Great Lakes Energy and its affiliated contractors are not performing residential inspections at member homes relating to Energy Optimization or any other program. If you receive a request for someone to come into  your home to perform an inspection, the call is not legitimate.  You may choose to contact the authorities if you receive a suspicious call.

Great Lakes Energy members are warned that they could receive a phone call advising them to call several 900 pay-per-call numbers to avoid high billing charges.

The caller claims that the GLE member’s electric bill will be estimated because they couldn’t read the meter.  The member is then given several 900 pay-per-call numbers to call to avoid the charges.

Great Lakes Energy officials stress the caller’s story is false.  Great Lakes Energy members are not required to report meter readings because the electric cooperative has automated meters that automatically report readings to the company.

Anyone who receives this phone call should ignore the instructions, hang up, and report the incident to local law enforcement authorities.

Great Lakes Energy members can now receive Healthy Savings Benefits with a new Co-op Connections card. Benefits include discounts on prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing aids, lab work and imaging and chiropractic care at participating providers.

Discounts at local and national retailers are still available as well. The card can be used a thousands of retailers nationwide.  

New cards will be sent with the March issue of Michigan Country Lines or can be printed at www.healthysavings.coop. New cards must be printed in order to receive the Healthy Savings Benefits.

The Great Lakes Energy People Fund is accepting grant applications from non-profit organizations throughout its local service area. The upcoming grant application deadline is Feb.1, 2012. 

The People Fund is supported solely by Great Lakes Energy members who allow their electric cooperative to round up their bill each month to the next dollar. Since 1999 more than $2.2 million in grants have been awarded to charitable and community organizations throughout Great Lakes Energy’s 26-county service area, which stretches from Kalamazoo to the Mackinac Straits. 

Non-profit organizations can apply for a grant through the People Fund by downloading the application at http://www.gtlakes.com/people-fund/program-details/. The application can also be requested by calling Great Lakes Energy, 1-888-485-2537, ext. 1313.

The silent auctions held annually by Great Lakes Energy at its employee holiday luncheons set a record this year by raising $6,100 for local charities. 

Generous donations from local merchants and Great Lakes Energy employees helped generate the funds. 

The money raised will be donated to the following nine charities in the Great Lakes Energy service area:

Boyne Area Community Christmas, Boyne City

Crystal Valley Care Center, Hart

Community Lighthouse, Kalkaska

Second Harvest Gleaners, Newaygo

The Manna Food Project, Harbor Springs

Reed City Food Pantry, Reed City

Ludington’s Jericho House, Ludington

The Friendship Shelter, Gaylord

Christian Neighbors, Wayland

More than 230 employees and retirees of the local electric cooperative attended the luncheons in Boyne City and Newaygo in mid-December.

Thanks go to the following businesses and individuals that donated items for this year’s successful silent auction.

North Luncheon Contributors*

Ann Marie Boettger

Atlas Electric/Ray Hines

B.C. Pizza

Bay View Association

Bay Winds Credit Union

Bayside Docs Urgent Care

Beaver Island Boat Co.

Bergmann Center

Black Star Farms

Bob Mather’s Ford

Boyne Area Medical Center

Boyne City Subway

Boyne Mountain

Boyne Valley Lions Club

Bright Star

Camp Daggett

Center for Plastic Surgery, Traverse City

Charlevoix Area Humane Society

Charter Business

Cherry Tree Inn & Suites

Community Lighthouse

Compassionate Hearts

Danielle J. Swartz, D.D.S.

Discover Massage Specialists

Ellsworth Farmers Exchange

Eyes on Main

Forest Area Credit Union

Gerber’s Homemade Sweets

Gerta’s Draperies

GNC

Grandpa Shorter’s

Great Lakes Children’s Museum

Great Wolf Lodge

Harbor House/Rod Cortright

Health Zone Chiropractic

Holton’s LP Gas

Hospice of Northwest Michigan

Kilwin’s

Klevorn & Klevorn

Lavender Hill Farms

MacGregor Plumbing & Heating

Manna Food Project

Maple Ridge Dentistry

McBride Construction

McLean’s Hardware

Michigan Cat

Molly Bricker

Moskal Chiropractic

MSU Extension & Lake Charles Mariners Board

Nagle’s Tree Service

Nancy Vogl/Speaker’s Bureau

Northern Michigan Artist Guild

NW Michigan Habitat for Humanity

Odawa Casino Resort

Phyllis Kelley-Gill

Right Brain Brewery

Sen. Harold Walker

Seniors Helping Seniors

Servepro

SOS Analytical

State Theatre, Traverse City

Swan’s Cove

TransWorld Network, Corp.

