Member News
NOTE: Visit our Power Outages page for information about current repair and maintenance projects.
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Electricity remains a great value compared to other consumer goods 05.10.13
Popular demand and short supply drives the cost of everyday necessities higher. Some price tag changes—like the cost to fill your car’s gas tank—are obvious to anyone driving down the road. Other increases at the grocery store are more subtle but still impact your family’s bottom line. Compare the average price increase of a few household expenses to see how the rising cost of electricity stacks up.
MJM sponsors Springfield trip for local students 04.23.13
More than 200 students from the downstate Illinois traveled to Springfield on Wednesday, April 17, for the Illinois Electric and Telephone Cooperatives Youth Day. MJM sponsored 13 local students on this annual trip.
Don't wait - Call us when you have a power outage 04.09.13
Ever since we began its installation in 2011, our new Automated Meter Reading system has been an extremely useful tool. In many cases, the AMR system has allowed us to find and fix power outages before our members ever realized there was a problem. It is important to realize, however, that if you experience an outage while at home, your power will be restored more quickly if you call it in.
Co-op experiences widespread outages 03.25.13
With more than a foot of snowfall, 30 mph gusts of wind, and white-out conditions, MJM’s service territory has experienced some of the worse weather conditions it’s had in a while. The combination of heavy, wet snow and strong winds caused lines to gallop. This resulted in tripped breakers and/or broken lines. Trees and tree limbs also fell into lines in some areas, too. Additionally, Ameren lost the feed to the Brighton and Bunker Hill Substations twice. We are still down to 50 members without power, but we are hoping to fix the outages by tonight.
MJM celebrates 74th annual meeting - Members updated on improvments 03.20.13
MJM Electric Cooperative’s Annual Meeting on March 16th was a celebration of how electric cooperatives have changed rural America and are still making life better for those they serve. The Cooperative took a look at how cooperatives improved the local community in the past, and then shared exciting new developments in how it is serving its members today.
Get a free steak lunch and a chance to win $300 at MJM's Annual Meeting 03.06.13
The next Annual Meeting will be held March 16, 2013 at Carlinville High School, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Stop by for a chance to win $300, a free steak lunch, and activities for the kids!
See our 2013 Annual Meeting booklet for more information
NOTICE: February bills mailed March 1 03.01.13
Due to miscommunication with NISC, our software provider, the February bills were not mailed until March 1. Although bills are still officially due on the 10th, rest assured that MJM still allows our members a 5 day grace period for bill payment. As long as your bill is paid by the 15th, your bill is considered to be on time and will not be assessed any late fees.
2013 Power Moves rebates 02.27.13
MJM is again pleased to offer energy efficiency incentives in 2013, in conjunction with our power supplier, Wabash Valley Power Association. A brief outline of the programs is listed below.
Cooperative offers new convenient prepaid billing option 02.14.13
Your cooperative is now offering a new payment option that gives you more control over your bill payments than ever before. With our new prepaid electric service program, participating members can pay whatever they want, whenever they want as long as a credit remains on the account.
MJM sponsors electric safety demonstration for local students 01.23.13
For nearly fifteen years, former lineman Kyle Finley has given people the power to stay safe.
Using a display that replicates the 7,200 volts of electricity power lines carry, Finley’s “Live Line Demo” teaches students and adults alike about avoiding the potential dangers of electricity. MJM helped sponsor demonstrations for local fourth graders from Carlinville, Staunton, Benld, Gillespie, Litchfield, Farmersville, Raymond, St. Michael’s, and Zion Lutheran.
Notice to members on an automatic payment plan (for Dec. bills) 01.02.13
It has come to our attention that some of our recent bill statements have a line of text at the bottom missing. Typically, the words “Do Not Pay” are written on the bills of members using our auto-pay feature. This line is not included on the December bills, but rest assured that this is merely a printing error. We apologize for any confusion the error may have caused. Your balance will be automatically paid from your bank account or credit/debit card as usual.
Energy-efficiency improvements available again 12.17.12
You probably remember reading or hearing about HomE. That was the award-winning energy efficiency program of the Illinois electric cooperatives that provided nearly 3,500 energy audits, along with $2.5 million in financial incentives for efficiency upgrades, for electric co-op members during 2010 and 2011.
Wholesale power cost adjustment 12.10.12
Wabash Valley Power Association (WVPA), the wholesale power supplier for MJM Electric Cooperative, has announced a small increase to its rates for 2013. This change will take effect in January and show up on the bills due in February under the Wholesale Power Adjustment. For a household using 1,000 kilowatt hours monthly, the additional cost will be 54 cents per month.
