Foothills Energy Co-op

When people with a passion, drive and commitment come together, great things happen. We are on our 5th year since starting Foothills Energy Co-op. We continue to grow, share knowledge and come together with others that have the same passion.

Fixed rates vs Variable or floating rates FIXED RATES: Price security is the primary goal behind fixed electricity rates in Alberta. Such energy plans allow you to lock in rates for long periods ,and protect your bills from market volatility. When you choose fixed electricity rates, you’re reducing your vulnerability to market fluctuations and spikes in rates. ... VARIABLE RATES: Some consumers prefer floating rates to make sure they pay as little as possible when rates are low. However, such plans can be quite risky, as they depend on what the market looks like now. Electricity rates in Alberta can fluctuate a lot, so a variable-rate plan isn’t ideal for consumers who prefer to have a predictable budget. The reasons for such increases aren’t always easy to predict, so it’s not rare to see people surprised by the price changes in their energy bills. With the bit of information you know now about fixed and floating, as yourself, are you on the right plan?

Fixed rate vs floating rates. Graham covers a bit abut what it is like to be on a fixed rate vs a floating rate when it comes to your energy bills. Energy bills can be so hard to navigate, that is why Graham spends time with everyone interested, on the phone answering and explaining bills, energy, rates etc ... He is a fabulous asset to this board. Just message us if you have questions. We would love to chat.

We love when we are given the opportunity to participate in projects that bring awareness and increases knowledge for individuals. In this instance we were supporting out local students to learn and experiment and engage in this fun project.

FECs mandate is marketing natural gas, electricity and Internet services to consumers across Alberta . But our passion is sustainability. Our territory can be anywhere in Alberta with the exception of a few areas, but our main focus is on the Foothills. Our passion, homes, families and energy is put here

Do you have any ideas that you would for into our mandate? Message us! It never hurts to ask :) Maybe we can help support a project you are doing

At Foothills Energy Co-op, we’re steadily building membership mostly through word of mouth, but we’re also creating awareness through innovative ideas and advertising. First up: CKUA Radio! Sharing their values of community and connection, Foothills Energy Co-op will be advertising on CKUA every weekday in September. Listen for our ad during the early afternoon. Our ads started August 29 on Allison Brock’s program Wide Cut Country here’s what she had to say: Thank you... to Foothills Energy Co-op for sponsoring Wide Cut Country! Their important sponsorship strengthens CKUA's collective power to forever inspire music, story and connection, for the benefit of Albertans and people around the world. Ever considered installing solar panels? Foothills Energy Solar Club program can help. Solar panels can not only reduce your monthly electricity charge, but through Solar Club you get cash back credits and rebates when you sell excess power back to the Alberta grid. FAST FACT: Alberta is one of the sunniest places in Canada! We’ll have other initiatives to announce over the coming months. To learn more or to sign up for electricity, natural gas and / or Internet services, visit foothillsenergycoop.ca or send a note to [email protected]

Foothills Energy Co-op is pleased to profile some of our business members. In this unprecedented time of social isolation and economic hardship, the Co-op believes it’s crucial to support local businesses the heart of our communities. Today, we offer a profile of Bluerock Gallery in Black Diamond, Alberta: Collaborating to create community through art, Bluerock Gallery is a unique, destination art gallery specializing in local fine art and craft plus gift cards, jewellery a...nd inspiring books. Our vision is to gather and represent a full range of high quality fine art and craft in all sizes and prices. We are well known for offering a warm and inclusive environment for all artists and art-lovers. We currently represent almost 200 regional fine artists, craftspeople and authors, many of whom live and work within 100 miles of the gallery. We carefully curate the collection, and aspire to provide you with a welcoming and restorative experience while you’re our guest. Visit us in person (we’re open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily) or online at https://bluerockgallery.ca At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing energy and internet services but our passion is sustainability. To learn more, go to www.foothillsenergycoop.ca

Well it’s been a whirlwind here at Foothills Energy Co-op. No sooner did the Board of Directors award financial support to two deserving community projects through our Bursary Program, than everything and everyone went into lockdown. We hoped to make a local media splash to promote these projects but we’ll gladly tell you via Facebook instead. Both awards went to Oilfields High School in Black Diamond, for different projects. Three young women made a presentation to our Bo...ard about their school-based composting / recycling program. We were really impressed with their passion and willingness to involve not only Oilfields students and instructors but also other community organizations, and we granted $1,000 toward the project. We also learned about a second program aimed at increasing water contamination awareness, involving several schools in the foothills region including Chief Joseph Bearspaw school on the Eden Valley First Nation. We are pleased to donate $1,500 toward this collaborative program. At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing electricity and natural gas (and *NEW* Internet service) but our passion is sustainability. We turn our profit back to the communities we serve to support local sustainability initiatives from solar installations to water conservation and more. To learn more, go to www.foothillsenergycoop.ca or [email protected] Stay the course. Stay safe.