Trees Inc.

Treetops Resort

Wolverine Power Cooperative

South Luncheon Contributors*

Claybanks Township Park

Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters (C.O.V.E.)

Country Veterinary Clinic

Crossroads Chevrolet, Reed City

Don Brown Construction

Dr. Amy Keller & Dr. Jeff Wilson

Dr. Bruce Sexton, D.D.S.

Drs. King & Aloe

Gordon Merten, ADM Distributor

Gun Lake Casino

Gustafson’s Greenhouse

H&R Block

H&R Block

Hart Pizza

Jackpine Business Center

Little House B&B

Log Carpenter, Inc.

North Country Café

Oceana County Council on Aging

Oceana County Historical Society

Oceana Eye Care

PNC Bank

Rep. Jon Bumstead

Root’s Tire Service

Scottville Clown Band

Scottville Senior Center

The Grange

The Harrington Inn

The Shack

This Old House Antiques & Resale

Vic-s Market

Video Plus

Walkerville Well Drilling

West Shore Community College

Yankee Springs Golf Course

YMCA

*Does not include GLE employee or department contributions. Donations are as of Dec. 8, 2011 and may not include last minute donations.

The Great Lakes Energy People Fund is accepting grant applications from non-profit organizations throughout its local service area. The upcoming grant application deadline is Feb.1, 2012. 

The People Fund is supported solely by Great Lakes Energy members who allow their electric cooperative to round up their bill each month to the next dollar. Since 1999 more than $2.2 million in grants have been awarded to charitable and community organizations throughout Great Lakes Energy’s 26-county service area, which stretches from Kalamazoo to the Mackinac Straits. 

“Through the generosity of our members who round-up their bill to the nearest dollar, we can give back to organizations in need,” says President/CEO Steve Boeckman. “We encourage non-profit community organizations to apply so that the funds can be put to good use in our local service area.”

Non-profit organizations can apply for a grant through the People Fund by downloading the application at http://www.gtlakes.com/people-fund/program-details/. The application can also be requested by calling Great Lakes Energy, 1-888-485-2537, ext. 1313.

GLE employees will bid on silent auction items at their holiday luncheons on Dec. 13 and 14.  The employees bid on items donated by local businesses and by the employees themselves. Last year we raised $4,400 for nine local charities.  Help us this year by donating an item or gift certificate to the auctions. Items can be dropped off at a local GLE office or call us at 888-485-2537 ext. 8203.

Thank you for your help!

See our story featured on 7&4 News: http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=690163

Earlier today, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved Great Lakes Energy’s request for an overall 2.87 percent rate increase.  

The proposed rate request includes a $3.28 per month increase in the fixed billing charge for residential permanent and non-permanent (seasonal) members. The monthly charge will change from $15 to $18.28 ($45 to $54.84 per quarter for seasonal accounts). The energy charge for permanent residential full-time members will change from $.09590 per kWh to $.09653 per kWh.  The energy charge for non-permanent residential seasonal members will change from $.15066 per kWh to $.14629 per kWh.

An increase in the outdoor lighting rate was also approved.  Depending on wattage size, members with outdoor lights pay from 80 cents to $3.20 more per month for their GLE outdoor light.

The rate changes will go into effect for electricity used starting on Nov. 11, 2011. Members may see prorated charges on their bill and should contact GLE member services at 888-485-2537 ext. 8924 with questions.

For more details see the Residential Rate brochure.  New rate schedules will be posted to this site when they become available.

Sign up to participate in the People Fund and you could win one of six $100 billing credits. We’ll draw six names on Dec. 1 from all the members who are permanently enrolled in the People Fund.  Your entry will go a long way to helping organizations in your local community too. When you enroll, we’ll round-up your bill each month. The extra change will be put into a fund for your service area. Areas are split up by north, central and south. Volunteer boards then meet three times a year to award grants to worthwhile causes using the money collected.

The People Fund needs your support more than ever.  The average donation is just fifty cents per month but when that’s combined with the contributions of other members it goes a long way.  Support the People Fund today and you’ll be entered to win!