Flippin' the Switch
Flippin' the Switch
S4 E9: The Win-Win of Paperless Billing and Automatic Drafts with Cathy Marshburn
Ready to uncover the secrets of stress-free payment and paperless billing? Join us as we engage in a power-packed conversation with Cathy Marshburn, office manager of Jones-Onslow EMC. Cathy gives us the lowdown on the Win-Win promotion, a campaign designed to nudge members towards adopting paperless billing and automatic draft. Discover how you can contribute positively to the environment with paperless billing and break free from worrying about timely payments with autodraft.
But that's not all, as a bonus we also shed light on the heartwarming Power Bucks program. This initiative empowers members to lend a helping hand to others grappling with their electricity bills. And with the holidays around the corner, we've got some brilliant energy-saving tips lined up. Don't miss out on all of the beneficial information this episode of Flippin' the Switch brings!
Run Time: 14 minutes
Welcome listeners to the latest edition of Flipping the Switch, the podcast brought to you by Jones-Onslow EMC. We've got a great show for you today Kathy Marshburn, the co-op's office manager. We'll be joining the ladies to talk about the Win-Win promotion that's coming to an end here shortly. If you haven't heard about Win-Win, it's a pretty awesome promo. We're going to be giving away a truck here in the next few weeks simply by folks that have signed up to participate in paperless billing and automatic draft.
Speaker 1:She'll also be telling us listeners about a great program we have called Power Bucks. It's where you can give your friends, neighbors, or maybe it's even someone you don't know some funds to help with their electric bill. It doesn't have to be done around the holiday season, but we know that everybody thinks about doing things for the community or doing things for loved ones during that time, so Kathy's going to mention that, about how to participate with Power Bucks. Finally, with the what's happening, Natalie O'Danney is going to talk about holiday energy saving tips and how you can save money or watch your electric usage during the next few weeks, and she's also going to talk about co-op connections a great program we have for our business members, but also for our residential folks, who can take advantages of some savings throughout the community. So with that, let's start flipping the switch.
Speaker 2:Well, in this edition of Flipping the Switch, it is November, which it is also time for Thanksgiving and some people have even started putting up their holiday decorations, but it also means that we are nearing the end of a campaign you might have seen throughout our community, our social media, our website, and even received an email about. It was called our Win Win campaign and it's still going on. It's happening for a little bit longer and today we have Kathy Marshorn with us. She's our office manager for our member services folks over there and she's going to tell us a little bit about it. Thanks for being here today, kathy.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, Crystal, Thanks for having me. I'm excited to talk a little bit about this campaign that we've had going on since the end of March. It is called the Win Win campaign and it is going through to run through December 12. The purpose is to encourage our members to sign up for auto draft and to receive paperless bills. There have been some really cool prizes for those that have signed up since the start of the campaign and, of course, the big prize will be the drawing for our truck at the end, which will be on December 15.
Speaker 2:And you may have even seen some of those cool prizes pop up on our social media feeds. I know one young man won a Roomba. There have been some pretty amazing gift cards given out and some other items. So if you might have wondered if you won or not, you can still look on our Facebook page and see if maybe you just didn't see your name pop up because we just announced one last week and I have not had a pickup yet, so we don't know. With that, could you tell us a little bit about the truck that members might win if they get drawn?
Speaker 3:Yes, that is actually a 2017 Chevy Silverado. It is one of our recently retired JOEMC fleet vehicles. It does come in as in condition, but if you know us very well at all, you know we take very good care of our trucks Maintenance and everything is top notch here. That's exactly right, and we are giving it away and some of the other prizes crystal made.
Speaker 2:They've been Roomba, as you name it, so we have one more month of drawings for that. So, besides giving members all sorts of great prizes and the possibility to win a very mint condition 2017 truck, why should a member want to sign up in a paperless billing and autodraft?
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm glad you asked Crystal. Paperless billing has many advantages. First and foremost for the member is very convenient for you. It cuts down on the amount of items you receive in your mailbox or the clutter that you are always having in there. It's less paper lying around in your home or on your kitchen table, if you're like me. You don't have to wait on the mail to reach you to receive your bill. It is also friendlier to the environment. It gives us a green option. That's right. Being your electric co-op, we're always trying to save money where possible, and the paperless billing option allows the co-op just to save and postage alone.
Speaker 2:And let's just talk about the paperless billing for a second. Now you don't have it come to your mailbox, which is an added plus. So, especially as we go into holiday season, you're going to have sales circulars, Christmas cards, whatever coming in there and it definitely could get lost in the shuffle. So your bill will come to you in your email box.
Speaker 3:That's correct. You will receive a notification on the date that you're billed and at that point in time you'll be able to sign into your online account and you'll be able to view a copy of your bill, just like you have it in your hand. You'll be able to see all other sorts of things as well on your online site your daily usage, be able to schedule or make a payment if you'd like.
Speaker 2:So there's lots of added benefits if you do that. So I would certainly encourage the paperless billing. And another plus to that is say, you looked at it once and then you set it down in your house and it got lost in the shuffle. This you could easily find it. That's correct. It's always going to be in the same spot. So the other item that you needed to add to be part of the campaign is automatic draft. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 3:Yes, and just like paperless billing is another convenience for you, it gives you peace of mind and ensures your payment will be made on time, so you don't have to worry about whether you've made the payment or it being late as well, and you don't even have to take time out of your busy day to come to the office or to call to make your payment.
