Even with this small adjustment, electricity from your Co-op is still a great value!
Despite the rising cost of everything, your Co-op has weathered the last few years of constant change by implementing resourcefulness in keeping electric rates as low as possible. Costs for essentials like power poles, bucket trucks, and transformers have exponentially increased, along with our area’s population, but we have been able to stay steady through these changes. Our deep concern for our community during these challenging years of pandemic shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, and inflation has helped us dig deep to find many ways to keep rates stable.
Hydropower is largely to thank for this backbone of stability – hydropower provides some of the most affordable, reliable electricity in the nation. Last year was one of the strongest hydropower years on record. Because of hydro’s strength, your Co-op received a power rate refund from its wholesale power provider, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Your Board of Trustees used the bulk of that refund to keep your rates as low as possible and passed some of it directly to you in the form of 2021 Capital Credits in December 2022.
For the past four years, the Co-op has not changed rates to increase overall revenue. However, to safeguard the future stability of your member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative’s affordable, reliable power against future challenges, rates now need a slight adjustment. An overall 1.11% rate increase will occur in June.
Even with cost increases, electricity from your Co-op is still a great value! See how electrifying your home for a day compares to other daily purchases.
- Cell phone bill — $5 to $8/day
- Ground Beef — $4.78/pound
- Cafe Latte — $4.62/day
- Electricity to power an average home in Flathead Electric service area — $3.78/day
