What are the benefits to being a cooperative member?
There are many benefits to your Cooperative membership. First, your membership means that you have an active role in making decisions about your utility. Also, your Cooperative is owned by you and your neighbors and is located in the service area we cover. Staffed and managed by people from your communities, you can trust your Cooperative to always have your best interest in mind.
What are my obligations as a member of Pennyrile Electric?
All persons who apply for and receive electric service from Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation are deemed to have agreed to the following:
1. To pay for electric service according to the applicable rate and as measured by the cooperative’s meter.
2. To pay the cooperative’s reasonable attorney fees and collection costs in the event bills for electric service are not paid when due.
3. To allow access to the premises of the customer for purposes of installing, inspecting, repairing or removing property of the cooperative and reading the electric meter.
4. To allow the cooperative to inspect customers facilities and require customer to replace or repair any wiring or appliances, which are not in accordance with applicable electric codes and standards. However, such inspection or failure to inspect shall not render the cooperative liable for any loss or damage resulting from defects in the customer’s installation, wiring, or appliances or for accidents, which may occur upon the customer’s premises.
5. To be bound by the cooperative’s rules, regulations, and bylaws, copies of which are open for inspection at the office of the cooperative and available to members.
Who owns the cooperative?
Pennyrile Electric, like many electric cooperatives, is owned by our members. Members contribute equitably to the capital of our Cooperative. The membership is represented by a Board of Directors, elected each year by the Members. Pennyrile Electric is voluntary and open to all persons who are able to use our services within our service area.
Who manages the cooperative?
Daily operations for the Cooperative are carried out by a staff of 113 employees under management by the President & CEO Alan Gates. Oversight is provided by a Board of Directors, elected by the membership and representative of each of the Cooperative’s four districts.
How do I know if I am in Pennyrile Electric’s service area?
If you are purchasing a home, the original homeowners may be able to tell you what service area you belong to. If your home is new or if you are relocating a mobile home, you can call us at 270-886-2555 and we can help determine your location.
Who determines your electric rates?
Electric cooperatives in Kentucky do not set their own rates. Many rural electric members do not realize this simple fact.
In Kentucky, there are two rate-governing bodies. The Kentucky Public Service Commission regulates the rates of all rural electric cooperatives not served by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Cooperatives served by TVA, as is Pennyrile Electric, are required to abide by the regulations of that organization.
It is true, the cooperative’s President/CEO and board of directors determine when the cooperative needs a rate increase, and how much is needed. TVA, after hours of audits, reviews, and research, officially makes its decision and approves only what it deems to be absolutely necessary.
Rate increases are a serious matter. Your cooperative’s board of directors and management study all financial options carefully before submitting a request to TVA for approval.
Pennyrile requests for rate increases only when absolutely necessary. Your cooperative is conscious of how higher rates affect its members and only request an amount it believes it must have to provide dependable service and still remain financially sound. Pennyrile Electric’s current rates are updated monthly and can be found on this website.
Where does our power come from?
Pennyrile Electric purchases power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and distributes it to your homes, farms and businesses through a network of more than 5,000 miles of power lines.
What are TVA and RUS?
Two federal agencies, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), are closely associated with, and have a great bearing on Pennyrile Electric.
RUS (originally REA – Rural Electrification Administration) is located in Washington, D. C. It came in to being in the 1930’s for the purpose of aiding responsible groups in their efforts to bring central station electricity to rural America. Most of this aid was in the form of low-interest loans to provide the capital needed for the construction of the many miles of lines that had to be built. Today, Pennyrile Electric gets capital loan funds from RUS and Federal Financing Bank.
TVA was also formed in the 1930s to harness the mighty Tennessee River, and provide economic guidance to the area surrounding this great river. Twenty-six dams were built to control the devastating floods that had plagued the area each spring. One of the by-products of these dams was electricity. TVA sold this electrical energy to local distributors for use by the people of the Valley. Pennyrile Electric is one of the 155 distributors that is supplied electric current by TVA.
Are taxes part of my electric bill?
Members of Pennyrile Electric receiving electric service in Christian, Logan, Caldwell, Butler, Lyon, Trigg, and Todd Counties pay a school tax of 3% on their electric usage.
Members receiving electric service in the city of Oak Grove, Kentucky pay a franchise tax of 3¼% on their electric usage.
Why do I receive a Kentucky Living magazine every other month?
As a member of the cooperative, keeping you informed of the progress of your business, new developments, activities, and interesting features is of vital importance to the success of the cooperative. Every other month, you will receive Kentucky Living magazine, published by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives. It addresses state and national affairs, including legislation that controls our ability to provide your electric service.
In addition, Pennyrile publishes a newsletter, Power Line News, which is the center section of your Kentucky Living magazine. This newsletter communicates with members on electrical use, cooperative policies, rules, and regulations.
What is the process to have my meter tested?
Pennyrile Electric makes periodic tests and inspections of its meters in order to assure a high standard of accuracy. Pennyrile will make an additional test upon the request of a member and the receipt of a $50.00 test fee. If the test shows that the meter is accurate within 2%, slow or fast, no adjustment will be made to the member’s bill, and the $50.00 test fee will be retained by Pennyrile. In case the test shows the meter to be in excess of 2% fast or slow, an adjustment will be made in the member’s bill over a period of not more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of the test and the test fee will be refunded.