly to discuss any matter that would involve providing personal information. In general, some companies do have password-protected, secure methods to obtain personal information via an app or portal, but always verify this before using.

At Your Door

The famous song by Paul McCartney, titled “Let ‘Em In,” features the artist’s welcoming plea, “Someone’s knockin’ at the door; Someone’s ringin’ the bell … Do me a favor; Open the door and let ‘em in,” but that is not great advice these days.

Door-to-door scams may involve impersonators of utility workers saying the meter is broken or offering to perform repairs or an energy audit — all at the consumer’s cost. Your utility will contact you in advance, prior to arriving at your home for service or for any other reason. Do not let someone in the house without a pre-approved appointment.

Scams in General

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) warns that phishing emails and texts may attempt to convince individuals to make payments or provide personal information. Thieves use this stolen information to open accounts and pass charges on to the victim.

Caller ID Can Fib

Over the phone, calls appearing to be local are not always an accurate assessment of who is calling. AARP has a fraud watch network that provides alerts of new frauds; do an internet search for the fraud watch network to learn more.

Scams are Everywhere

Non-utility-related scams may include the announcement of an inheritance or pop-ups on a computer warning that technical support is needed. There are even puppy purchase cons when cute and often sought-after breeds are offered in all their puppy cuteness, but scammers take your money and run. There are student loan forgiveness scams and one-time password bot scams.

Hackers even prey on the many smartphone users who have cracked screens. It is called the “chip in the middle attack,” and scammers get ahold of a screen replacement and install it on your phone with a spyware chip. Always verify a screen-fix-it phone number or take your phone to a store/servicer you trust. If the company cannot be verified by a search engine, do not trust it.

No matter the scam, the goal of the scammer is to gather personal information. Stay safe: Do not share Social Security numbers, account details, credit card numbers, bank information, death certificates or birth dates. Thieves can use this information to steal their victim’s identity.

If you become a victim of a scam, report it to the local police and your bank. Consumers can protect themselves by blocking unknown callers and keeping software updated on phones and computers.

Campbell selected to serve as Southern Pioneer Electric interim CEO

Ulysses, Kan.—July 20, 2023— The Pioneer Electric Board of Trustees voted to instate Lindsay Campbell, Executive Vice President – Assistant Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel, as interim CEO for Southern Pioneer and Pioneer Electric. Steve Epperson, Southern Pioneer Electric & Pioneer Electric CEO, has been appointed to serve as interim president and CEO of Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Chantry Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, was appointed to serve as the company’s interim Assistant CEO.

Campbell has served as the company’s General Counsel since her hire in 2014. In 2020, Campbell assumed the role of Assistant CEO.

Scott has served the company since 2011 as CFO. Scott was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2020.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Pioneer Electric and Southern Pioneer during this transition,” Campbell said. “ Southern Pioneer will remain customer-focused, continuing forward with the progress Steve has made and our mission of providing safe and reliable electricity to the customers we serve.”

Epperson will replace Todd Hillman, who served as Sunflower’s president and CEO since January. Sunflower will begin a search for a new permanent successor as soon as possible.

Epperson has served as the CEO of Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Southern Pioneer Electric Company since 2011.

“I am honored to be chosen by my fellow Sunflower board members to lead Sunflower during this transition period,” Epperson said. “As always, our focus will be on taking care of our members and those they serve by supplying reliable energy at the lowest possible cost. The Sunflower board and staff remain committed to delivering excellent service and innovation our members and communities have come to expect from us.”

Southern Pioneer is a not-for-profit electric public utility and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. Southern Pioneer is headquartered in Ulysses, Kansas and has local offices in Liberal and Medicine Lodge, Kansas. Southern Pioneer Electric Company serves approximately 17,200 customers and operates in 10 counties and 34 communities. Southern Pioneer’s service territory stretches east from Liberal to Medicine Lodge and north to Kingman and back west to Greensburg, Kansas. Southern Pioneer is dedicated to providing customers with safe and reliable electric service.

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation announces second solar project

*Release provided by Sunflower Electric Power Corp.*

Hays, Kan.—June 22, 2023—Sunflower Electric Power Corp. will develop, own and operate a 20-megawatt solar energy project near Russell, Kan. In January 2022, Sunflower announced its plans to add a second solar facility to its generation portfolio and has since selected a developer and project structure for the Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell project.

