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  1. Your money
  2. We pay you back with capital credits

We pay you back

What are capital credits?

If you were able to purchase everything you want or need at cost, would you consider that a good deal? Of course! Unfortunately, most goods and services are marked up so that a company can make a profit. However, electric cooperatives operate at cost; collecting enough revenue to run and expand the business, but with no need to raise rates to generate profits for distant shareholders.

At the end of each year, if your cooperative has excess revenue, that money is allocated (assigned) to you and all other members in the form of capital credits. The amount of capital credits allocated to you is based on the amount of electricity you paid for during that year. And your cooperative pays those allocated capital credits back to you, in the form of an annual check or credit on your utility bill when it’s financially possible. For those who are no longer cooperative members, you may receive a check in the mail.

In the meantime, your cooperative holds onto allocated capital credits to cover emergencies, such as a natural disaster or other unexpected events, and to safely expand our electric system. All of which may require large-scale construction of poles and wires. This decreases the need to raise rates or borrow money to pay for the infrastructure. And when financially possible, your cooperative will retire (pay) a set amount of capital credits back to you.

 

Information about unclaimed capital credits

If you’re unsure if you’ve received a capital credit, contact your local electric cooperative. They will work diligently to help you determine if you have unclaimed credit and what you need to do to receive the benefits you’re entitled to. 

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Contact Info

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 754
Springfield, MO 65801-0754

Tel. 417-881-1204
Email. membersfirst@aeci.org

About Us

Even though your electric cooperative is locally owned and committed to your local community, we are part of something bigger too. We are a network of 51 distribution cooperatives in Missouri, southern Iowa and northeastern Oklahoma, serving 935,000 member homes, farms and businesses. We receive power generation through six regional Generation and Transmission (G&T) cooperatives and one collective G&T, Associated Electric Cooperative.

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©2022 Members First. Cooperatives put members first every day.

  • It's all you
    • Activities for kids
    • Reliable electricity
    • For the good of all
    • Ownership
    • Cooperative principles
    • New members
    • Proud to sponsor kids' activities
    • Co-op month
  • Your money
    • Solar energy information
    • Penny power
    • Capital credits
    • Beneficial electrification
    • Save energy, save money
    • Solar 101
    • Member contests
  • Your safety
    • Indoor electrical safety
    • Outdoor electrical safety
    • Safety for kids
    • Outage safety
    • Power line hazards and cars
  • Your community
    • Local control
    • Personal service
    • Your community
    • Thank a lineworker
  • Balanced generation
    • Epic Failure a Cautionary Tale
    • Diverse energy mix
    • Reliable power
    • Balanced generation summary
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • About us