Monday, January 31, 2011
Facebook Friends Find Fabulous Free Stuff!
10:37 AM | 
Posted by
Billy Ray |
About 500 of you have already found the EPB Facebook page and follow our posts there, but the rest of you might have missed this amazing opportunity. Glasgow EPB’s status as a research site for TVA and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has opened a door for a few more test sites for the new General Electric Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater.
Here is the announcement that we posted last week on our Facebook page:
Good morning! Here's a special offer for our FB fans! How would you like to have a heat pump water heater...for FREE? We're partnering with TVA and EPRI for a project and we have 7 available. The criteria: own your home; 4 persons or less in your household; must have EPB internet service; and, currently have an electric hot water heater located in a garage or unheated basement. Let us hear from you!
So, first of all, if you want to be in the group that hears about these opportunities first, please “Like” our Facebook page by clicking on this Facebook link and clicking on the “Like” button at the top of the Glasgow Electric Plant Board page. This will add you to the growing list of folks who will get the latest information from us automatically on your Facebook news feed. Then, take a few minutes to read about this fantastic new water heating technology by visiting the General Electric site by clicking on this link. If you look at one of these appliances at your local hardware store, you will see that these retail for about $1300 plus installation. If you qualify for this project, you will get the unit for free in return for you simply allowing EPRI to monitor its performance in your home for an extended period of time.
This is just another benefit of living in Glasgow and being a customer of Glasgow EPB. Give us a call or an email if you are interested in volunteering your home for this project.
Here is the announcement that we posted last week on our Facebook page:
Good morning! Here's a special offer for our FB fans! How would you like to have a heat pump water heater...for FREE? We're partnering with TVA and EPRI for a project and we have 7 available. The criteria: own your home; 4 persons or less in your household; must have EPB internet service; and, currently have an electric hot water heater located in a garage or unheated basement. Let us hear from you!
So, first of all, if you want to be in the group that hears about these opportunities first, please “Like” our Facebook page by clicking on this Facebook link and clicking on the “Like” button at the top of the Glasgow Electric Plant Board page. This will add you to the growing list of folks who will get the latest information from us automatically on your Facebook news feed. Then, take a few minutes to read about this fantastic new water heating technology by visiting the General Electric site by clicking on this link. If you look at one of these appliances at your local hardware store, you will see that these retail for about $1300 plus installation. If you qualify for this project, you will get the unit for free in return for you simply allowing EPRI to monitor its performance in your home for an extended period of time.
This is just another benefit of living in Glasgow and being a customer of Glasgow EPB. Give us a call or an email if you are interested in volunteering your home for this project.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Internet Outage on Sunday Night
Sunday night, January 23, we will be doing major work on our internet service. This project will commence at about 11:00 p.m. and should take about two hours. During this time, all Glasgow EPB internet customers will be without internet service.
We have scheduled this work at the time and day of the week when the least amount of traffic is normally on our network. Still, this will be an inconvenience for some, but we really feel that the new equipment we will be installing will make this outage worth the trouble. This upgrade will make everyone in Glasgow have even faster and more reliable internet service through Glasgow EPB.
This will be the first of two such outages which will be required to complete our current internet upgrade plans. We will let you know when the next outage will take place as soon as all equipment is ready to be installed. Thank you for your attention and understanding of the necessity of this outage.
We have scheduled this work at the time and day of the week when the least amount of traffic is normally on our network. Still, this will be an inconvenience for some, but we really feel that the new equipment we will be installing will make this outage worth the trouble. This upgrade will make everyone in Glasgow have even faster and more reliable internet service through Glasgow EPB.
This will be the first of two such outages which will be required to complete our current internet upgrade plans. We will let you know when the next outage will take place as soon as all equipment is ready to be installed. Thank you for your attention and understanding of the necessity of this outage.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
2011 Brings Three Things to Glasgow
So far, trying to peer into 2011 has been constantly hampered by constant snow fall, but there are big issues for us to ponder. Gather around the monitor and we will chat for a bit about 2011 and three of the things that it will bring to Glasgow.