Thinking about installing solar? Our Solar Club program can help At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing electricity and natural gas but our passion is sustainability. In partnership with our energy partner, UtilityNet, we offer Solar Club a unique program for members considering solar installation. Solar panels can not only reduce your monthly electricity charge, but through Solar Club you get cash back credits and rebates when you sell excess power back to the... Alberta grid. FAST FACT: Alberta is one of the sunniest places in Canada. The usable annual solar potential in Alberta is 26 exajoules (EJ) - that’s 26 BILLION gigajoules! For comparison, the average urban consumer uses 120 GJ (about 272 GJ for rural consumers) of energy in natural gas each year. Interested? Contact Foothills Energy Co-op for details at [email protected] or www.foothillsenergycoop.ca

Hello Foothills Energy Co-op members Like all of you, at Foothills Energy Co-op we’ve taken steps to help reduce virus spread. The health and safety of our staff and extended network is our top priority. There will be no interruptions to our operations. ... As of Tuesday, March 17, UtilityNet (the wholesale provider where Foothills Energy Co-op buys electricity and gas services) has coordinated so their staff can work from home. Although their physical office location is closed, it is business as usual. UtilityNet’s office hours - Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm - remains unchanged and staff are available to answer your questions or concerns. Co-op members seeking financial assistance can contact the Alberta Government for emergency financial assistance. Thank you for your continued support. During this challenging time, Foothills Energy Co-op will continue to work hard to meet your electricity and natural gas needs.

Saving energy makes financial and environmental sense. By following some energy-saving practices, you may reduce your monthly heating and cooling costs - and help reduce Canada’s overall environmental footprint. Here’s a timely tip for mid-winter: don’t crank your thermostat up thinking the house will heat faster. Big adjustments can actually waste energy because you’re likely to reset the thermostat only after your house gets too warm. Instead, set the temperature to the des...ired setting - say 20 degrees C - and wait for the house to warm gradually. Consider installing a smart thermostat, technology that ‘learns’ your heating and cooling behaviours and automatically adjusts room-specific temperatures to your ideal settings. This can decrease your energy consumption, translating to lower utility bills. At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing electricity and natural gas, but our passion is sustainability. For more information, visit our website, www.foothillsenergycoop.ca.

We Need Sales and Marketing Help Foothills Energy Co-op has grown steadily over the past three years, now more than 190 members but we know there are many more potential members out there! All it takes is awareness about who we are and how we not only market electricity and natural gas (with green energy options!) but also support community sustainability initiatives. We rely mostly on word of mouth as members reach out to friends and family. Now it’s time to put more energ...y into our membership drive, so we’ve created a Marketing Associate program. Through this program, the Marketing Associate would help potential members find the Co-op and see whether we’re a fit for them, or help those who are keen on signing up to overcome the final hurdles. With dedicated sales help, the Co-op can make a big leap in 2020. Maybe you, or someone you know, could be just the right person! Learn more about becoming a Marketing Associate. Contact us at [email protected] or check out our website Foothills Energy Co-op

A terrific article summarizing the history of this remarkable building, which is now the site of Foothills Energy Co-op's first solar array installation! Check out the south-facing roof next time you visit The Westwood cafe

Foothills Energy Co-op is seeking new members for our Board of Directors. In the three years since the Co-op signed our first member, we have grown to more than 180 members, participated in many community events and installed a solar panel array at the Westwood café in Black Diamond as part of our Solar Partners program. Our draft budget for 2020 projects a profit of $11,000 to be put to use locally for community initiatives and sustainability projects.... We’re seeking board members ready to take the Co-op to the next level and in new directionsyou might be just the person we need! You might: have a great idea for putting our profit to work in the Foothills area create new ways for involving members and communities in the work of the Co-op be interested in marketing and sales to keep our membership growing. If you think the Co-op is a good fit for you, please contact us via [email protected] For more information on the Co-op, visit www.foothillsenergycoop.ca

