Iowa Attorney General, utilities and utility associations to highlight scams and steps to protect consumers

What:

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, in partnership with Alliant Energy, Black Hills Energy, MidAmerican Energy Company, The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, and the Iowa Utility Association, will discuss important information to help customers avoid utility scams.

Who:

• Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller
• Representatives from Alliant Energy, Black Hills Energy, MidAmerican Energy, The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and the Iowa Utility Association

Where:

Iowa Capitol – Room 116

Members of the media who are unable to attend in person can get a live audio feed of the news conference by dialing 866- 685-1580. The conference code is 515 281 4213 (dial #6 to mute, *6 to unmute).

When:

10:30 a.m. – Wednesday, December 5
Following the news conference, there will be time for one-on-one interviews with representatives.

This year, utility companies reported several utility-related scams that impacted customers in Iowa.

• Last month, MidAmerican Energy Company reported a phone scam in the Des Moines area, when someone who claimed to represent MidAmerican Energy contacted several customers and instructed them to make an immediate payment to avoid disconnection. Alliant Energy reported that the same scam happened just last week in Cedar Rapids.
• This summer, Alliant Energy customers in Marshalltown and Perry lost several hundred dollars each when a caller convinced them that they owed back payments to the utility company. Neither customer owed money, but they responded to the threat of being disconnected by paying instantly through the purchase of a pre-paid credit card.
• Throughout the year, utility customers across the U.S. reported receiving calls from scam artists who claimed the federal government was providing credits or applying payments to utility bills and that customers could qualify by providing personal information, such as bank account information and Social Security numbers.

While these scams vary and can involve any utility provider, the ways to avoid falling victim are usually the same. To help protect customers, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, in partnership with Alliant Energy, Black Hills Energy, MidAmerican Energy, The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and the Iowa Utility Association are offering important information to deter scam artists from obtaining customers’ personal information.

“Never give financial or personal information over the phone or through email unless you’re the one who initiated the conversation and you know who you’re dealing with,” said Miller. “If someone calls you out of the blue and demands immediate payment or requests personal information, hang up. If something just doesn’t seem right, trust your instinct.”

If you have concerns about a call you’ve received, contact your utility provider. Your utility can confirm whether it contacted you and can confirm bill payments, service work or a service call to any address. Beware that scammers can spoof caller-ID displays, which means that they can mask the call’s true origin and make it appear as if it the call is coming from a utility company.

Tips for consumers:
• Do not provide your Social Security number, credit card numbers or bank account information to anyone who requests that information during an unsolicited phone call or an unannounced visit.
• If someone calls claiming they represent your local utility provider and they demand immediate payment or personal information, hang up and call the customer service number on your utility bill. Do not give in to a high-pressure caller seeking personal information.
• Never allow anyone into your home for an unannounced visit to check your electrical wiring, cable or phone lines, natural gas pipes, or your appliances unless you have scheduled an appointment or you are aware of a confirmed problem. Any time a utility employee arrives at your door, require the employee to show proper identification. When in doubt, confirm the visit with your utility company.

Customers should report attempted scams to local law enforcement. They also can notify the Iowa Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division by visiting IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov or calling 515-281-5926. Outside the Des Moines metro area, call toll free at 888-777-4590.
 

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives to hold 70th annual meeting

This week, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives will hold its 70th annual meeting. Nearly 500 electric co-op representatives will meet at the Sheraton West Des Moines on Thursday, Nov. 29 and Friday, Nov. 30, to get the latest information on industry trends, perspectives on the state’s and nation’s economy and latest political election, and energy efficiency trends. Attendees include locally elected directors, managers and key staff from 42 electric cooperatives, which as a whole; provide electricity to approximately 650,000 Iowans in all 99 counties across the state.

Key topics include:

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) perspective: Pat Mangan, director of governance for the NRECA, will discuss the importance of ongoing education for electric cooperative directors as they serve on the board.
• The Efficiency Dilemma: David Owen, staff writer for The New Yorker, will share his opinion on conventional approaches to energy conservation, which argues that less is more: less waste leads to more consumption by making consumption cheaper.
• Venture Awards Presentation: The Iowa Area Development Group honors innovative companies that have a positive impact in their communities.
• Engagement Opportunities – a Panel of Rural Electric Managers: Hear from four electric cooperative managers on how they have successfully engaged with key audiences to educate them on issues impacting their co-op, including: member-consumers, employees, elected officials and local community groups.
• The World According to Thomas Barnett – a Grand Strategist’s Point of View: New York Times best-selling author and public speaker, Dr. Thomas P.M. Barnett, will share his insights on global conflict and globalization evolution of the next several decades.
• Post-Election Outlook: David Wasserman, house editor of The Cook Political Report, a non-partisan publication that provides analysis of Presidential, U.S. Senate, House and gubernatorial races for its subscribers, will provide his insights on the 2012 election.
• Uncommon Valor: The Importance of Teamwork, Sacrifice and Leadership: Salvatore (Sal) Giunta, a native of Clinton, Iowa, Medal of Honor winner and retired Army Staff Sergeant, will share his story of courage and selfless leadership during a hostile ambush in Afghanistan in 2007.