In February Glasgow EPB will be bringing East Glasgow Primary Substation on line. That means Glasgow will go from getting all of its electric power through a single, 1974 vintage, substation, to an arrangement where half of it comes through the old substation and the other half comes through an ultra-modern, 2011 vintage, facility. At the same time, we will be upgrading our structure at Gorin Park where Glasgow can also receive power from East Kentucky Power during a brief emergency (and the flip side is also true as we will be able to help deliver power to East Kentucky and its local distributor, Farmers RECC, more effectively should they have the need). These improvements will dramatically increase our chances of avoiding very long outages that could occur if our old delivery point substation were to suffer a catastrophic failure. This is a good thing which will enhance our lives in Glasgow as we look forward into a future where violent weather events are more and more common.
While the work is winding down on the new substation, we are also doing serious remodeling and refurbishing work on some other substations and transmission lines in Glasgow. When all of this is completed in early 2011, your electric power grid will have new life and reliability. Of course, even after this “facelift” a well placed squirrel, bird, snake, tree, or errant vehicle can still cause a power outage. So don’t throw out your flashlight and battery operated radio just yet.
Around the middle of the year the second big thing will hit Glasgow in the form of TOU (Time Of Use) electric rates. Since the coming of electric power to our region, that power has been priced on a cents per kWH basis such that the cost was the same no matter when power was consumed. However, over the last several years, due to aging TVA generating plants and the cost of replacing them, the cost of producing power at different times of the day now varies wildly. This year those fluctuating costs will finally be experienced by the users of that power. By mid-2011, if folks are willing to take steps to change the way they use energy, this change could mean lower electric bills. If folks refuse to pay attention and alter their usage patterns, electricity bills will go up considerably.
As the next few weeks unfold, we will be using this newsletter, our television advertising, our blog, our Facebook page (please "like" the Glasgow Electric Plant Board Facebook page if you haven't already!), and every other form of local media to communicate with you about this changing electric power environment. Stay tuned and be prepared to alter the way you interact with your appliances and we can all enjoy the fact that Glasgow has been preparing for this change for many years. We do not have to fear this change!
The third item will not hit us until the last couple of months of 2011, but it is not too early to start thinking about it. At the end of the year we will be negotiating with broadcasters for permission to carry them on our cable system. The negotiations will be very predictable. They will all want more money in exchange for permission for us to carry them. We will be wanting to pay less, or nothing for that permission, and you will be deciding how tough we should be in those discussions. We are anxious to see if the same thinking that swept so many ultra conservative candidates into our Congress will be echoed locally on this subject. Did you know that we are now forced to pay broadcasters like WBKO over $40,000 per year for the rights to put up an antenna, pick up their signal out of the air, and deliver it to you? Do you realize that three years ago when we last negotiated these rates the community asked that we carry even more stations from Nashville and Louisville and that these demands resulted in payments like this to multiple stations in Bowling Green, Nashville, and Louisville (do we really need this many broadcast stations?) and that this resulted in higher cable television rates? Will local folks demand more broadcast channels again this fall, or will the anger over irresponsible spending in our Congress spread to Glasgow and become a demand for us to cut out some broadcasters to save money? Are we really willing to cut services and spending on services to ourselves, or is this just brave talk? These questions must be answered right here in Glasgow as 2011 unfolds.
It is going to be a great year!
In February Glasgow EPB will be bringing East Glasgow Primary Substation on line. That means Glasgow will go from getting all of its electric power through a single, 1974 vintage, substation, to an arrangement where half of it comes through the old substation and the other half comes through an ultra-modern, 2011 vintage, facility. At the same time, we will be upgrading our structure at Gorin Park where Glasgow can also receive power from East Kentucky Power during a brief emergency (and the flip side is also true as we will be able to help deliver power to East Kentucky and its local distributor, Farmers RECC, more effectively should they have the need). These improvements will dramatically increase our chances of avoiding very long outages that could occur if our old delivery point substation were to suffer a catastrophic failure. This is a good thing which will enhance our lives in Glasgow as we look forward into a future where violent weather events are more and more common.
While the work is winding down on the new substation, we are also doing serious remodeling and refurbishing work on some other substations and transmission lines in Glasgow. When all of this is completed in early 2011, your electric power grid will have new life and reliability. Of course, even after this “facelift” a well placed squirrel, bird, snake, tree, or errant vehicle can still cause a power outage. So don’t throw out your flashlight and battery operated radio just yet.