We've been asking members to share the reasons they joined Foothills Energy Co-op. Here's a recent response: There are three main reasons I joined Foothills Energy Co-op. I believe in shopping locally and no energy marketer is more local than the Co-op.... I wanted to join a community of like-minded individuals interested in sustainability and renewable energy. My third reason is about taking collective action. Data from the Argo Project, which gathered temperature data from 3,600 buoys around the world’s oceans, shows a global increase of approximately 1 C in the past 100 years. This change is believed to manifest in severe weather including drought. As a result of damage brought about by catastrophic weather events, property insurance rates have doubled and this trend is likely to continue, along with many other outcomes from global climate change. I believe groups of people are more effective in generating change than individuals, especially for taking action on global warming, the most serious challenge facing the world.

Foothills Energy Co-op members speak out about why they joined the co-op: I signed up with FEC because I support the reasons why the group was formed and would like to see the membership grow and expand what we offer to other like-minded residents. In addition, I find most people who sign on have many of the values as myself. Personally, I would like to see all of us do more with less. We seem to live in a society that gets increasingly more wasteful. If more people become aware of the environmentally better choices we have in our daily lives, hopefully we can reap benefits for the future. At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing natural gas and electricity but our passion is sustainability. Find out more at foothillsenergycoop.ca

Look for us at Black Diamond Light-up! Saturday December 7, Foothills Energy Co-op will have a table on the patio at The Westwood -- our new solar program partner! Come learn about our energy services, our solar program, and enter our draw to win a set of mini-LED lights -- perfect for holiday decorating, indoors or out. See you there!!

Nice to get a shout out from Green Alberta Energy!

At Foothills Energy Co-op (FEC), our mandate is marketing electricity and natural gas but our passion is sustainability. To help recognize and celebrate the recent launch of our first-ever Solar Program Partner (The Westwood Café in Black Diamond), our energy wholesaler UtilityNet is making the following offer: For every new FEC member who signs with FEC between now and the end of 2019, UtilityNet will pay for renewable energy certificates (RECs) for 30% of the electricity us...ed by new members, from the date they sign up until the end of 2020 at no cost to these new members. What an amazing offer! Support green energy in your community. If you’re already an FEC member, tell your friends and family, anyone who might be interested in switching to FEC. And if you’re not a member what are you waiting for? Get more information at www.foothillsenergycoop.ca.

Foothills Energy Co-op is pleased to announce our first-ever Solar Partner: Mike Kingston and the Westwood building in Black Diamond. Through this innovative and forward-looking program, Goose Creek will install a solar array on the roof - funded by Foothills Energy Co-op - and the Co-op will share the resulting income with our solar partner. Over time we’ll use that income to find another partner and install more solar panels throughout the foothills region. At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is marketing electricity and natural gas, but our passion is sustainability. For more information, visit our website, www.foothillsenergycoop.ca.

We thought you'd be interested to learn how Foothills Energy Co-op got its start. The story below is from Graham, our Executive Director: When I first learned the town of Olds is earning more than $100,000 a year by marketing electricity and natural gas, I thought, Whoa, that’s a lot of money. My second thought was, What’s stopping our foothills communities from doing the same? Nothing was stopping us, it turns out. When a group of interested individuals looked closely a...t the idea, it became clear: it wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t going to happen overnight, but with some work and dedication, we could achieve just the same success as Olds. There was no reason why not. That’s what drew me to the Foothills Energy Co-op, the sense that it was utterly possible. So while it’s been a few years of ongoing work and effort, the Co-op is starting to achieve some of the same success that was so attractive to me when I first heard of the idea. Find out what's possible! Visit our website, www.foothillsenergycoop.ca

Canada’s Energy Star program At Foothills Energy Co-op, our mandate is to market natural gas and electricity but our passion is sustainability. Over the next weeks we’ll be posting energy-saving tips from Energy Star, a program that provides information on energy consumption of products and devices including household products, new homes, commercial buildings and even industrial plants. Energy Star started in the U.S. and has been adopted in the European Union, Canada, Japa...n, and Taiwan. In Canada, Energy Star is managed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Find out more about how Foothills Energy Co-op returns profit from energy sales back into our communities at www.foothillsenergycoop.ca

SHOP LOCAL - including your utilities. Choosing local independent business for your services, shopping, dining, and other needs has many benefits, including strengthening your local economy, creating a healthier environment, creating jobs and opportunities, giving back to your community, and more.