Page Menu

Capital Credits

 

Member Forms

Unclaimed Capital Credits Request Form 

Capital Credits Beneficiary Designation Form

Capital Credits Early Retirement Affidavit

 

Reaping the rewards of cooperative membership

 

As a member of Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC), you are an owner of the organization—with a vested interest in the cooperative. This means when the cooperative has margins, those margins are allocated to the members based on their purchases. The cooperative uses this allocated margin as equity for a time, then returns it to members as a patronage capital retirement at a future date.

For 2025, the TCEC Board of Trustees approved to refund patronage capital. More than 1.4 million dollars will be returned to members this year.

Thank you for being part of the cooperative.

 

How Capital Credits Work

Every year TCEC determines it’s margin (revenue less expenses). Because we are a cooperative and not a for-profit business, those margins are returned to our members.

This allocated payout to members is known as capital credits. The amount allocated is calculated based on the amount you’ve paid into the co-op for the year. You’ll receive a check or bill credit for your share of the margin.

 

Returning Capital is a 2-Step Process

step

1

Allocation

  • We determine each member’s share of our margins for a given year.
  • Margins are allocated to members who purchased electricity during that same year.
  • The co-op keeps a record of each member’s credit account.
  • The amount remains in the account until it is paid, or “retired”.

step

2

Retirement

  • Retirement is when all or part of a member’s allocated amount is paid out.
  • The amount paid out is called capital credits.
  • The Board of Trustees reviews the financial condition of the co-op and decides when it’s time to pay them.

Claiming Your Capital Credits

TCEC mails a check, or issues a bill credit, to members for capital credits each year.

Even if you move and are no longer a member of the co-op, the capital credits remain in your account. Be sure to tell us if you move so we can send future capital credit checks to the correct address.

When a member is deceased, the estate’s representative can obtain the member’s retired capital credits.

 

 

Unclaimed Capital Credits Request (PDF)

Early Retirement with Capital Credits

Capital credits for future retirements can be received as they occur or a payout can be requested at a reduced present-day value.The early retirement option will pay the reduced balance owed and close the account.

The form Request for Early Retirement of Capital Credits (PDF) will need to be completed.

Use the Capital Credit Beneficiary Form to designate a beneficiary on your account.

For members that have moved outside of the service area, they can use the Inactive Member Capital Credit Request form which will pay the reduced balance owed and close the account.

Questions?

Contact us or call (580) 652-2418 to learn more about our capital credits process or to provide an address for an individual on the unclaimed list.