Effective April 1, 2024, Access Energy Cooperative will implement a rate increase and restructure. While the board of directors does not like to implement rate increases, they strongly believe it is necessary to continue providing exceptional service to the members of the cooperative. Your cooperative is a not-for-profit entity that exists to provide safe, reliable and efficient electric service to its members. Changes to rates are implemented when they are necessary.

The primary factor driving this change is an increase in the cost of power. The cooperative’s power cost accounts for 67% of your bill. In addition, operation and overhead expenses continue to increase.

As announced in January 2024, the rate structure for single-phase and small commercial accounts will change to include a demand charge. The energy charge for these rate classes will decrease. This change is being made to align members’ bills with the cooperative’s power cost.

The board, management and employees of Access Energy Cooperative pride ourselves on being responsible stewards of your resources. While there are factors out of the cooperative’s control, such as weather, regulatory compliance, and fuel costs we diligently try to control expenses. To maintain the reliability, quality and financial stability of the service we provide, it is necessary to change our rates due to the continual rise of virtually all aspects of today’s cost of living.

For several months, the Access Energy Cooperative board and management team has been thoroughly discussing increasing costs and how they affect the cooperative. Decisions to change rates are taken very seriously. Additional power cost increases are expected in the future and your board will constantly evaluate the potential impact they will impose. Our power supplier has notified us to expect additional power cost increases in 2025 and potentially subsequent years that may result in additional increases for members.

There are ways to take control of your energy bill. Energy efficiency and rebate programs are available to help you find ways to lower your usage. The SmartHub app allows you to track your usage and set alerts to notify you when you have reached selected usage levels. SmartHub is available to all members for free. You can also use it to view and pay your bill, plus report outages. Sign up for SmartHub by clicking on the link at the top right corner of the screen or download the SmartHub app on your mobile device.

Access Energy Cooperative will hold three meetings to share information about the rate increase and restructure, to provide education on understanding demand, and to answer member questions. One meeting will be held in each of the cooperative’s three districts. All members are invited to attend a meeting and ask questions. Meetings will each begin at 6:30 p.m.

You can also click here to send an email directly https://accessenergycoop.com/contact-us