This Co-op Month, York Electric encourages you to remember that you are part of an energized group of Americans who have a voice and a network of cooperatives that believe in the power of community. The Seven Cooperative Principles below help us serve you with excellence and always put you first.
Thank you for being a York Electric member.
THE SEVEN COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES
1. Voluntary and Open Membership Cooperatives are voluntary organizations open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2. Democratic Member Control Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. Members have equal voting rights—one member, one vote. Cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
3. Members’ Economic Participation In an electric cooperative, the member’s patronage is an integral part of the business assets and financing. Members have an obligation to utilize the co-op’s services as members. This obligation and the rates you pay for service help to finance the cost of building, maintaining and operating the utility. Since the sole purpose of an electric co-op is to provide service without generating excessive margins, the co-op sets rates that will enable it to pay all operating and financing expenses. Any net income remaining after expenses is refunded to the members or credited to their accounts based on the amount of electricity they use in a given year. This net margin is called member equity. As a not-for-profit utility, York Electric later returns these revenues to the members who originally paid them through their electric bills by way of the Capital Credit retirement process.
4. Autonomy and Independence Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
5. Education, Training and Information Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so that they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7. Concern for Community While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.