As a paperless bill subscriber, or if you have provided an email to FreeState Electric Cooperative, you will be sent this e-newsletter each month that will provide important information including digital versions of paper bill stuffers, important announcements, and news that may impact your account or electric service.

You can opt-out of receiving this communication by clicking the link at the bottom of this email. If you opt-out you will no longer receive information and may miss out on ALL Important announcements from FreeState. 

If you have questions about this newsletter please contact the office by email at customerservice@freestate.coop or call 1-800-794-1989. 
From the CEO
November is time to consider what we’re thankful for, and this year I’m thankful for the co-op employees that work for each of you here at FreeState. We have top talent here, but what makes them an incredible workforce is their dedication and commitment, not only to our members but our cooperative’s guiding principles. Each employee understands what makes a cooperative unique, and they work hard to showcase the real cooperative difference.


The Power of
Giving Back
FreeState Electric Cooperative’s 80 employees and nine trustees rallied to raise $7,500 that was matched by the cooperative’s primary lender, CoBank. The money helped F.W. Huston Medical Center in Winchester.

Our Guiding Principles
The work FreeState’s Right-of-Way (or tree) crew does to keep lines clear of vegetation is vital to providing safe, reliable power to our members. FreeState employs in-house tree crews dedicated to right-of-way clearing. These crews work to reduce outages caused by trees and reduce line loss. Every tree that grows too close to lines is a source of line loss, and that means wasted energy. 

The Value of a Tree
Most people have at least one memory associated with a tree. Maybe a tire swing hanging from an old tree at your grandparent’s house, or a favorite shaded resting spot on hot summer days. Maybe you carved your initials in the trunk of a tree as a child, then sought that tree out as an adult for those memories. The emotions trees prompt are just one reason we value trees.

We want to hear your story and share it with the new generation of cooperative members. As we talk about a new energy and the future of cooperatives we also want to connect with our past to feature stories describing the time when the co-op brought power to the farm, ranch or rural residence. We are asking for help from our members.

Submit your stories or photos from the past that highlight when Kaw Valley Electric Cooperative or Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Cooperative brought power to your lives. 

Did you live on a farm? Did you get new electric appliances? Do you remember when you were able to flip a light on for the first time in the home or barn? We want to hear about it! 

How to submit your stories. Drop by one of the FreeState offices, email 
800-794-1989. You can mail photos,
written accounts or other memorabilia to:

FreeState Electric Cooperative
Attn: Marketing
PO Box 70
McLouth, KS 66054 

Any tangible memorabilia will be returned to the member. We will begin sharing these stories in January 2020. We appreciate your willingness to share the past with the new generation of cooperative members.
If you are a current user, you’ll notice the mobile app will have a fresh, new look. When you open the app, you’ll be able to see your usage analysis upfront or can contact us with the click of a button right from the home screen. Outage and billing alerts are also displayed on the home screen, making it easy for us to communicate important information with you. Billing, payment and other features are available with one click of a button in a new condensed menu. All of the features you love about SmartHub now will still be available, just with a refreshed look and an enhanced user experience. If you haven’t been using SmartHub, check it out today.

Whether through the web, your smartphone or tablet (Android or iOS), you’ll be able to pay your bill, view your usage, contact member service representatives and get the latest news.
Making payments through SmartHub is fast and easy.

The first time you make a payment either through the web or through your mobile device, you will be able to securely store your payment information for future transactions. The next time you need to pay your bill, it will only take a couple of clicks. 

FreeState will also have important notifications posted, and you’ll be able to choose how you want to be notified about your bill, including email and text messaging.
Energy Use Coordinator Matt Lambert will answer questions about energy efficiency, renewables, co-op programs, and everything in between. Email Matt your question and it may be featured in Kansas Country Living or The Signal. FreeState will not use your name if your question is answered in print or online unless you specifically request us to do so. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative
www.freestate.coop
McLouth | Topeka
1-800-794-1989
customerservice@freestate.coop
Privacy Policy 
FreeState is a consumer-owned and consumer-controlled electric cooperative. FreeState operates on a not-for-profit basis for the benefit of its member-consumers. Accordingly, the Board has adopted this Policy on Privacy of Member-Consumer Information to establish fair information principles for FreeState in carrying out its responsibility to respect the privacy of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.
Notice: FreeState publicly discloses its policies and practices for the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.            
Statement of Non-Discrimination
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
  FreeState Electric Cooperative, Inc., is not subject to the jurisdiction, regulation, supervision and control of the Kansas Corporation Commission, except as specified in K.S.A. 66-104d(f). 
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