May is National Electrical Safety Month, and JCE Co-op is joining the Electrical Safety Foundation International in reminding you: a few simple steps can prevent serious electrical hazards at home and on the farm.

Extension Cord Safety

• Don’t use extension cords as a permanent solution—they can wear out and become fire hazards
• Never plug space heaters into extension cords or power strips
• Don’t connect multiple extension cords together
• Keep cords out of walls, doorways, ceilings, and under rugs
• Use cords rated for the job (indoor vs. outdoor)
• Check cords regularly for damage
   

Indoor Safety Tips

• Unplug small appliances when not in use
• Reduce electrical load with energy-efficient lighting and equipment
• Use outlet covers to protect children
• Test smoke alarms monthly, change batteries yearly, and replace every 10 years

Indoor Safety Tips Checklist 
 

Outdoor Safety Tips

• Call 811 before you dig to locate underground lines
• Stay far away from downed power lines—always assume they’re live
• Look up! Be aware of overhead lines when using ladders or equipment
• Keep kites, drones, and balloons away from power lines
• Never run cords through water or snow or overload outdoor outlets

Electricity powers our lives—but it demands respect. Stay alert. Stay safe.

JCE Co-op’s automated metering infrastructure, or AMI, upgrade will continue into 2026. Every member’s electric meter will be upgraded to a new advanced meter with technology that improves reliability, increases outage detection and supports future innovations in energy management.

As crews work through this systemwide project, they are finding some electric meter pedestals and sockets that are leaning, rusted or damaged and are otherwise unsafe.
 

Why this matters

• A leaning or damaged pedestal can expose live electrical parts, increasing the risk of electrical shock or fire.
• It may cause service to fail during storms, high winds or ground movement.
• Unsafe pedestals prevent crews from safely installing the new meter.
   

Who is responsible

Just like the wiring inside your home, the meter pedestal or socket is owned and maintained by the property owner. If your pedestal or socket is unsafe and presents a safety hazard, you will need to have it repaired or replaced by a licensed electrician. After a reasonable amount of time, if the hazard is not resolved, the cooperative reserves the right to disconnect service until repairs are completed and it is safe to energize again.
 

What you should do

Inspect your meter pedestal. Does it lean, wobble or show signs of rust or damage? If so, contact a licensed electrician to bring it up to code and ensure it meets the cooperative’s specifications. Members should refer to the “Outdoor Free Standing Meter Structure” specification (Figure 4-6) in the electric service manual on JCE Co-op’s website.

Crews will leave a hazard notice if they find your pedestal or socket unsafe during the meter changeout. Addressing these issues quickly helps keep your service reliable and ensures the meter upgrade can be completed without delay.

Together, we can make this project a success and deliver safer, smarter and more reliable power to every member of JCE Co-op’s service territory.

Be prepared: National Preparedness Month tips

As residents of the Midwest, we understand how quickly natural and man-made incidents can occur, underscoring the importance of being prepared. At JCE Co-op, we know that emergencies can strike unexpectedly in the communities we serve. Many of us have seen or experienced tornado outbreaks, river and flash floods, wildfires, smoke, water main breaks and power outages, affecting countless people for days. During these times, police, fire and rescue services might not be able to reach you quickly. The best way to support local responders is by being ready to care for yourself and those around you.

Taking proactive steps today ensures you're prepared for tomorrow's incidents. Preparedness doesn't have to be costly or happen all at once. It's about using what you have to be ready, and you might be more prepared than you think!

Preparedness involves three key steps:

1. Developing an incident response plan.

2. Staying informed about the risks we face.

3. Knowing how to access information during an emergency.

Here are practical, low-cost actions you can take to prepare for future incidents:

• Sign up or update your mobile phone contact information to receive local emergency alerts.

• Enable FEMA Wireless Emergency Alerts on your mobile phone.

• Familiarize yourself with evacuation routes in your area.

• Create a personal emergency plan detailing what to do before, during, and after an incident. Don't forget to include pets and livestock in your plan.

• Practice your emergency plan with everyone in your household and discuss it with extended family, friends, and neighbors.

• Develop and practice a family communication plan. Keep contact information updated and review it regularly.

• Assemble an emergency kit, or go-bag, with two weeks’ worth of food, water, and critical supplies for each person and pet. Include medication, flashlights, extra batteries, and phone chargers. You likely already have many of these items at home. Start small and work toward the two-week supply goal. Regularly reassess your needs and update your kit.

• Make copies of important documents needed to recover after an incident. Store them digitally in the cloud or on a flash drive in a waterproof container with your emergency kit. Documents can also be stored on your mobile phone.

• Check on loved ones and neighbors during severe weather, extreme temperatures, utility outages, or other incidents.

• Consider how you would respond to an emergency in unfamiliar places like the county fair, mall, or while on vacation.

• Volunteer by joining a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

• Older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers should account for individual circumstances and specific needs when planning for emergencies. Establish a support network of people who can assist during an incident.

Emergencies can happen anywhere at any time, and it may take days or even weeks for responders to reach everyone affected. By preparing yourself, you reduce the burden on first responders, allowing them to focus on life-threatening situations and vulnerable individuals. Your preparedness can save lives.

Remember, incidents don’t plan ahead, but you can! Stay safe and prepared!