Once again we have freshened up the website to help keep it up to date. As noted below we have also added new security features to the site for the Member Only access. We have also added a new tips & info section to the site, giving you a quick look at some helpful hints and information regarding safety and cost saving tips. We will be continuing to revamp the site to help make it more and more helpful for our members as well as the general public that shows interest in our REA. If you have any comments or questions regarding this latest incarnation of our web presence please contact us and let us know your thoughts. Thank you and enjoy the new site.
January 2007 - ** NEW LOGIN IMPLEMENTED **
Effective January 2, 2007 the login process on our website has changed. Members will now have the ability to choose their own username and password to allow them access to the Members Only section. If you have not registered an account yet, please go to the Access Request page and fill out the form. Your account will be setup within a few hours of the submission but please allow 1 business day if you are not able to login within a few hours.
We have implemented this for 2 main reasons. Firstly, it is a much more reliable security measure and allows us much more flexibility to add new features in the future. Secondly, due to an overwhelming request from our membership to have this ability. We are continually looking for ways to make our website more effective and easy for our members, and non-members, to use. We hope that this latest upgrade continues that process.
December 2006 - Onoway Office construction Complete!
After a long building process the Onoway office is open for business. The new office and shop look great! OVer the next few months we will be working on getting the office setup to start handling business. At the present time we do have our crews working out of this new office and over time we will be hiring additional staff to help serve our membership as best we can. Click here to see some pictures of the new office and shop.
October 2006 - ** Website and Email Change **
Please note that as of October 10, 2006 the CAREA website will be found at www.carea.ca. Key email addresses will change to the following:
- Meter Readings and Billing Inquiries - reads@carea.ca
- General Inquiries - general@carea.ca
- Vegetation Inquiries - vegetation@carea.ca
The new office is coming along nicely. Click here to see some pictures of the construction of the new office and shop.
August 2006 - New Name, New Look, Same Great Company
We are excited to announce that we now have a new logo and brand-name. We were looking for something simple that clearly identifies who we are. We will be making our transition to our new brand-name over the next few months by adding it into all new media and changing our website address and email addresses. Please watch for information on this in future newsletters. We will be running both websites side-by-side for a little while during this transition to help ease the shift for our members. However, there will be a cutoff date when the new addresses become the only functioning addresses. We will ensure you have plenty of notice before this happens
April 2006 - Ground Breaking Ceremony in Onoway
April 12, 2006 marks a great day. CAREA turns the first shovel of soil at the location of our new shop and offices. Click here for pictures of the ceremony.
March 2006 - CAREA Scholarship Winners!
Congratulations to this years scholarship winners, Mr. Parker Williams and Miss. Alanna Shannon! Click here for pictures of the presentations. Good luck to both of you in your future endeavors.
March 2006 - CAREA Annual General Meeting
CAREA's 2006 AGM was a great success! We had a great turnout this year for the AGM. To help keep our members in the North abreast of the activities we also held an information session in Onoway. Checkout the festivities with our selection of pictures available here.
November 2005 - Energy Provision Options
1. 6.1 RRR Regulation OptionOctober 2005 - Building Construction and Renovations Complete!
This energy option is new and is a result of changes to legislation allowing the REA to continue to supply energy to you essentially in the same way as we do currently under today's regulated rate. The Board recommends this option over the "new" regulated rate option for reasons we will explain under that option below.
Many of you have asked why we have not provided a rate for the 6.1 RRR Regulation Option. The Board of Directors designs a rate based on a number of factors and those features change from time to time. Factors for designing a rate include cooperative principles like same rate for all members, reasonableness, stability of bills, recovery of only necessary costs and the provision of the lowest possible rate.
