Pinching Pennies

February Message from Randall Pugh
President/CEO

In these tough economic times, many businesses are cutting their budgets to the bare bones. We've carefully reviewed our own financials to find ways to save as much possible to best serve you, our member.

At Jackson EMC, we have a long-standing history of financial responsibility. Our board, executive team and staff work hard to be sure we're spending your money wisely. So tightening our belts a bit wasn't much of a stretch for us; we're used to providing the maximum for the minimum.

Implementing new programs that will save money in the long-run such as the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program to allow us to read your meter remotely is one of the ways we'll save. This will take vehicles off the road, saving time and reducing operating costs. In addition, we've implemented employee travel restrictions. For the first time in 30 years, I'm foregoing the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Annual Meeting.

No new positions are being added, and there's also a hiring freeze for the cooperative. Once an employee resigns or retires, only those critical to the organization will be filled. We're also counting on employees for suggestions to save money wherever we can.

Rest assured, this doesn't mean you won't have reliable, affordable electricity at the flip of a switch. We'd much rather control our budgets and reduce where we can rather than pass the costs on to you with higher rates. We're doing everything possible to avoid rate increases in spite of escalating wholesale power costs and natural gas prices in our industry.

You may be paying a little more for milk, bread and other staples, but electricity is still a bargain. Although we may miss the lower prices of yesteryear, we're working hard to provide you the service you've come to expect at a reasonable rate.

To learn more about Jackson EMC's rates, visit www.jacksonemc.com/rates.

Randall Pugh
President/CEO.