By Zac Perkins, CEO
Fall is a busy time, and October is a particularly eventful month with school, community, and sports activities in full swing. It’s also when cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month.
When I say Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC) celebrates Co-op Month, we are celebrating you! After all, our co-op wouldn’t exist without you, our members.
Our core business purpose is to serve as your electricity provider, but the larger mission of the co-op is to help make our corner of the world a better place. Concern for Community is one of Seven Cooperative Principles that all co-ops share.
Similar to how our wires run through our service territory, our concern for community flows through all of our decisions — because being a co-op means being a responsible partner and good neighbor.
TCEC works to help our community thrive through initiatives led by our employees and a local board comprised of neighbors who live right here in our community. Because we’re local, we understand our community’s unique needs and strive to help meet them.
We’re proud to support local youth through our Youth Tour and scholarship programs. With your help, we offer Operation Round Up, giving back to local needs that are charitable, educational or for emergency services. We partner with and support area food banks and other charitable organizations such as the YMCA, schools, first responders and civic groups.
The word “cooperative” is close to “cooperation,” meaning people working together toward a common goal — mutually benefitting one another and the larger community. That’s the essence of the cooperative spirit. Our employees and member-elected board members are invested in the community in which they live and serve.
Above all, as a co-op, we put our members’ priorities first. As your trusted energy partner, we know that saving energy and money is essential to you. That’s why we have numerous programs in place, such as our Energy Efficiency Resources page and the Co-op Connections member discount card.
We want to empower you to manage energy use at home. If you haven’t already, I encourage you take a moment and download our SmartHub app. Through the app, you can conveniently monitor and manage your energy use. We’re here to help, so call us if you have questions about your energy bills.
TCEC continuously examines ways to operate more efficiently while providing the highest level of friendly, reliable service you expect and deserve. After all, we’re your local co-op. We were built by the members we serve.