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November 2, 2012 Here's what you'll find in this edition: CLASSIFIEDS! NEWS AROUND THE STATE TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE MEET THE FOLKS AT LIBERTY GAS MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATIONS FOR SERVICE STATIONS JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! DISASTER RECOVERY This week’s Road Warrior is going to be direct and to the point. In fact, the fact that there is a Road Warrior at all to communicate this week is something short of a miracle. Just like many of your stations, our offices have been closed all week. Nevertheless our staff has been working remotely – be it from home or wherever they can grab a few hours of electricity and internet access – to keep doing what they can. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and the wreck she left behind, is nothing shortly of disastrous. Though some parts of the state were hit much harder than others, the end-result is a calamity that will take weeks, if not months, to fully recover from. As such, it is important that we communicate some important news and information to those of you who are able to receive and read your emails. Please keep the following information handy: •The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced federal disaster aid will be available in New Jersey and are accepting applications – from both residents and business owners – who experienced losses in the following counties: Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union. Anyone who wishes to register for relief aid can do so at http://www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). If you don’t have access to a computer, you can also apply on an iPad or smart-phone via the “mobile-website” at m.fema.gov (essentially a “cut-down and simplified” version of the normal website that is made for tablets, smart-phones, and other mobile devices). •Service stations that have experienced flooding must consider how their Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) may have been affected by the storm and the resulting environmental impact. To view the EPA Underground Storage Tank Flood Guide, CLICK HERE. The Guide has important information on how flooding impacts USTs and what steps must be taken to limit environmental exposure. I wish to thank NJGCA Member Benefit Parnter, Eric Dana of Dana Insurance, for forwarding the Guide and details to me. •For PSE&G Customers: To report a power outage, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG (1-800-436-7734) . To check the PSE&G power outage map CLICK HERE. •For JCP&L Customers: CLICK HERE to review the Jersey Central Power & Light power outage map. To report a downed power line or dangerous electrical situation, please call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) immediately. •For updates on the latest post-Hurricane Sandy information, visit the NJ Office of Emergency Management at http://ready.nj.gov/ •For the latest information on road conditions, road closings, or other transportation information, you can visit www.511nj.org or simply dial 5-1-1 from your phone to get more details. •As a last resort, if you need help of any kind, but can’t figure out where to start or who to reach out to, visit www.nj211.org or just dial 2-1-1. The professionals on the other end or listings on the website, have a list of local resources you can utilize in the post-Sandy aftermath. You may also go directly to the Hurricane Sandy Response & Recovery Homepage by CLICKING HERE. •Volunteerism & Community Contributions: For those fortunate enough to have not been adversely impacted by the storm, if you’d like to volunteer or contribute to your community, there are many ways to help! You can donate funds or time to your local Red Cross chapter with food or other contributions by CLICKING HERE. You may also volunteer time, resources, or materials to your community by calling 1-800-JERSEY-7. I hope that if you are able, you will help your neighbors and fellow citizens when they are in most need. Also, please keep in mind the following Press Releases on our industry and the current post-hurricane emergency from the Governor’s Office: •Governor Christie Extends Tax Deadline for Businesses Disrupted by Storm •Governor Christie Acts to Boost Gasoline, Diesel Supplies •Christie Administration Offers Guidance to Consumers on Filing Insurance Claims after Storm Finally, remember that the state’s gouging laws are now in effect. As we stated in last week’s message: Once the state of emergency goes into effect, it lasts until 30 days after the state of emergency is officially declared over. During this time, you cannot raise the price of your product by more than 10 percent of what you were selling it for immediately prior to the state of emergency, unless the wholesale cost goes up by more than that. Every single sale to a customer counts as a separate violation, for which you can be hit up to $10,000. Take this law seriously, it was less than a month ago I wrote in the Road Warrior about a station owner who violated the law during Hurricane Irene last year, he recently settled with Attorney General for $50,000. Pay close attention to the news reports as the storm gets closer, and to your email as I will strive to send out a Wildfire Alert should a State of Emergency be declared. You can read a previous Wildfire Alert, which included the full language of the Anti-Gouging statute by clicking here. Moving ahead, as events unfold post-Sandy, we will communicate as much as we did after Hurricane Irene to help all of you who need to rebuild and repair your locations. Stay tuned for those messages, but between now and then, stay safe and stay alert! Thanks for listening – See you next week. Regards,
BUSINESSES FOR SALE!
CLASSIFIEDS: FOR SALE & HELP WANTED! After running an ad in the Road Warrior over the last month, NJGCA was able to assist a member in selling his equipment! If you'd like to list equipment for sale, or have an open position you'd like to make other industry professionals aware of, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and let us help you get the word out!
Due to limited resources this week, the news you should know will return next week with relative articles and information.
TRAINING CLASSES!! INTERESTED IN TAKING A CLASS WITH NJGCA? PLEASE NOTE: FUTURE DATES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 973-376-0066 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!!
MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE TMP Energy Solutions We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it’s difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an “accurate” analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available. This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum KW demand is acquired. By pooling the member’s usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate. Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group. Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision. If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require12 months of your most recent utility bills. There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #’s, meter #’s service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem. The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate. If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA. Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket. We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs. Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund. Contact GREG CANNON at 973-376-0066 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members. We defeated BELOW COST SELLING We made history in getting FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL signed into law! We have built large support for RIGHT TO REPAIR and got it passed out of the Assembly We defended your small business against the false accusations of Attorney General Anne Milgram We gained wide support to move New Jersey to an all PIF Inspection System and close the CIF lanes ...and MUCH MORE!! In each instance, we achieved these goals with the help of our friends in the Legislature! If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies. PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO: I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past. We have made great progress in Trenton. I hope that you will answer the call. ?
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