Welcome to Farmers' Electric Cooperative of Chillicothe, Missouri!

This page updated Thursday, May 01, 2008.

Regular office hours at Farmers’ Electric Cooperative are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

201 West Old Highway 36, P.O. Box 680
Chillicothe, Missouri 64601
Phone: 660-646-4281
Fax: 660-646-3569
Toll Free: 1-800-279-0496

PRESS RELEASES

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CURRENT NEWS & EVENTS

Be sure to check our monthly safety articles too!

Our Energy
We, as electric co-op members and constituents, must call on elected officials to provide this leadership. That's why I want to encourage you to contact your elected officials. Now. You don't need to be an energy expert to ask questions. Asking questions helps find the answers to solve the problem of balancing climate change goals with keeping your lights on and your electric bills affordable. Right now, members of Congress as well as state elected officials are hearing from lots of different interest groups who have ideas about how to address climate change. No one is talking to consumers, however. We need a plan people can live with today while we deal with the climate change problem of tomorrow.

To make things easy, we have a Web site that will send an email for you. Go to www.ourenergy.coop and plug in your address. There you'll be able to ask a series of questions to your representatives in Washington. We're kicking this effort off with a basic but critical question: “What are they doing to make sure we'll have the power we need in the future?”

Weather Radios are Still Available at FEC Office
It’s the time of year when severe weather can happen at any time. The only way to receive quick notification when severe weather or potentially severe weather is expected in your area is with a weather alert radio. As FEC members you can purchase a Midland Weather Alert AM/FM Radio for just $59.95plus tax, for a total of $62.48. FEC can also ship your radio directly to your home or business for an additional $5. 

Late Payment Fees Change April 1
Effective with the April 1 bill, late payment fees will be changing for FEC members. If payment is not received by the15th of each month, the late payment fee will be $5 or five percent(5%) of the bill, whichever amount is greater. Visit our Administrative Services page for additional details.

The Energy Challenge
by Mike Sanders, FEC CEO, Rural Missouri, April, 2008

We have an energy challenge. The surplus generating capacity that has been available to us for many years has just about run out. And it's been predicted that in the next 10 to 15 years we need to increase generating capacity by 50% just to meet our projected growth. The increased material costs and the proposed climate change legislation have made it more difficult to build new power plants, so we must look for other ways to try to meet this demand.

One way to reduce the growth in demand and delay the need for new generation is to use electricity wisely. There are many ways to spend a little money now and have that investment save you several times that much on future electric bills. You will still enjoy the same quality of life, but your usage will be less because of some of the energy efficiency measures that you've adopted.

Some of the things you can do to reduce your usage, and help delay the need for a new power plant, are to replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), increase the amount of insulation in your attic, caulk around doors and windows, and replace older appliances with Energy Star appliances. Other energy saving ideas can be found at www.touchstoneenergysavers.com.

Later this year, Farmers' Electric plans to introduce several new energy efficiency programs that will be available to our members. We hope that you will take advantage of these programs to help reduce your usage. Please look for details on these programs in upcoming issues of Rural Missouri.

So Far Weather Predictions Have Missed This Winter’s Forecast
March, 2008

Last fall, weather prognosticators predicted the winter of 2007-2008 would be warmer than average. According to weather data compiled by FEC, the 2007-2008 winter to date is turning out to be colder than average. FEC personnel record the daily high and low temperatures. A system called heating degree days and cooling degrees days is used to show a temperature pattern. FEC comparisons are on an 11-year average.

Based on the heating degree numbers, which are used to track winter temperatures, the month of November was very close to its usual average temperature mark with 663 heating degree days. November’s 11-year average for heating degree days is 672.

December and January, however, have proven to be colder than average, as a result of several extended Arctic cold spells that lingered in north Missouri. Heating degree numbers for December show a total of 1,116 heating degree days. FEC’s historical records shows the average for December is 1,059 heating degree days. January’s average was off by a higher margin than December’s average temperatures. The January 2008 numbers show 1,217 heating degree days when compared to the average of 1,059 heating degree days. Colder than average temperatures will have a financial impact on any type of energy used to heat your residence or business during the winter months. Heating appliances obviously use the most energy in the home during this season.

Figuring degree days... Here is how to figure heating degree days. Add the high and low temperature of the day and divide by two. Subtract this number from 65 and you have the heating degree days for that specific day.

Collection Charges Changing March 1, 2008
March, 2008

Collection charges and re-connecting charges will be changing effective March 1. Each charge will be changing from $25 to $35. Collection charge is when an employee gets dispatched on a non-paid account. Re-connect charge applies if the account is disconnected.

