To help prepare your home and/or business facility in the event of a hurricane, there are a few preparation steps necessary. Ike Copeland, PWC Director of Legal, Risk, & Procurement Services, joined us to discuss his time with PWC, lessons learned from previous emergency situations, and hurricane preparation from a risk management perspective. With hurricane underway, this episode is a great resource to be prepared.

Building better business relationships is important to PWC! Our Procurement/Purchasing Department proactively attends events to spread awareness of the business opportunities available with Your Hometown Utility. Mark Cannady (Risk, Procurement, & Contract Analyst) and Lexi Hasapis (Local Vendor Procurement Analyst) joined us to discuss the upcoming Building Business Workshop, the new vendor portal iSupplier, and ways to grow your business locally and beyond. 

May is National Electrical Safety Month. PWC participates in this annual effort by continuing to educate our customers and community about the steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of electrically related fires, fatalities, injuries and property loss. Lance Gray, PWC Electric Substation Crew Leader and seasoned electric professional, joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss the importance of electrical safety, practicing safety measures, and tips to be mindful of at home or in the workplace. 

Fayetteville PWC has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability and a huge part of that is our lineworkers. Lineworkers build and maintain the electric system that keeps our nation running! Two of our Hometown Heroes, Ben Raynor and Ricky Cyrus, joined us to discuss their roles on the electric line crew and share some insightful advice for anyone who might be interested in a career as a lineworker. There are two Lineworker Appreciation days in April, but there is appreciation for the courage, commitment, and service demonstrated by our lineworkers every day. 

PWC reminds everyone that it's important to make the proper tree selection and to plan ahead to protect the utility lines (electric, water, and sewer) in our community, as well as lines that provide other services. Mark Falcon (PWC Urban Line Clearance Program Supervisor) joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss removing undesired vegetation, protecting overhead electric lines' right-of-way, and other details of his career. This episode has some great info to help you plan smart to avoid tree and utility conflicts. PWC Tree Planting Guidelines: https://www.faypwc.com/tree-planting-guidelines/ 

March is National Procurement Month, and PWC utilizing this time to celebrate the efforts of our procurement and purchasing professionals as well as educate the taxpaying public on the value this division brings to our organization. Lexi Hasapis, Local Vendor Procurement Analyst, joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss bid opportunities, focusing on doing business locally, and upcoming business growth events. She also shares a ton of resources and a great bacon story! Special thanks from Your Hometown Utility to the professionals creating better procurement processes and solutions for our community.

Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each March (3rd week) PWC and the EPA focuses on tracking down the leaks during Fix-A-Leak Week. Finding and fixing leaks inside and outside your home can save valuable water and money all year long. Chad Groves and Gary Faircloth joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss their experience with tracking down leaks and helping customers. Tune in for resourceful tips on being a "leak seeker" and saving on your water usage. 

The 2021 Texas power crisis is an ongoing crisis involving massive power outages, water and food shortages, and dangerous weather conditions. The crisis has been the result of two severe winter storms sweeping across the United States in mid-February. Reportedly, more than 4.5 million homes and businesses in Texas were left without power, some for several days. PWC General Manager/CEO Elaina Ball joined us in "The Bucket" to share some insight on the situation and explains the advantages of PWC being a reliable, public power provider.

Engineers Week (3rd week of February) is dedicated to building a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing the understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Misty Manning (PWC Water Resources Engineer Manager) and Joel Valley (PWC Electric Service Support Service Manager) joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss their discovery of engineering and how they arrived at their current professionally role. Our guests also emphasize the importance of learning math, science, and technical skills to pursue an engineering career. 

When temperatures drop, it takes more energy to heat your home. The more difference there is between the temperature outside and the thermostat setting inside, the harder your heating system will work and the more energy it will use, even if you don’t turn the thermostat higher. Homes that don’t have enough insulation, homes with single-paned or aluminum-framed windows, and homes with a lot of air leaks around windows, doors, and plumbing & electrical boxes add more stress to your HVAC (heat pump). Mark Brown (Sr. Customer Programs Officer) joined us in "The Bucket" to explain how colder weather impacts energy costs and shared some advice on maintaining control of your usage.