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WCEC's LOGO Gets a Refresh
You might have noticed something different
in the layout of the newsletter. Well, you're right WCEC's logo has also gotten a refresh. Wood County Electric Cooperative has only sported two logos since it was incorporated in 1938.
The first one, was an oval that encircled Wille Wiredhand, a lightning bolt, a map of the service territory, and the name of the co-op along with the name of the headquarters town, Quitman. In fact, it had so much content it was like fitting 5 pounds of stuff into a 1-pound bag.
In 2005 a logo was created and simplified for embroidery, and eventually turned into an official logo. It became a letter mark, just incorporating the name of the cooperative with a top line and a bottom line of text separated by a line. Over time, there were various versions of it, and it sometimes appeared with Willie Wiredhand, and sometimes with the Touchstone Energy logo, of which WCEC is a member. And also with both! At times, you could say, it got busy.
We looked at what worked, and what did not. The first conclusion was that the name has a LOT of letters; twenty-nine, to be exact. Therefore, we realized that we would need to keep with the letter mark style. We also wanted to ensure we highlighted our rich cooperative history.
The result is a logo that is very close to the previous letter mark, with a modern flair. We achieved a reduction in letters by abbreviating cooperative. That move, actually helped to elevate and place more emphasis on our cooperative roots, because with less characters the text could be bigger and bolder. We kept similar top font and modernized the lower font. And, in keeping with history, we separated the two lines of type, but gave the line an angle and a little more presence and zing.
The angled line is a nod to the electric lines reaching out from Quitman to the service points. It also lends a forward motion. The historic red, that has always been incorporated, and that our trucks are widely known for, will remain.
Extremely proud of our Touchstone Energy relationship, we'll still incorporate that logo at times. It just won't be part of the logo. And Willie Wiredhand? While you won't find him in the logo either, he'll always be around, and in some cases, Willie's presence will be bigger and better than ever before.
While a logo change takes time, we'll be incorporating it as we go. Here's a sneak peak of how the logo will look on our trucks. And guess who else appears? Yep. Willie. Like we said, bigger and better than ever before.
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Degrees Equal Dollars
T
hink of your thermostat like a cash register.
For every degree you decrease the temperature this summer, it's like ringing up another charge at the store. For every degree you increase the temperature, it's like using a money-saving coupon.
When home, set your thermostat to 78 degrees, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy. Setting the temperature at this level should allow you to stay fairly cool while avoiding a particularly high electric bill.
When going out for the day or overnight, turning your thermostat up 10-15 degrees can reduce your electric bill by up to 15%. That's 1% for every degree you raise your thermostat over eight hours, according to
energysavers.gov.
On a $200 electric bill, the savings would be $30. That's money you can take to the store, or the bank.
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Safety Tips
Stay Back and Stay Safe
Working with electricity can be a dangerous job, especially for lineworkers. In fact, USA Today lists line repairers and installers among the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. That's why, for WCEC, safety is our No. 1 priority. This is not an empty slogan: Over time, we have created a culture of putting our members' and our crews' safety and that of the community, above all else.
Yes, we strive to deliver affordable and reliable electricity to you, but more important, we want our members safe from harm and our employees to return home safely to their loved ones. This requires ongoing focus, dedication, vigilance-and your help!
Distractions Can Be Deadly
While we appreciate your kindness and interest in the work our crews are doing, when you see them at work we ask that you stay back and let them focus on their task at hand. Even routine work has the potential to be dangerous, and it takes their full attention to remain vigilant. Distractions can have deadly consequences. If a lineman is on or near your property during a power outage, for vegetation management or for routine maintenance, please allow them ample room to work. These small accommodations help protect our crews-and you.
If you have a dog, try to keep it indoors while linemen are on or near your property. While most dogs are friendly, some are defensive of their territory and can't distinguish between a burglar and a utility worker. But even if he's friendly, our crews work best without a pet "supervising" the job.
We recognize that for your family's safety, you want to make sure only authorized workers are on or near your property. You will recognize WCEC employees by their uniforms and the co-op's logo on our service trucks. You may also recognize our linemen because they live right here in our community. At times, WCEC also has non-employee contractors performing work such as pole inspections or right-of-way clearing. They'll have a placard on their vehicle or carry a letter from WCEC. We ask that you give them the same courtesy you'd extend to our employees. And if you have any doubt, always feel free to call us.
Slow Down and Move Over
In addition to giving linemen space while they are near your property, we also want to remind you of the law that went into effect in 2019 to protect workers along highways and roadways. The Move Over/Slow Down law requires drivers on multi-lane roads to move out of the driving lane closest to the workers, to provide an empty lane for workers safety, If moving over isn't doable, drivers must reduce their speed by 20 mph until they safely pass the workers.
One work zone crash occurs every 5.4 minutes across the U.S., and 70 of those each day result in injuries. There is one fatality each week from these accidents. The linemens' focus is on the work at hand, not on the road, so we need you to watch out for them.
Also, never text and drive-around work crews or at any other time. That message can wait, and the momentary distraction can change lives forever.
WCEC's employees are looking out for you. Help them stay safe by returning the favor.
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Installing a smart power strip is a quick and easy way to start saving money while making your home more energy efficient. Smart power strips can actually cut power off to save energy since they are able to detect when a device is in standby mode.
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