Speaker 3:It seems like an easy way, it is a very easy way you can draft from a couple of different options. You can use your bank or debit credit card. You can also sign up with your bank account. Now, because your bank or debit card expires or gets compromised seems like a lot these days. You would have to always remember to change your information if you chose that option, but with your bank account information that never expires, so that would even be more convenient for you.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great idea To set up that way. It's nice to have that option people to know that they can do that. It sounds like it's a dynamic duo.
Speaker 3:That's perfect. Yes, crystal. Another advantage to choose auto draft is you can choose the date that is better for you, or just choose the traditional current date for it to actually be drafted out of your account.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's nice. So if I got paid on the 15th of every month and that was more convenient, I could switch it to the 15th of the month. That is correct. That's very nice. That's pretty handy. I didn't even know we offered that. Yes, both of those options sound like quite the dynamic duo, but we need to tell members how they can sign up for paperless billing and automatic draft. Can you tell us that?
Speaker 3:I sure can, crystal. They can either call and speak with one of our friendly member service representatives, or there is also a link that you can visit, which is joemccom slash win this truck. Either one of those will get you to the right spot.
Speaker 2:They need to be. That is correct, and if you were wondering about, like, the fine print and the rules of the contest, they are all listed there in sequence. Now, while we have Kathy here, we're going to ask her another burning question, and that is about a program that we started last year around this time for Christmas and it is called Power Bucks. But it's not just for Christmas, it can be done anytime of the year. But it's a really thoughtful idea as we go into the holiday season. Can you tell us a little bit about the program?
Speaker 3:Yes, crystal Power Bucks is a way to basically give the gift of energy by making an anonymous payment to a fellow member's account or by sharing it as a gesture of support. Now, it does not have to be anonymous. You can receive a card and you can have your receipt placed in it if you'd like, or you can actually write a note on the card as well.
Speaker 2:You can place it underneath the Christmas tree if you wanted to, that's correct.
Speaker 3:It could be a gift that way, or if you do want to remain anonymous, your payment will. It will post to our Power Bucks account, which then we will either credit it to the member that you choose or if you're just feeling philanthropic.
Speaker 2:You know you could give it to somebody that you know that's in need.
Speaker 3:Yes, or the one of the member service representatives as well can help you with that, if you need suggestions.
Speaker 2:I think that's a great idea. You know, sometimes you're looking for a gift and you know all of us have those people in our life that are impossible to shop for and you just don't know what the perfect gift is. But everyone has an electric bill, so it's really nice to say, hey, at least I can give you the gift of energy for one month or however long you choose to do it for.
Speaker 3:That is correct. What better way to share?
Speaker 2:a special gift to someone in your life. That's it. Now, how can a member or whoever's listening if you're not a member but you know someone that is and you want to give them a gift? How do they do that?
Speaker 3:They can reach out to our member service representatives at 911-353-1940 and just let them know you're interested in making a payment with our Power Bucks program.
Speaker 2:Well, all of these sound like excellent options for members. We're saving them time, we're giving them some paperless options and we're also helping them to kind of set it and forget it with their monthly auto-draft options. And the gift of Power Bucks is a gift that can last forever because you're helping somebody maybe in need or just giving a kind gesture to someone. So we're really happy to have you here with us today, kathy, and we wish you a very happy thanksgiving.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, crystal, it's been great being here, and happy thanksgiving to you too.
Speaker 5:Hello listeners, natalie here to let you know what's happening at the co-op this holiday season. With Christmas right around the corner, we're gearing up for some spectacular holiday lighting all around town. Jones-onslow has a brand new holiday lighting energy calculator housed on our website. This appagy calculator encourages you to incorporate LED lighting into your holiday decorating this year. Some benefits of LED lighting include longer life, up to 90%, lower electric costs and very little heat. Learn more about how this small switch can make a big difference on your electric bill this season at wwwjoemccom.
Speaker 5:Slash energy wise. Keeping the holidays in mind, this month's energy efficiency tip focuses on energy usage in the kitchen. When possible, cook with smaller countertop appliances instead of the stove top or oven. Smaller appliances like slow cookers, air fryers and instant pots consume less energy while still bringing your family their favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. When using the oven or stove top, match the size of the pot to the heating element and place a lid over the pot while cooking. The food will cook faster and you'll use less energy. Going black Friday shopping this year Shop small and participate in small business Saturday by visiting some of our co-op connections partners around town. Download the co-op connections app in the app store or on Google Play and see what discounts you can score when shopping for gifts. And don't forget there are national discounts available as well. And that's all for what's happening here at Jones-Onslow EMC.
Speaker 6:Extreme weather can cause your heating system to work overtime during the winter. This can increase your bill when you aren't expecting it, but with our budget billing option, you won't need to worry about surprises. Budget billing allows you to spread your costs out equally throughout the year. You pay the same amount each month for 11 months. The account is evened up on the 12th month with a final payment bill or a credit applied, and this service comes with no fees and no charges. With budget billing, you'll be seeing no to surprises and yes to stress-free budgeting and peace of mind. Learn more at joemccom under customer service, billing and payment options. Member focused service driven that's our co-op.
Speaker 1:Well, folks, that'll do it for this episode of Flipping the Switch Until next time. If you don't currently follow us on Facebook, instagram or any of our other social media channels, consider doing so. It's the best way to keep informed about what's going on with your co op. Thanks again.