As A Meter Of Fact

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We may have thawed out a little since the winter storm, but we've still got 53 days of winter left to go!In this episode of As A Meter of Fact, Darreck sits down with Josh Sterling, CoServ's Manager of Energy Solutions, to discuss the best ways for Members and Customers to save energy AND money this winter.As a bonus, Darreck also explains how CoServ manages its power supply in anticipation of weather events and the considerations when making pre-emptive power purchases.

With Lineman Appreciation Day fast approaching, it seemed as good a time as any to welcome CoServ Crew Supervisor Chris Hammonds to the studio to discuss what a typical day looks like for CoServ linemen. As a bonus, this episode will tie in with the January edition of Texas Co-op Power magazine for the Thank a Lineman essay contest. To win, listen for the code word and include it, along with how many times it was spoken throughout the episode, in your essay thanking a lineman!

As we wind down the last few weeks of 2023, As A Meter of Fact looks at CoServ's many milestones, developments, and spotlights that marked the year.  

Winters in North Texas can be unpredictable. As such, it's important to understand not only how to help make your home energy efficient but also the factors that impact your bill.   In this episode of As A Meter of Fact, Darreck discusses basic energy efficiency tips, budget billing, payment assistance options, what Heating Degree Days are, and how to calculate them. 

CoServ takes a great deal of pride in the way it serves its Members and Customers, and the Customer Care Department is a perfect example of that, maintaining a 94% satisfaction score.In this episode of As A Meter of Fact, Darreck looks at the various teams that make that satisfaction score possible. 

Capital Credits are one of the biggest differences between electric cooperatives and other utilities. Instead of returning our annual margins (profits) to shareholders, as the for-profit utilities do, CoServ and other electric cooperatives allocate this money back to our Members in the form of Capital Credits. In this episode of As A Meter of Fact, Darreck explains how Capital Credits work and provides an update on this year's retirement.

Today is National 811 Day, a friendly reminder to dial 811 before digging. It's also Mr. Diggs' birthday! Let the celebration of awareness begin!

Did you know that over the course of the year, CoServ's Energy Education Team will visit more than 100 campuses across our service districts to give safety presentations and demos? With the school year just around the corner –and we do apologize to any children whose days we've just ruined with that revelation– it feels like the perfect opportunity to shine the spotlight on this incredible team. In this episode, Darreck sits down with Justin Porterfield, CoServ's Energy Education Specialist.

CoServ's linemen are among the very best in the state, boasting exemplary skills and technical know-how to get the job done quickly and safely, no matter the condition, no matter the time of day.  With the 27th Texas Lineman's Rodeo mere weeks away, As A Meter of Fact looks at the annual competition held in Seguin, TX, and lets you hear from members of the CoServ Rodeo team. 

Everyone appreciates predictability when it comes to balancing comfort with their electric usage, but Texas's long, often grueling summers can make that balancing especially challenging. Join Darreck Kirby as he details the steps you can take to manage your usage, find the billing option that best suits your needs, and additional programs that can help you save! 

CoServ first got its start in the 1930s, bringing electricity to barns and farmhouses throughout much of our service area. And, while North Texas has developed considerably over the past 85 years, we've never forgotten our roots. CoServ is a fixture at North Texas livestock shows, not only forming relationships with FFA students but supporting them by bidding on their animals. Over the course of the year, CoServ sponsors four separate events, including Denton County, Cooke County, and Collin County. Additionally, CoServ Gas supports the Wylie livestock show.So, to spotlight the co-op's tremendous work with the Future Farmers of America program, I decided to head out to the Denton County Jr. Livestock Show and Sale and learn all that I could.

CoServ's gas workers are among the best in the state –and that's not hyperbole. In this episode of the As A Meter of Fact podcast, Gas Operations Field Supervisor Alex Copeland sat down to talk about what all goes into the work CoServ's gas service workers do each day, the challenges of the job, and the tremendous avenues for growth and continued education offered by CoServ!

Texas weather can be unpredictable to put it lightly. This time of year, morning ”jacket weather” can quickly turn into a shorts and t-shirt kind of day, whereas the summer can leave you sweating before sunrise! No matter what Mother Nature dishes out, you can count on CoServ to be ready! This episode of As A Meter of Fact talks energy efficiency tips for warmer and colder months, offers safety supply kit recommendations for your home, and tells you what to do in the event of an outage.  

Service and community are at the heart of CoServ's mission, so it's only natural that we would lend our support to the vitality and wellbeing of the communities we serve. Enter the CoServ Charitable Foundation. This episode of As A Meter of Fact takes a look at the foundation and the many ways in which it supports the local nonprofits that help their communities thrive.

With 2022 winding down, we decided it was time to take a look back at the highs and lows of 2022, sharing some of our favorite moments and milestones with key industry updates every Member and Customer needs to know. And to share such a detailed breakdown, we decided to bring back one of our favorite guests, Mr. Diggs!

Things have been a bit different over the last couple of years –and for obvious reasons. CoServ, for example, used to hold one big Annual Meeting each year at the UNT Coliseum to give Members and Customers its business reports. Over the past two years, however, the Annual Meeting has been presented virtually at CoServ.com.  But what about the face-to-face engagement that made the old Annual Meeting format so unique? Well, we've been thinking about that for a while now, and we think you're going to like what we've come up with. 