Around the middle of the year the second big thing will hit Glasgow in the form of TOU (Time Of Use) electric rates. Since the coming of electric power to our region, that power has been priced on a cents per kWH basis such that the cost was the same no matter when power was consumed. However, over the last several years, due to aging TVA generating plants and the cost of replacing them, the cost of producing power at different times of the day now varies wildly. This year those fluctuating costs will finally be experienced by the users of that power. By mid-2011, if folks are willing to take steps to change the way they use energy, this change could mean lower electric bills. If folks refuse to pay attention and alter their usage patterns, electricity bills will go up considerably.
As the next few weeks unfold, we will be using this newsletter, our television advertising, our blog, our Facebook page (please "like" the Glasgow Electric Plant Board Facebook page if you haven't already!), and every other form of local media to communicate with you about this changing electric power environment. Stay tuned and be prepared to alter the way you interact with your appliances and we can all enjoy the fact that Glasgow has been preparing for this change for many years. We do not have to fear this change!
The third item will not hit us until the last couple of months of 2011, but it is not too early to start thinking about it. At the end of the year we will be negotiating with broadcasters for permission to carry them on our cable system. The negotiations will be very predictable. They will all want more money in exchange for permission for us to carry them. We will be wanting to pay less, or nothing for that permission, and you will be deciding how tough we should be in those discussions. We are anxious to see if the same thinking that swept so many ultra conservative candidates into our Congress will be echoed locally on this subject. Did you know that we are now forced to pay broadcasters like WBKO over $40,000 per year for the rights to put up an antenna, pick up their signal out of the air, and deliver it to you? Do you realize that three years ago when we last negotiated these rates the community asked that we carry even more stations from Nashville and Louisville and that these demands resulted in payments like this to multiple stations in Bowling Green, Nashville, and Louisville (do we really need this many broadcast stations?) and that this resulted in higher cable television rates? Will local folks demand more broadcast channels again this fall, or will the anger over irresponsible spending in our Congress spread to Glasgow and become a demand for us to cut out some broadcasters to save money? Are we really willing to cut services and spending on services to ourselves, or is this just brave talk? These questions must be answered right here in Glasgow as 2011 unfolds.
It is going to be a great year!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM GLASGOW EPB!
Even though they previously promised to cease their practice of using untruths and deception in their attempts to gain internet and video customers from us, the folks at Windstream are apparently at it again. In the last 24 hours we have gotten multiple reports from customers saying that Windstream representatives have told them that EPB is leaving the internet business and that folks must convert to them. THIS IS TOTALLY UNTRUE!
Glasgow EPB is asking the former customers of Cinergy/Norlight to find alternative telephone service. This has nothing to do with our internet service which was just recently upgraded and improved for the long-term future. Please do not fall victim to these determined and unscrupulous sales folks from out of town! Glasgow EPB will not be leaving the internet business, period. Thanks for helping us stop this newest attack from these "nice folks."
Friday, December 10, 2010
Glasgow Residents on the Nice List
Our fiber optic connections to the world allow us to be in constant contact with Santa’s workshop, and we are happy to report that all EPB customers have been placed on the “nice” list! We thought you should know about this good fortune and what each of you will be getting for Christmas as a result of your niceness.
For those of you who have HD televisions, the good news is that our HD tier of programming is growing by six new channels. They are: Channel 554 - TBS-HD, Channel 555 - CNN-HD, Channel 556 - MSNBC-HD, Channel 557 - CNBC-HD, Channel 560 - Nickelodeon-HD, and Channel 564 - Comedy Central-HD. Along with the new HD channels, all of our nice Digital Tier customers will also be getting eight new DMX music channels.
Oprah Winfrey fans have something coming from St. Nick as well. Just after the first of the year our channel 104 will become OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).
Our internet customers are on the nice list as well and they will suddenly start seeing even faster internet service at no additional cost. For those customers using our present 2.5 mb service, it will very soon become 3 mb service. For those customers using our faster 5 mb service, they will soon be faster still at 6 mb. These upgrades are just the beginning as further upgrades and other faster speed products will become available a bit later in 2011. HO HO HO!