When: Nov. 29 – 30, 2012 9 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Thursday) 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Friday)

Where: Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel
1800 50th St.
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Spokespersons/Topics: A number of spokespersons are available for interviews. To coordinate, please contact Joelle Kirchhoff, 515.727.8945 (office), 712.789.1687 (mobile) or jkirchhoff@iowarec.org

Moving Forward headlines this year’s annual meeting of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, Dec. 1-2, 2011. Nearly 500 electric co-op representatives will meet in Des Moines to get the latest information on industry trends, perspectives on the state’s and nation’s economy and opportunities that come with increased global competition. Attendees include locally elected directors, managers and key staff from 42 electric cooperatives that, as a whole, provide electricity to approximately 650,000 Iowans in 210,000 homes, farms and businesses in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Key topics include:

• An Overview, Current Economic Conditions: Long-time advocate of free-market policies and supplyside economics, Stephen Moore, senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal and commentator for CNBC TV, will share his views about the issues our nation’s economy faces.
• Last Man Down: Be inspired by Richard Picciotto, FDNY chief and highest ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11/01.
• An Update from Washington – Is there a Silver Lining or Good News: Kirk Johnson, senior vice president, government relations, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, will talk about recent regulation and policy developments surrounding issues important to electric cooperatives.
• Debt, Global Competition and Iowa’s Future: Professor John Doggett, senior lecturer at the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, will talk about the challenges of globalization and explain why this is the best time in recent history to live and work in Iowa.
• A New Direction for Iowa’s Economic Development: Hear from Debi Durham as she approaches her one-year anniversary as head of the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress.
• 2012 Presidential Candidates (invited) – Where They Stand: Candidates are invited to speak about their plans for ensuring reliable and affordable electricity throughout rural America.
• Venture Awards Presentation: The Iowa Area Development Group honors innovative companies that  have a positive impact upon their communities.

When: Dec. 1-2, 2011 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Thursday) 8 a.m. – noon (Friday)

Where: Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel – 1800 50th St.

Spokespersons/Topics: A number of spokespersons will be available for interviews.

Please contact Amy Myers at 515-727-8945 (office) or 515-450-7545 (cell) to arrange an interview. 

The purpose of the trip, an annual gathering of electric cooperatives from across the country, is to ensure Iowa elected officials are fully aware of the thoughts and concerns of their constituents who are served by electric cooperatives in Iowa.

The key issues that have the greatest impact on the 650,000 Iowans to whom the state’s electric cooperatives provide electricity included Rural Utility Service funding, FEMA funding and opposing designating coal ash as hazardous.

“If not addressed properly, these issues will jeopardize our ability to provide reliable and affordable electricity to the Iowans we serve,” said Marion Denger, president of the board of directors for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Information was left with each of Iowa’s seven members of congress on the following legislative measures:

1. Each year since Fiscal Year 2008, Congress has approved a $6.5 billion loan level for the RUS Electric Loan program. This loan level has not cost the federal government a single cent over that time. Electric cooperatives and RUS are careful and diligent when it comes to loan management, resulting in an excellent record of loan repayment. In fact, this low-cost, low-risk model will enable the RUS Electric Loan program to contribute more than $100 million to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction in Fiscal Year 2012. We support legislation that would allow electric cooperatives to use these funds to also invest in environmental improvements on existing power plants and invest in new natural gas, clean coal and nuclear technologies.
2. Electric cooperatives rely significantly on FEMA funds to promptly restore power after severe natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms. Without FEMA assistance, many electric cooperative consumers living in these affected areas would face additional burdens of longer waits for service restoration and the potential for higher rates.Electric cooperatives support funding for FEMA to make sure that funds remain available for response and mitigation of natural disasters.
3. Coal Combustion Residuals (CCRs) are materials produced when coal is burned to produce electricity. When properly managed, CCRs offer environmental and economic benefits without harm to public health and safety. Over the years, CCRs have been incorporated into productive, beneficial applications, such as roof shingles, wallboard, asphalt and bricks. For example, fly ash, a type of CCR, plays a critical role in highway construction because it costeffectively and safely increases concrete durability. The volume of CCRs being recycled and put to beneficial use has increased steadily through time and now constitutes about 45 percent of all CCRs produced, displacing the use of raw materials.

“I believe the Iowa congressional delegation now has a better understanding of how legislation being discussed in Congress would affect the affordability and reliability of electricity in Iowa,” said Brian Kading, executive vice president of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives was formed in 1942 to represent the interests of, and provide support to, electric cooperatives in the state. As a whole, electric cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 650,000 Iowans in 210,000 homes, farms and businesses in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.