Who owns Pennyrile Electric?
What is an electric cooperative?
What's different about a cooperative?
What is a distribution cooperative?
What are the basic differences among electric utilities?
Aren't consumer-owned cooperatives run by or owned by the government?
How does the cooperative report to its membership?
How does the cooperative communicate with its members?
How do I contact a nearby Pennyrile Electric office?
What does it mean to be a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative?
Will Pennyrile Electric trim my trees under the power lines?
How do I qualify for levelized billing?

Who owns Pennyrile Electric?
By paying a $15.00 membership fee, a service deposit, and connection fee, you become a member/owner of this non-profit electric cooperative.

What is an Electric Cooperative?
An electric cooperative is a type of electric utility that is owned by the members it serves. Its profits, or margins, are put back into the cooperative to help run the business efficiently.  A co-op exists solely to provide high-quality service at the lowest possible price for its customer-owners.

What's different about a Cooperative?
Pennyrile Electric is run by an elected, eight-member Board of Directors. Each Director is a member, not an employee, of the Cooperative. The board establishes policies and procedures of the Cooperative.

What is a distribution cooperative?
A distribution cooperative is a non-profit, customer-owned electric company that purchases electric power at wholesale and distributes it to its customers. 

What are the basic differences among electric utilities?
The three kinds of utilities are distinguished more by their business structure than by the product they sell. They are electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and municipal systems.

• An electric cooperative is owned by the members it serves. Therefore, all of the owners live in the cooperative's service territory, with most customers living in rural or semi-rural areas. A cooperative operates on a non-profit, cost-of-service basis. In Kentucky, electric cooperatives serve an average of 9 consumers per mile of electric line.
• An investor-owned utility (IOU) is owned by stockholders who may or may not be customers and who may or may not live in the service area. The IOU is a for-profit enterprise. In Kentucky, IOUs serve an average of 25 consumers per mile of electric line.
• Municipal systems are usually owned by a city, a state or federal government agency. Municipal customers are usually located in urban or semi-urban areas. In Kentucky, municipal electric systems serve an average of 60 consumers per mile of electric line.

Aren’t consumer-owned cooperatives run by or owned by the government?
No.  Co-ops are owned by the customers they serve. Co-ops are run by policies established by a consumer-elected board of directors, normally about seven people, who in turn hire a manager and chief executive officer to hire additional staff for the purpose of running the organization. People often confuse co-ops with federal ownership because they typically receive a portion of their financing through federal loans. The interest rate on these loans is typically what is paid by municipal systems.

How does the Cooperative report to its membership?
Each year, Pennyrile Electric sends all members a financial report and notice of the Cooperative's Annual Meeting. This information comes to the member as an insert in the Kentucky Living magazine, usually in June.  The Annual Meeting is your opportunity to elect Directors and tend to the business of Pennyrile Electric. Each member is encouraged to attend this meeting.

How does the Cooperative communicate with its members?
Every month, the Cooperative mails the Kentucky Living magazine to all members. Pennyrile Electric pays the subscription cost of this magazine which is produced by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives. On a regular basis, messages are included on the billing statement and in the billing envelope. These messages contain timely information to improve service to our members.

How do I contact a nearby Pennyrile Electric office?
This web site provides a detailed map and telephone numbers for each of our offices.

What does it mean to be a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative?
Touchstone Energy® is an alliance of more than 600 cooperatives in 44 states that collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 17 million customers every day. They provide high standards of service to all customers - residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural.

Is a branding initiative that communicates electric cooperatives' unique characteristics in a changing marketplace where these values and differences matter more each day. Emphasizes the significance of each electric cooperative's local presence and unique ties to its community, but offers the resources of a nationwide network to bring added value and benefit to customers.

Will Pennyrile Electric trim my trees under the power lines?
If the tree has grown into the distribution power line, Pennyrile Electric will either exchange it for a free flowering ornamental tree that should not interfere with the lines, or remove the stump left behind from the tree that was removed.
Click here to fill out the form for this service.

How do I qualify for levelized billing?

• Member must have had service at their present location for 12 consecutive months, with no past due amount present on the day of enrollment.
• Member may enroll any time of the year.
• The member’s current “levelized bill” will be calculated using the previous 11 months history, plus the current balance and the current month’s usage, divided by 12.  The levelized amount will be rounded to the nearest dollar each month.
• All additional charges are added i.e. security light, taxes, and heat pump loans.
• The agreement may be cancelled by giving 30 days written notice to the cooperative.  The agreement is automatically renewed each anniversary date, unless cancelled in writing by the cooperative or the member.
• Levelized billing will be handled the same as regular billing in relation to disconnects, lost bills, postmark dating (for late charges), returned checks, cut-off procedures, etc.  Late charges are charged on the levelized amount.
• There is no account settlement month until the member discontinues the plan or is disconnected.  At that time a final settlement will be calculated and the balance applied to the next (or final) bill due date.