The Value of Co-op Membership
Flip the switch and the light comes on.
Open the fridge and cool air pours out.
Power up your laptop and start surfing the web.
The conveniences of modern life are so ubiquitous and mundane that we rarely even think about why, or how, they work. The simple fact is that no matter where you live in Colorado, you almost always have access to the reliable electricity you need to lead a productive, safe, and healthy life.
If you live in rural Colorado or in the service territory of an electric cooperative, this power is available to you due to the tireless efforts of the employees of your local cooperative. And while you may think that all electric utilities are basically the same, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Electric co-ops do it better.
What’s so special about receiving your electricity from a Colorado electric cooperative? Here are just a few benefits:
Accountability. We have all called customer service numbers only to wait on hold for what seems like days just to have the line be disconnected or told that we need to call someone else. That doesn’t happen when you call your local electric co-op. When you call your co-op, the phone is answered by a person — a member service representative who is likely a neighbor of yours — who helps answer your question or troubleshoot your problem.
Commitment. Your local electric co-op is commit- ted to providing a critical service to you and your family and to do it in the most reliable and afford-able manner possible. This isn’t lip service. This is the willingness of your co-op’s employees to go out in the middle of the night to fix a downed power line or to come to your house to replace a broken meter. Co-op employees are your friends and neighbors, and they know the importance of power availability to your daily life.
Innovation. Electric co-ops are always looking for better, more efficient ways to provide service. As smaller utilities, co-ops can change business practices or adopt technology as needed to meet the needs of their members. This ability to be flexible and nimble means that your co-op can meet the changing demands of the electric power business without getting caught up in a lot of regulatory roadblocks.
Mission. Electric co-ops were created more than 80 years ago for the purpose of serving communities, not to make a profit. This mission continues to drive co-op employees and boards of directors — also your neighbors — to provide a great service at a reasonable cost. This is the true co-op difference and the one that distinguishes electric co-ops from all other power providers.