The Cost of Keeping the Lights On
Dear Member,
If you’ve built a fence, bought a water heater, or just tried to keep a vehicle on the road lately, you know the story. Prices are up—way up. The same is true for nearly everything it takes to build and maintain the Douglas Electric Cooperative electric system. Poles, wire, transformers, trucks—you name it. Some of our most common materials have doubled or even tripled in price over the past few years.
While we’ve worked hard to absorb as many of those increases as we can, we’ve reached a point where an adjustment is necessary to keep your co-op financially sound and prepared for the future.
After a careful review through an independent cost-of-service analysis, our elected board of directors, members just like you, voted to implement a 7% rate increase, effective with June bills.
For most members, this change means less than a $10 increase on your monthly bill. I know that’s not exactly comforting, especially when everything from eggs to engine oil seems to cost more. But here’s some perspective: Even with this increase, our rates remain lower than state and national averages, and significantly lower than neighboring utilities that serve parts of our territory.
That’s no accident. It’s the result of a dedicated team that looks out for every dollar and a board that takes its responsibility to our members seriously. No one likes raising rates—especially not us. But it’s a step we’re taking to ensure we can continue delivering safe, reliable power for years to come.
As always, if you have questions, please give us a call or stop by. We’re your co-op, and we’re in this together.
Sincerely,
General Manager Keith Brooks