Mr. Diggs became the mascot of CoServ Gas in 2013. In the nearly 10 years that have followed, his role has evolved to become the face of CoServ as a whole. Despite that, not much has been known about the  

Natural gas prices have increased significantly over the past year and a variety of factors have played a role in that. CoServ does not markup the price of wholesale electricity but prices are rising, and Members are feeling the sting of it. So, while we can't prevent the cost of electricity from rising, we can provide you with some helpful tips and recommendations to minimize costs and ensure you get the most out of your daily usage. You've probably heard about setting your thermostat to 78 degrees a time or two already, so we'll go ahead and bypass that suggestion for this particular list. However, in keeping with the spirit of good ole' '78, we'll call this list “seven tips in eight minutes to combat the dreaded summer energy bill."

You've probably seen retail electric providers advertising free nights and weekends on TV at some point, right? You've probably heard it on the radio as well. In fact, I'm guessing you've seen and heard these ads with some regularity in recent years. While it does sound like a great deal –I mean, who doesn't love “free”?—there is a catch hidden within the fine print. 

One of the best things about being part of an electric co-op is that you get a voice. As CoServ Members, you democratically elect a collective Board of Directors who represent you. While there are seven districts and Board Members, candidates are elected at large, meaning all Members as of the record date are eligible to vote for whoever, regardless of district number. This year, Districts 2 and 7 are up for election, with voting opening May 12th. That said, if you've been a CoServ Member for a while, you might have already known that. That's fine, but I'm willing to bet you didn't know these 10 facts about the CoServ Annual Meeting!

The 5th CoServ blood drive is coming up on April 8 and the need for donors has never been greater. CoServ Charitable Foundation and Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Ebert joins Darreck to discuss the need for communities everywhere to band together to replenish the diminished blood reserves and save lives.To book your appointment, go to RedCross.org and search CoServ using the "Find A Drive" tool. Alternatively, you can download the Blood Donor American Red Cross smartphone app, which will let you schedule and manage your appointments.Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross (redcrossblood.org)

We had a chance to sit down with Richard Boyer, The Colony city councilman and host of The Colony Spotlight podcast. Richard shares about what's happening around town and how it all got started. He also shares some hidden gems for residents and visitors including the best place to park at Nebraska Furniture Mart. We were also joined by Tracee Elrod, Community Support Manager for CoServ, who talks about our special relationship with The Colony. Then we play a game with our two guests. Fun!This episode was recorded at Venture X - The Realm at Castle Hills, a super cool co-working space with a podcast studio. And it's on CoServ lines! Thanks Eric Nguyen for your audio engineering help with this episode.

On this episode of “Difference Makers,” we hear from Kathryn Flores, the founder of Mission Moms. If something Kathryn said today struck a chord with you and you want to get involved with Mission Moms, check out missionmoms.org.Thanks again to everyone involved with Mission Moms. Y'all are doing some amazing work in Lantana and other neighborhoods nearby!

This is it, the final episode of our miniseries/tour around the CoServ service area. We have one last stop before we head home. Forney is a special city for us, not because it looks like it's on an island compared to the rest of the cities and towns we serve. It's because we love all the growth that is happening there — especially the growth among students at Forney ISD.As A Meter Of Fact helps you get the most out of your life as an energy consumer in the CoServ community. You can send us your energy questions, feedback, episode ideas, money-saving tips by emailing podcast@coserv.com. Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you soon, neighbor!

We thought it would be nice to spread some of the gratefulness that Memorial Day brings with you, our listeners. On today’s episode, we’ll hear from several folks, including a veteran who works for CoServ, a Gold Star family member, and a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.Special thanks to Hershel "Woody" Williams, Conan Tearney, and Jennifer Hanson for guest-starring on this episode and thank you for your service to our country.

At some point, we’ve all returned home or awakened late for work to see a blinking 12:00 on our digital alarm clock. You may have to go through the house and reset every clock that doesn’t have a battery backup like the ones on your stove and microwave. Because some of our Members experienced these blinks recently, we wanted to talk about what blinks are and why they happen. To help us with that, we brought in one of our CoServ colleagues, Operations Manager Cody Coulter.www.coserv.com/Podcast

Stop number 3 on our little road trip: Murphy, Texas!

We answer a question from a Member who noticed a spike in one of their winter bills.

"We're giving these kids a place where they feel like they are not invisible."

Rhome sweet Rhome.

"They're doing everything they can to keep a strong, stable household."

Starting off the new year with a little road trip up north...

Sara and Jason look back at 2020 and share a few highlights from a year we’ll never forget.

A Thanksgiving Moment from the As A Meter Of Fact team

Back in the 1930s when CoServ first started, overhead power lines were a sign of progress. How do people feel about them in 2020?

Stories from a recent trip to Alabama where CoServ crews helped restore power after a hurricane.

An eerie conversation with a professional scammer.

We all go through seasons when we ask the basic questions of life: Who are we? Where did we come from? What is a kilowatt hour?

Reading reviews online for your business can sometimes feel like picking petals off of flowers. Some say they love us, some say they hate us. But how do we really feel about that Google rating?

Our latest Q&R, coming at you with everything you’ve ever wondered about natural gas. Well almost...

Happy 811 Day! Let's dig into this awesome free service and learn a bit about CoServ Gas.

The wrath of Texas is upon us, but fans might be a secret weapon.

What’s so special about this Annual Meeting? A lot actually!

What are Capital Credits and what makes them a special part of being a CoServ Member?

A listener asks "How do squirrels walk on power lines and not get zapped?"

We make an exciting announcement this episode: we have a new community partner!

Our final episode in the miniseries about local sports teams and the pandemic. This week, we talk with the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Hear what's happening in the baseball world!

Part 2 of our Delay of Game miniseries features Luchi Gonzalez, head coach of FC Dallas.

"What is this thing on my bill called Operation Roundup?"

While stadiums lie empty, one Major League Soccer player's current practice field is hard, slippery, and dotted with fire ant mounds.