Veteran member saluted with MJM-sponsored Honor Flight 11.28.12
One local World War II veteran received some long overdue thanks last month, as MJM and Wabash Valley Power Association sponsored member Charles Logsdon, Jr. of Hillsboro on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Introducing our online outage map 11.21.12
Picture this — You’re getting ready to end your workday when the storm that has been threatening to show up all day hits, and it hits hard. As you see the tree branches outside your window bend and sway with whooshing blasts of wind, you begin to wonder if you’ll be coming home to a house without power.
Finding out this information is easy with the help of MJM’s new online outage map.
Video: Neighbors of the past worked to improve rural America 11.14.12
In the 1930s, nine out of 10 rural American homes didn't have electricity. Our neighbors of the past had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to bring electricity here and improve their quality of life. Just think of the positive changes we can make in our community today, if we join our neighbors in making a difference!
UPDATE: Scam phone call warning 11.01.12
MJM members, and other cooperative members throughout Illinois, have reported incidents of a recent phone scam. These members are receiving telephone calls during which the caller says an electric rate increase is coming and then asks for personal information so the caller can put them on a list. Sometimes the caller claims to be a director from the electric cooperative.
The vampires lurking in your home 10.31.12
Vampires have frightened people for generations. The fangs, the wings, the immortality: it’s scary stuff. Though that’s all legend—a subject for movies and Halloween costumes—a different breed of vampire could be lurking in your home right now. These vampires don’t drink blood; they consume electricity.
Membership benefits are a co-op advantage 10.23.12
Every October, electric cooperatives celebrate National Cooperative Month. This year the occasion is twice as nice, as we also are observing 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives. This is a time for us to celebrate the things that make us special compared to other companies.
Our biggest difference, as opposed to investor-owned utilities such as Ameren, is that we do not have customers, nor do we have investors. Instead, everyone who gets electricity from us is a member and an owner of MJM. As a not-for-profit company, we do not exist to make money for shareholders but rather to provide an at-cost service for our community.
MJM provides educational resources to local schools 10.19.12
MJM Electric Cooperative is making it easier for area schools to teach about electricity and electric cooperatives. Through a partnership between Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and Discovery Channel School, the co-op embarked on a campaign to ensure that students in our area receive a quality education on electricity from its beginnings to its importance in today’s world. Through this community outreach program - called Get Charged! Electricity and You - MJM provides schools with a comprehensive kit of educational materials.
Scam phone call warning 10.15.12
We have been hearing reports from other Illinois electric cooperatives (and customers at investor owned utilities) that we would like to pass on to you. Members are receiving telephone calls during which the caller says an electric rate increase is coming and then asks for personal information so the caller can put them on a list. Sometimes the caller claims to be a director from the electric cooperative.
Eight scholarships available for co-op members 10.08.12
Communities and counties form buying co-ops for power 09.18.12
Many communities and counties across Illinois have recently been voting on aggregating their citizen's buying power into basically power purchasing cooperatives. This community and county wholesale power buying aggregation is essentially what Illinois electric cooperatives have already been doing for their member-owners, in some cases for over 75 years.
Priority enrollment begins for Low Income 09.12.12
Home Energy Assistance program
As of September 4, seniors and people with disabilities can begin applying for winter heating assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Touchstone Energy Balloon Fest on Lake Shelbyville October 5th - 7th 09.10.12.
MJM Electric Cooperative and several other Illinois Touchstone Energy Cooperatives have teamed up to bring in the Touchstone Energy Hot Air balloon team to Lake Shelbyville. Come see hot air balloon pilots from Chicago, Iowa, Missouri and Central Illinois fly Lake Shelbyville with flights Friday night, Saturday & Sunday mornings, and enjoy a nightglow Saturday evening (weather permitting). The Saturday nightglow will be held on the Spillway Dam off Route 16 in Shelbyville.
How a record-setting summer affects your bill 08.24.12
After a sweltering July like we’ve had here in the Midwest, we’ve come to depend on air conditioning more than ever. It’s easy to take that comfort for granted – until you realize that cranking the A/C has a cost. Most your home’s electricity usage goes to heating and cooling, so when weather temperatures get extreme, you will probably notice an increase on your bill.
MJM remembers Gary Morrison 08.20.12
MJM lost a longtime friend this year, as board member Gary Morrison, 76, passed away on June 20. Known for his warm heart and kind spirit, Gary loved people, and this love led him to serve his community in a multitude of ways.
