As your trusted electric cooperative, our mission is to provide reliable and affordable electricity while maintaining the financial stability and long-term sustainability of our operations. We strive to keep you informed about any changes that may impact your service or rates.

What’s Changing?

Effective April 1, 2026, monthly Customer Charges will increase as follows:

• Residential & Small Commercial Members: increase of $4.00 per month
• Large Commercial Members: increase of $10.00 per month
• Industrial Members: increase of $20.00 per month

Why This Adjustment Is Necessary?

Over the past several years, the cost of operating and maintaining the electric system has increased significantly—materials, equipment, labor, and storm restoration—while the Cooperative has absorbed as many of those increases as possible. To continue delivering the level of service members expect, a rate adjustment is required.

A few examples of cost increases since 2016 include:

• The average utility pole increased from $189.41 to $464.49 (a 145% increase).
• The transformer serving a typical home increased from $323.00 to $1,540 (a 377% increase).

Maintaining a strong financial position allows us to invest in future technologies, enhancements, and maintenance that benefit the entire cooperative.

Where Member Payments Go

Keeping electricity affordable while maintaining a safe and reliable system remains a priority. Even with this adjustment, your cooperative’s overall rates will remain below both regional and national averages.

Approximately 80 cents of every dollar paid goes directly to TVA for wholesale power. The remaining 20 cents supports operating and maintaining the local electric system—poles and wire, trucks and equipment, line crews, vegetation management, engineering, billing, maintenance, and storm response.

For the average residential bill of $125.05:

• $100.04 goes to TVA for power
• The Cooperative operates on the remaining $25.01

What Is the Customer Charge?

The Customer Charge is a fixed monthly fee that supports essential service costs, including:

• Equipment purchases (e.g., meters, poles, transformers)
• Right-of-way clearing and facility maintenance
• Administrative costs such as billing, printing, and mailing

These expenses ensure every member receives dependable electric service, regardless of energy usage.

What This Means for You

Last year, the average residential member used 1,044 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, resulting in a monthly bill of $125.05. With this adjustment, the average bill will increase to $129.05—a difference of $4.00 per month. That works out to about 13 cents per day.

For comparison, 13 cents a day is less than the daily cost of many routine expenses—like bottled water, snacks, or a cup of coffee—yet it supports system maintenance, reliability improvements, and long-term investment.

Why This Matters

We understand that even modest increases can be difficult, and this decision was not made lightly. Our goal is to ensure your Cooperative can continue delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electricity—both now and for years to come..