The most expensive gift that EPB customers have coming to them just after Christmas is Glasgow’s new electric power delivery point at East Glasgow Substation. This is not something you will notice everyday, but it will dramatically improve the reliability and sustainability of our electric power supply in Glasgow for the next several decades. This new $8 million investment will give all of us a redundant power supply in case of failure or damage to our old power delivery substation at Haywood.
Thanks to all EPB customers for being nice and getting recognized as such by the North Pole gang. From all of us at the EPB to all of you folks who we serve, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases and a New Year filled with joy.
For those of you who have HD televisions, the good news is that our HD tier of programming is growing by six new channels. They are: Channel 554 - TBS-HD, Channel 555 - CNN-HD, Channel 556 - MSNBC-HD, Channel 557 - CNBC-HD, Channel 560 - Nickelodeon-HD, and Channel 564 - Comedy Central-HD. Along with the new HD channels, all of our nice Digital Tier customers will also be getting eight new DMX music channels.
Oprah Winfrey fans have something coming from St. Nick as well. Just after the first of the year our channel 104 will become OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).
Our internet customers are on the nice list as well and they will suddenly start seeing even faster internet service at no additional cost. For those customers using our present 2.5 mb service, it will very soon become 3 mb service. For those customers using our faster 5 mb service, they will soon be faster still at 6 mb. These upgrades are just the beginning as further upgrades and other faster speed products will become available a bit later in 2011. HO HO HO!
The most expensive gift that EPB customers have coming to them just after Christmas is Glasgow’s new electric power delivery point at East Glasgow Substation. This is not something you will notice everyday, but it will dramatically improve the reliability and sustainability of our electric power supply in Glasgow for the next several decades. This new $8 million investment will give all of us a redundant power supply in case of failure or damage to our old power delivery substation at Haywood.
Thanks to all EPB customers for being nice and getting recognized as such by the North Pole gang. From all of us at the EPB to all of you folks who we serve, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases and a New Year filled with joy.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Recommended by Local Elves
The elves in Glasgow’s technology toy land (Glasgow EPB) are busy year round, but at this time of year they are particularly involved in planning upgrades to our internet services. When we gaze into our crystal ball and try to guess what products many of our customers will be putting under their tree, we see a lot of on-line gaming and streaming video products heading toward Glasgow. Since we are virtually certain those items are coming to town, we have had our team busy testing them on our networks, and here is what we have learned.
First of all, we introduced a very large streaming video-over-internet application a few weeks ago when we brought ESPN 3 to our customers. Just last night, when UK played Boston University, we saw a stunning amount of streaming video traffic on our network as many of our customers watched the game via their internet connection on ESPN 3. When folks start using this service and adding video streaming products from Netflix.com and Hulu.com, it is going to require us to dramatically upgrade our network capacity - and we are in the process of doing just that.
Using these streaming video services and some of the new gaming software successfully at your home will also require that you think about upgrading your personal internet connection. Tests in our laboratory find that ESPN 3 and Netflix both work much better using our 5 MB internet service instead of the generic 2.5 MB service. At 5 MB the video does not have to do much buffering, rather, it plays continuously like you are watching a DVD. We have also found that the 5 MB connection is a necessity for viewing HD content over the internet.
The 5 MB connection is $36 per month compared to the $26 that most folks are paying for the 2.5 MB product, but that $10 per month more buys you a lot better performance for the Christmas presents you might be putting under the tree this year. If you are bringing home an Apple TV, one of the new Google TV devices, or any of the many new streaming video appliances, you will not be happy with them unless you also opt for the 5 MB internet service. So, before you open the presents and hook them up, give us a call at 651-8341 to order your higher speed internet service. We can upgrade your service remotely so you won’t have to worry about finding time to meet us at your house.
There is more to this recommendation too. Very soon (perhaps about the same time you open those Christmas gifts), we will be upgrading all of the speeds on our internet services to go even faster! We will also be adding more HD channels for your enjoyment. Christmas time is a big thing for the people of Glasgow who are served by Glasgow EPB. We have gifts coming your way that will bring you additional enjoyment throughout the year, and we aren’t even keeping a list and checking it twice!