Another question that many of you raised was regarding "stranded costs". Stranded costs are costs that originally have been identified and accounted for in providing you energy, but because of some reason cannot be recovered. An example is given in the Terms and Conditions of 6.1 Energy Provision:"Choosing another energy option during any term may result in stranded costs. Stranded costs occur if we have purchased energy for you based on your choice and we are not able to pass that Energy on to another Member or Members. If we are unable to recover our costs associated with any change in your energy service (transferring to RRO service or competitive retail service), you may be responsible to pay for those unrecovered costs. Stranded costs will be equal to the cost the Energy was purchased for less the value of the energy sold at market. Application of stranded costs recovery will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors."A number of you have also asked us what happens if you sell your property and move. 6.1 RRR Regulation Option is tied to your Electric Service Contract. If you sell your property and move you are no longer a member of CAREA, therefore you are no longer obligated to purchase energy from the REA. There would be no cost for you to leave upon sale of your property other than any unpaid utility accounts. The new owner then makes their own choice for energy supply.
2. Competitive (Contract) Retail Service Option
The Board makes no comment one way or another regarding competitive (contract) retail service. We are in no way suggesting that a member should prefer the REA 6.1 Energy Provision over a competitive retail choice. The choice to purchase energy through a contract with a licensed competitive retailer is your choice and your choice alone. Any details regarding this option can be provided by individual licensed retailers and by accessing government information at the Customer Choice Website
3. Regulated New RRO Service Option
Choosing this option does not mean you will continue to receive the same regulated service we are currently providing you. It is new and has, according to the Board of Directors, detrimental aspects to it. Many of you have asked what the difference is between the current provision of energy under the current regulated rate option and the government's proposed new regulated regime. Currently, you are being provided with energy under a regulated rate that allows for stability and mitigates or minimizes risks. We are allowed to recover stranded costs by charging a "switching" or "market access fee" if you leave this option and choose another energy service. Risks of providing this regulated service were manageable and acceptable. We are able to determine our own energy strategies that may include hedging the pool price by purchasing short and long term energy contracts with suppliers. This keeps your energy rate stable. The proposed new regulated regime is still in draft form but there are a number of red flags from the perspective of the Board of Directors. We can no longer collect a market access fee which means that all members must pay a premium in case a significant number of members "switch" to another energy provider. The new regulated rate must be designed to recover all kinds of risks which adds to the overall price of energy. Because we are "estimating" risks and "estimating" how to account for those risks, the price of your energy will necessarily have to increase. Further, we no longer will have control over our energy strategies and must comply with a legislated calculation. This may very well result in monthly changes to your bill. The Board of Directors are concerned the benefits of stable rates will be lost.
We pleased to announce that our construction and renovations are finally completed and everything looks great! We have added 2 new shop bays and a wash bay as well as a new material storage area. The old shop area was renovated into 2 floors of new office space to accomodate our growing staff.
September 2005 - New Website Launched
To help keep our look and presence up to date, we are pleased to announce the launching of our new, updated website. We hope that the changes made will make your online experience a more enjoyable one. We are looking to add more functionality to the site in the future to further enhance your experience.
September 2005 - Newsletter Emailed with Your Utility Bill
Email Billing Program members can now receive thier newsletters via email with their monthly bills.
June 2005 - Amalgamation with Sion REA a success!
We are pleased to announce our recent amalgamation with Sion REA on June 9, 2005. This now brings our total membership to nearly 8000! Welcome to all of our new members!
May 2005 - Confirmation of Emailed Reads
Due to unforeseen problems we are no longer emailing out confirmations for any meter reads that are received via our website or directly through email. If you wish to have confirmation that your meter reading was received by us please call our office and we will be happy to let you know if your read was received. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
April 2005 - Website Survey Results
Thank you to all those members that responded to our survey. The results will be compiled and reviewed shortly. Once all the information has been looked at we will start looking at what changes can be made to make our website a better experience for you, our members.
April 2005 - CAREA Scholarship Winners!
Congratulations to this years scholarship winners, Mr. Reid Leiske and Miss. Dianne Buyks! Click here for pictures of the presentations. Good luck to both of you in your future endeavors.
April 2005 - CAREA Annual General Meeting
CAREA's 2005 AGM was a great success! We had a great turnout this year for the AGM. Checkout the festivities with our selection of pictures available here.
Energy Tips & Information
Consider shutting off some appliances when you are on holidays.