The 69th Annual Bandera Electric Cooperative Membership Meeting will be held May, 10, 2008 at the Bandera High School Auditorium (see map to Bandera High School). Registration is at 9 a.m., the meeting starts at 10 a.m. In addition to the very important board election (see article below), there will be other business conducted. A short video will show, in condensed form, the activities of your cooperative over the last year.

Each member who attends will get a $10 electricity credit. The grand prize this year is a big screen HDTV. Plus, there will be over 60 door prizes including a Marathon Water Heater, chain saw, fire safe, electric yard blower, small appliances, gift cards and much, much more...

There will be a light snack and beverages available in the hall outside the auditorium (no food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium, also, keep in mind that Bandera ISD policy prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and firearms on the premises).

Don't miss this event!

BEC Members to Vote on Five Candidates to Fill Three Director Positions

 Bandera Electric Cooperative members will have the opportunity to elect three directors at BEC’s Annual Meeting in May, with the District 2 Director position having three candidates to select from. Directors Jerry Word and Rob Sandidge are uncontested candidates in Districts 1 and 3, respectively.

BEC’s District 2 Director, Margaret Callahan, is not seeking reelection. Callahan has been the District 2 Director since December 1989.  However, BEC is pleased to announce that there are three qualified director candidates running for this position. These candidates are Joe Hearn, who lives in Bandera; Lee Kneupper, who lives just south of Bandera; and Eddie Smith, who lives south of Bandera, near Medina Lake. 

BEC urges all of its members to vote for the candidates of their choice.  Members can vote by either attending the BEC Annual Meeting on May 10, or by returning a mail-in ballot, which will be attached to the May edition of the Texas Co-Op Power magazine.

See information about the candidates here and information about all five candidates will be included in the May edition of the Texas Co-op Power. 

From December 2007 Texas Co-Op Power magazine article - Just over a year ago, Bandera Electric Cooperative’s (BEC) board of directors established a subcommittee to review BEC’s director nomination and election procedures.

Following this review, the subcommittee made two recommendations. First, they recommended that BEC amend the boundaries of our nine voting districts (see map with the new districts) to more evenly distribute the membership among BEC’s nine directors. More importantly, the committee recommended that the process of nominating and electing directors be improved... see complete article

BEC has several job openings, we need Groundmen or experienced Linemen (multiple positions available). There is also an opening in Leakey for a Member Accounts Associate or Representative.   See jobs.

Cycle Billing Coming to Members

 Historically all 30,000 BEC members got their electric bill at the same time, but that is in the process of changing. Starting in April 2008, the Co-op is implementing a cycle billing process. BEC will separate all members into four different groups. Each group or cycle will receive their electric bill at a different time and it will be due at a different time of the month. 

There are several good reasons BEC is making the change. The new cycle billing process will give BEC members more flexibility to decide when they have to pay their bill. The new process will also level out the workload at BEC, allowing the Co-op to better serve its members.

 Initially, BEC divided its service area into four different cycles and sent a letter to each member showing what billing cycle they would be in and when the bill will be due - unless they wanted to call and request another cycle. Members were given an option to select another cycle if its bill due date better fits when they get paid. Members will only be able to change into another billing cycle once a year. 

Keep in mind that during the transition time, as we move from the old once per month method to the new four cycles per month process, a bill or two will include fewer than a thirty day period and members will receive more than one bill per month. Also, know that the availability charge will only be applied to one bill when multiple bills are sent in a single month. 

BEC decided to make the change during this time of year because this is when most members’ bills are at their lowest and making changes now will have the least impact.

In our continuing efforts to improve the efficiency and reliability of your electric system, Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BEC) has contracted with Davey Resource Group to perform a comprehensive field inventory of our electric distribution system beginning in March 2008.

“The goal of this data collection program is to create geographically accurate information for all BEC electrical facilities, from the substation to the meter see complete story

Consider the Easy Pay Bank Draft Program

The Easy Pay Bank Draft payment option makes paying your monthly electric bill automatic. It removes the worry of having to remember to write that check or go online. You will still get a bill, but the bill shows that it is a bank draft account. The actual transactions date will be 1-5 days after the bills are issued. BEC Offers several convenient payment options, but the Easy Pay Bank Draft method is the easiest. Apply today!

BEC is now a Marathon Water Heater dealer. They are the most efficient tanked water heater on the market and they offer a lifetime no leak guarantee to the original purchaser. They are unique in the market, have a different look and features for rural areas (such better ways to handle sediment build-up) that other water heaters simply do not offer. Take a look at the features a call BEC if it looks like a Marathon Water Heater is right for you.

The Medina Lake to Pipe Creek transmission line supplies power from the state-wide electricity transmission network for BEC Members in the Medina Lake area. The current line was built in 1964 and has served BEC members well for the past forty years. However, the Medina Lake area has experienced tremendous growth during those years and has out grown the line (see complete article).

 A Medina Lake to CPS Line route was approved by the Public Utility Commission on July 20, 2007. "Except for an approximate 3,500 feet that crosses through open country (near the Bandera/Medina County line), the entire route parallels FM 1283." See more details in special section.