First of all, we introduced a very large streaming video-over-internet application a few weeks ago when we brought ESPN 3 to our customers. Just last night, when UK played Boston University, we saw a stunning amount of streaming video traffic on our network as many of our customers watched the game via their internet connection on ESPN 3. When folks start using this service and adding video streaming products from Netflix.com and Hulu.com, it is going to require us to dramatically upgrade our network capacity - and we are in the process of doing just that.
Using these streaming video services and some of the new gaming software successfully at your home will also require that you think about upgrading your personal internet connection. Tests in our laboratory find that ESPN 3 and Netflix both work much better using our 5 MB internet service instead of the generic 2.5 MB service. At 5 MB the video does not have to do much buffering, rather, it plays continuously like you are watching a DVD. We have also found that the 5 MB connection is a necessity for viewing HD content over the internet.
The 5 MB connection is $36 per month compared to the $26 that most folks are paying for the 2.5 MB product, but that $10 per month more buys you a lot better performance for the Christmas presents you might be putting under the tree this year. If you are bringing home an Apple TV, one of the new Google TV devices, or any of the many new streaming video appliances, you will not be happy with them unless you also opt for the 5 MB internet service. So, before you open the presents and hook them up, give us a call at 651-8341 to order your higher speed internet service. We can upgrade your service remotely so you won’t have to worry about finding time to meet us at your house.
There is more to this recommendation too. Very soon (perhaps about the same time you open those Christmas gifts), we will be upgrading all of the speeds on our internet services to go even faster! We will also be adding more HD channels for your enjoyment. Christmas time is a big thing for the people of Glasgow who are served by Glasgow EPB. We have gifts coming your way that will bring you additional enjoyment throughout the year, and we aren’t even keeping a list and checking it twice!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Basketball Talk
Every year as the leaves jump from on high to the ground, thoughts around here turn to University of Kentucky men’s basketball, and this year is certainly no exception. We are thrilled to have some better news to report on the availability of some UK and U of L sports events this year due to our new agreement with ESPN relative to their internet sports site, ESPN 3. We are also finding that many of the UK men’s basketball games that normally are unavailable to us can be found on tape delay and, sometimes even live, if we are diligent in doing our research (and we are being very diligent!) But, still, there will be a few games that we will lack access to again this year.
Let’s take our annual look at this situation and review how we came to be in this position. First of all, in the very beginning, the University of Kentucky was born as a function of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. This act caused federal land to be granted to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and that land was eventually sold to provide the initial funding for the university. Since then, the people of the Commonwealth have repeatedly stepped up to fund this asset which is owned by the people of Kentucky. The school, its buildings, its brand, its sports teams, and all other assets are owned by we the taxpayer/citizens.
Of course, we all know that many Kentuckians, including a lot of folks in Glasgow, are more concerned with the exploits of UK’s sports teams than the important research taking place in the UK College of Agriculture. In pursuit of success in those sports programs, University of Kentucky has undertaken many expensive projects which must be financed somehow. Our problems come as a result of many years of relentless pursuit of sports excellence and the money required to finance those programs. In particular, we have a problem with the way the UK Athletics Department has been willing to enter into agreements to sell the television rights to this programming to companies that, in turn, demand ridiculous fees and outlandish profits for the rights to view the games they purchase right here in Kentucky.
Remember, at the beginning and end of the day, the sports teams belong to the people of Kentucky. The buildings they practice and play in belong to the people of Kentucky. The faculty and staff that deliver the education of those sports stars is paid for by the people of Kentucky. As a result of these simple facts, we have developed a simple belief – we think that the people of Kentucky should get a special Most Favored Nations rate for access to the games played by our teams. In short, since we are paying for all of the facilities while folks in other states watching these games are generally NOT paying for UK’s buildings and faculty, we think it is fine for them to pay whatever the programming company wants to charge them for the games, but we think we citizens of Kentucky should get them for the price of the taxes we have already submitted!
