You set up your electric service account with York Electric Cooperative, and you think to yourself, “That’s done. Now I just have to pay my monthly bill.” But the truth is we’re more than just a utility provider that you pay each month for electricity. We have more to offer—and we want you, our members, to know about these benefits.
There are more than 900 electric cooperatives in the U.S. that serve 42 million members. York Electric, your local co-op, serves more than 58,000 meters with lines stretching across nearly 3,600 miles. So, what makes being a member of an electric cooperative unique?
Exploring the unique benefits of cooperative membership
We’re all in this together. You are a member of York Electric Cooperative, not a customer. And that means you have a voice when it comes to the way we do business. Each May, during your cooperative’s Annual Meeting, you have the option to vote on matters pertaining to York Electric. As a member, you play a key role in making important decisions for your co-op.
We’re local. It’s likely that you know an employee of York Electric Cooperative. Our employees—your friends and neighbors—share the same concerns for our community that you do. York Electric participates in numerous community service projects and events as well as the Operation Round Up program, Co-op Connections Discount Card program and Washington Youth Tour. YEC also offers Touchstone Energy scholarships annually to 10 area high school seniors, awards a scholarship to a senior who has participated in the Floyd D. Johnson Technology Center’s School-to-Work program and provides two scholarships to York Technical College students. Your cooperative congratulates the recipients of the 2014 senior scholarships, and we are proud to announce them to you.
We’re not-for-profit. York Electric Cooperative doesn’t offer profits to investors—we return money over and above operating costs to you, our members, based on electricity consumption. Annually, electric co-ops nationwide return millions of dollars to members through this capital credits process. This year, York Electric retired $850,000 in capital credits to people who were members in 1990, 1991, and 2012. Members do not receive a check the same year they earned capital credits because York Electric uses members’ equity to fund system improvements. If we couldn’t get the operating capital from member payments, the money would have to be borrowed from the bank or some other source, which would cause electric rates to go up.
We’re here for you. At York Electric Cooperative, our mission is to provide unsurpassed innovative and diversified service at a reasonable cost while improving the quality of life and promoting integrity, economic development, safety and a vision for the future. We care about our members’ quality of life, which is why our employees are continuously finding innovative ways to improve our service. With the growth of social media, York Electric Cooperative has almost 3,000 fans/likes on our Facebook page, and we invite you to become one of them. This is one way that we make sure our members stay informed in every way possible.
These are just a few facts about electric cooperatives that make us unique. For more information about York Electric Cooperative and the services we offer, explore the Welcome Kit page.
