An employee of Kenergy has earned recognition as a professional key accounts manager in a nationwide program offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Since 1998, when the program began, over 450 electric marketing professionals have attained certification to become a Certified Key Accounts Executive (CKAE). The CKAE program is entirely voluntary. Leslye Krampe, Kenergy’s Commercial Accounts and Economic Development Specialist, earned her certificate earlier this month.

In order to obtain the certificate, Krampe had to complete coursework, pass an exam, and submit business and marketing plans for evaluation. Her written plans were judged by an outside business professional for content and strategic acumen.

The CKAE certificate is offered by NRECA in order to improve service to commercial and industrial accounts. This is done through the establishment of business goals, identification of key-account profiles, the practice of professional sales management, and the application of sound decision-making processes.

NRECA is the national organization for more than 900 rural electric utilities that provide electricity to approximately 42 million consumers in 47 states and sell approximately twelve percent of all electric energy sold in the United States. Most NRECA members are member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

It’s hard enough to endure the hot summer heat when you’re healthy, fit and have an air-conditioned home. Not everyone is as prepared as you are.

Keep an eye on your neighbors and others who might need some help getting through the hottest summer days, which can put people at risk for heat-related illnesses and can exacerbate existing medical conditions.

Doctors recommend that you spend the hottest part of a sweltering summer day indoors enjoying the air conditioning.

But those whose homes don’t have air conditioning or who can’t afford to turn it on, the risk is acute. That’s especially true for the elderly or ill, who could be at risk for heat stroke or even death.

If you know someone whose house might get too hot to handle this summer:

• Call them or stop by to check on them every day.
• Use a neighborhood association directory or your own personal contacts to arrange a phone tree so others can help check on neighbors who live alone when you’re not able to.
• Encourage neighbors or family members to use air conditioners during the hottest part of the day or spend it in an air-conditioned public place, like a mall or library.
• If you find someone in medical distress because of the heat, call 911.
• Some states and counties encourage residents to help keep their neighbors safe through campaigns like Check on Your Neighbor. Your local Salvation Army or hospital can tell you about programs already in your area. Or you can start one in your own neighborhood.
• Show your neighbors you care enough to check in. You could save someone’s life.

Kenergy is now accepting applications for Line Technicians and Apprentice Line Technicians at the Owensboro office location. Applications are being accepted now through July 31st. Click HERE to view the description and apply!

Instead of running your dishwasher right after dinner, consider waiting until bedtime to turn it on. Same with the clothes dryer. And how about charging your phone and other rechargeables while you sleep?

Most people use their electric appliances at the same times every day: Early in the morning when they’re getting ready for work, right after dinner and at mid-day.

That means there’s a lot of demand on a limited amount of electrical “capacity” all at the same time.

In the summer when everyone’s running air conditioners, that can tax the electrical system. Cooking, laundry and showering put strain on cooling equipment when it is least efficient, and it also costs more to remove heat and humidity from the home during late afternoon and early evening.

Too much strain on the electric grid can even cause a brownout—although that’s rare.

A better solution: Spread your energy use. Do the laundry and the dishes at mid-morning while everyone else is at work or late at night when most people are sleeping.

It’s so tempting to turn the thermostat down to freezing cold when you walk into a warm house on a hot day. Don’t do it.

Setting the thermostat at a very low temperature won’t cool your house any faster than setting it on the temperature that you regularly choose to feel comfortable.

In fact, lowering the thermostat beyond the temperature you desire only makes your air conditioner run longer, not faster. You could end up paying more money for an uncomfortably chilly house.

Here are a few other energy-saving tips for summer:

• Install a programmable thermostat, which lets you set the thermostat higher for hours when the house is empty, but lower during your at-home hours. It takes less energy to re-cool your home when you return than it does to keep it cool while you’re gone.
• Set the thermostat at 78 degrees. You’ll save about 15 percent on your cooling bill over a 72-degree setting, while remaining comfortable. (However, if you have a heat pump, your thermostat should not fluctuate more than a degree or two; consult manufacturer directions or contact your electric co-op for more information.)
• Keep lamps and other heat-emitting devices—like TVs and large electronics—away from the thermostat. Most appliances heat up when you use them, so they can trick the thermostat into “thinking” the air is warmer than it really is so it should keep running when the house is already cool.
• Letting the morning sunlight into your bedroom will help you wake up naturally, but it will add to your energy bills during the day. Before you leave the house for the day, close your curtains and window shades to keep the sun’s heat out.
• If you use room air conditioners, fit them snugly into window frames, and close all heating ducts.

This weekend’s storms kept Kenergy busy. At the height of the storm, we had approximately 50 separate outages and about 4,000 members without power. We had 14 crews working around the clock to restore all of our members by this morning.

The majority of damage we sustained was in Marion, southern Henderson, and southern Owensboro areas. The storm had a lot of wind that blew over trees, tore down conductor, and broke six poles. As always, we appreciate your patience when outages occur. Our linemen, dispatch, and right-of-way crews work as safely and quickly as they can to make repairs and restore your power.