This seems like a simple matter and a fair solution, right? Well, as yet, no Kentucky legislator has been willing to suggest this solution in the form of a bill. As a result, small cable operators like Glasgow EPB, even though well within the boundary of Kentucky and made up of folks who have already paid for these teams once, are asked to pay about $100,000 per year for the games on Fox Sports South and other newly minted UK basketball game owners. We cannot add these services as premium channels so that only those willing to pay the price get them. No, the aggressive demands of the likes of Fox Sports South mean that we would have to provide the service to all of our customers, and pay for each of those customers, or not distribute the programming at all. So, even though many would gladly pay their portion of this ransom, our customers have repeatedly told us that we should stick by our guns and refuse to pay this rate because it is blatantly unfair and unjust. Just like the movement that is now sweeping into our federal government, it is time to say no to those who think we are a soft touch and unable to stand up to their demands. This determination to do what is right is the reason why a very few of the UK men’s basketball games will not be available on our cable system again this year.
Remember, most games will be available to our customers via cable or the ESPN 3 site. We urge you to become familiar with the link at the middle of the www.glasgow-ky.com home page called “What’s On EPB Cable?” where you can find special information about local programming and the highly desirable UK and U of L sports programming. Click on that link to see where you can find the games you want to see (and lots of very good local events programming on Cable6 as well as our suggestions for other programming you do not want to miss). As always, please call us with any questions you have about these issues.
Let’s take our annual look at this situation and review how we came to be in this position. First of all, in the very beginning, the University of Kentucky was born as a function of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. This act caused federal land to be granted to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and that land was eventually sold to provide the initial funding for the university. Since then, the people of the Commonwealth have repeatedly stepped up to fund this asset which is owned by the people of Kentucky. The school, its buildings, its brand, its sports teams, and all other assets are owned by we the taxpayer/citizens.
Of course, we all know that many Kentuckians, including a lot of folks in Glasgow, are more concerned with the exploits of UK’s sports teams than the important research taking place in the UK College of Agriculture. In pursuit of success in those sports programs, University of Kentucky has undertaken many expensive projects which must be financed somehow. Our problems come as a result of many years of relentless pursuit of sports excellence and the money required to finance those programs. In particular, we have a problem with the way the UK Athletics Department has been willing to enter into agreements to sell the television rights to this programming to companies that, in turn, demand ridiculous fees and outlandish profits for the rights to view the games they purchase right here in Kentucky.
Remember, at the beginning and end of the day, the sports teams belong to the people of Kentucky. The buildings they practice and play in belong to the people of Kentucky. The faculty and staff that deliver the education of those sports stars is paid for by the people of Kentucky. As a result of these simple facts, we have developed a simple belief – we think that the people of Kentucky should get a special Most Favored Nations rate for access to the games played by our teams. In short, since we are paying for all of the facilities while folks in other states watching these games are generally NOT paying for UK’s buildings and faculty, we think it is fine for them to pay whatever the programming company wants to charge them for the games, but we think we citizens of Kentucky should get them for the price of the taxes we have already submitted!
This seems like a simple matter and a fair solution, right? Well, as yet, no Kentucky legislator has been willing to suggest this solution in the form of a bill. As a result, small cable operators like Glasgow EPB, even though well within the boundary of Kentucky and made up of folks who have already paid for these teams once, are asked to pay about $100,000 per year for the games on Fox Sports South and other newly minted UK basketball game owners. We cannot add these services as premium channels so that only those willing to pay the price get them. No, the aggressive demands of the likes of Fox Sports South mean that we would have to provide the service to all of our customers, and pay for each of those customers, or not distribute the programming at all. So, even though many would gladly pay their portion of this ransom, our customers have repeatedly told us that we should stick by our guns and refuse to pay this rate because it is blatantly unfair and unjust. Just like the movement that is now sweeping into our federal government, it is time to say no to those who think we are a soft touch and unable to stand up to their demands. This determination to do what is right is the reason why a very few of the UK men’s basketball games will not be available on our cable system again this year.
Remember, most games will be available to our customers via cable or the ESPN 3 site. We urge you to become familiar with the link at the middle of the www.glasgow-ky.com home page called “What’s On EPB Cable?” where you can find special information about local programming and the highly desirable UK and U of L sports programming. Click on that link to see where you can find the games you want to see (and lots of very good local events programming on Cable6 as well as our suggestions for other programming you do not want to miss). As always, please call us with any questions you have about these issues.
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