Sunflower is a cooperatively operated wholesale generation and transmission utility serving seven member distribution utilities with a fuel-diverse electric generating mix that includes traditional and renewable resources. Sunflower is the sole off-taker on the 20-megawatt Johnson Corner Solar Project (JCSP), which it co-developed with the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO) prior to the project coming online in April 2020. The JCSP is currently the largest operating commercial solar facility in Kansas. It will be matched in size in January 2025 with the expected commercial operation of the Russell solar facility.

Sunflower is partnering with DEPCOM Power to design and construct the Russell project, which will produce approximately 53,000 megawatt hours annually, a total that constitutes 1% of the Sunflower system’s total energy needs. The facility, which will be located on 140 acres three miles east of Russell, will have approximately 45,000 solar panels on a single-axis solar tracking system.

Solar energy is desirable because it is available during peak energy use, which aids in ensuring affordability and reliability. The project near Russell will also reduce or eliminate the cost of expensive transmission upgrades due to its interconnection location on the bulk electric grid.

“Each energy generation resource type has benefits, so Sunflower supports an all-of-the-above approach to our generation portfolio,” said Corey Linville, Sunflower vice president, power supply and delivery. “Solar resources produce energy during the hottest days of the year when our system experiences its highest demand. The declining cost of utility-scale solar energy, combined with available tax credits and the opportunity to mitigate transmission costs, will further benefit Sunflower’s members and those they serve.”

Sunflower is again working with NRCO on this project. Sunflower is a founder and member-owner of NRCO, an organization which was formed by electric cooperatives from across the country to develop and deploy renewable energy resources.

“As a member-owned cooperative, we make every decision with the best interest of our members in mind,” said Tom Ruth, general manager of Western Cooperative Electric, which serves in parts of Russell County. “We analyze and consider new technologies to determine if
and when they add value to our system and, ultimately, to those we serve. This is definitely the
right time and place for the Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell project.”

DEPCOM is currently in the design and material procurement phase of the project. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2023 and last approximately one year. “DEPCOM Power is proud to partner with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation on the design
and construction of this project,” said Robert Wanless, DEPCOM vice president of business development. “This project will be constructed using tier-one solar PV technology, including bifacial solar panels; single-axis tracker racking; and centralized inverter/transformers platforms. Kansas is an important market for DEPCOM, with our parent company being headquartered in Wichita. Over the next two years, this project will create hundreds of local jobs.”

About Sunflower Electric Power Corporation
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, established in 1957, is a regional wholesale generation and transmission supplier dedicated to serving its members by providing reliable power at the lowest possible cost consistent with sound business and cooperative practices. Sunflower’s
member cooperatives include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Inc., Dighton; Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc., Ulysses; Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Inc., Norton; The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., Dodge City; Western Cooperative Electric Association, Inc., WaKeeney; and Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., Scott City, Kan. Southern Pioneer Electric Company, Ulysses, is also a member of Sunflower. For more information, visit sunflower.net.

About Western Cooperative Electric
Western Cooperative Electric Association is a member-owned cooperative headquartered in WaKeeney, Kansas. Established in 1945, Western now serves more than 12,000 meters and maintains over 4,000 miles of power lines across western and central Kansas. Together, with our members’ help, Western Co-op is committed to building a stronger rural America. For more information about Western, visit www.westerncoop.com.

About National Renewables Cooperative Organization
Formed in 2008 by 21 cooperatives, NRCO aims to increase access to cost-effective renewable energy resources for electric cooperatives around the country. NRCO provides full origination and development services for its owner-members and cooperative customers, with nearly one gigawatt of wind and solar projects completed to date including 59 cooperative-run community solar farms. For more information, visit nrco.coop.

About DEPCOM Power
DEPCOM Power, a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is a leading energy solutions partner for the utility solar and broader energy industries providing project development support, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), energy storage, repowering and operations and maintenance services. DEPCOM Power leverages a highly experienced team of conventional and renewable EPC power industry veterans. Uniquely bankable energy services are designed to deliver the lowest cost of energy and highest rate of return. For more information visit, depcompower.com.