Find Your Equity Number and Win!
March, 2008

Did you ever wonder what the five or six-digit numbers were that are scattered across your cooperative’s news pages? The equity numbers of five members are chosen each month and placed on the Back Page. If you spot your equity number, contact the office immediately, because you have won a prize! You must contact the office before the next issue of Rural Missouri magazine arrives. Good Luck!

Going Underground
by Mike Sanders, FEC CEO, February, 2008

As you may remember, we had a major ice storm in mid-December that severely affected parts of our system. At its peak, we had nearly3,800 members out of service, although most of these members had their service restored in less than 24 hours. As bad as this was, our system was not hit as hard as others in the northwest part of the state. During outages, we are often asked why we don't put the lines underground where they would be protected from the ice storms and tornadoes. Until fairly recently, underground cable was not as reliable as overhead, and it did not last as long as overhead conductor. Underground cable is also more expensive to put in than overhead.

As our system grows, we determine whether it is best to install underground or overhead conductor. We use underground in many of the new areas that we serve, and will sometimes replace existing overhead lines with underground lines. However, it is not feasible to replace all of our overhead lines with underground. We currently have over 3,600 miles of overhead lines on our system.

The going rate for underground installation is $11.88/foot, which means that it would cost our members over $225,000,000 to fully convert our system to underground. This cost does not include the cost to retire the poles and wires of the overhead system. We would have to borrow money from RUS (formerly REA) for this project. The monthly payment for a 35-year loan for $225,000,000 at 5.5% interest is $1,208,286. We currently serve 13,000 meters, so dividing that $1,208,286 by 13,000 would mean that each of you would have to pay an additional $92.94 per month on your electric bill.

So what can be done to help reduce future outages? It would be very helpful to us if you would allow us to trim or remove any trees that are close to our overhead lines. This will help prevent broken limbs, or the tree itself from falling into the lines and causing an outage. If we remove one of your trees, we will give you a new tree, which will be planted by a professional from a local nursery at no cost to you. More information on our Tree Replacement Program can be found on this web site.

I'm proud of the way that all of our employees worked during the December ice storm. Many of them worked long hours in cold and wet conditions. We will continue to do our best to keep your lights on, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during those times that you are without service.

Please Contact Our Office If You Have a Back-up Generation System at Your Home

The ice storm in December of last year inconvenienced many of you in the northwest part of our distribution system. The resulting outages also made us more aware that a number of you have a back-up generator in case an extended outage does occur.

If you currently have a back-up generation system, please contact our office in the next few weeks.  We will provide for you, free of charge, an inspection of your system to determine if it has been correctly installed. If a unit is not installed correctly, the power you are placing throughout your residence may accidentally back-feed onto our power lines and create a dangerous and potentially fatal situation for our linemen and contractors. If the unit is not installed correctly you may create a situation that could be hazardous for your safety and the safety of your family, as well.

Please call us at 646-4281 or 1-800-279-0496 and let us inspect your back-up generation system.

Compare Power Usage Before You Buy Any Appliances
New audio-visual appliances make home entertainment more enjoyable, however it is important to note they also use more energy. HDTV’s have larger screens requiring more energy, videogame consoles and personal computers have more powerful processors, plus consumers have more cordless telephones in their homes. Consumer electronics now account for about 11 percent of the overall residential use. “Phantom”energy users include DVDs, instant-on tv’s, computers, monitors, satellite receivers and more. Some 65-inch televisions use 76 watts of electricity when they are turned off. That is the equivalent of having a 75-watt light bulb on constantly. Take advantage of Energy Star ratings on any appliances you may purchase. Energy Star rated appliances will save you money over the period of time that you own the appliance.

Farmers’ Pays More Than $400,000 in Taxes in 2007
Farmers’ Electric Cooperative paid over $400,000 in property taxes to nine north Missouri counties in 2007, as well as an additional $8,923.01 in real estate taxes to two counties. Overall, FEC paid $401,631.21 as a result of its plant (power lines, transformers, substations, poles, etc.) located in the counties of Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Daviess, Dekalb, Linn, Livingston and Ray. FEC property taxes in 2006 were paid to the following counties: Caldwell, $57,646.08; Carroll, $44,319.85; Chariton, $19,080.29; Clinton,$761.63; Daviess, $97,755.93; DeKalb, $7,949.12; Linn, $26,130.01; Livingston,$94,752.29; Ray, $52,262.07. FEC real estate taxes were paid to the following counties: Livingston, $8,757.51; Daviess,$165.50.

Help Us Keep Costs Down by Reporting Inactive Services
At FEC, we are continuing to explore different ways to keep our costs down to our membership. One program that FEC is aggressively pursuing involves inactive services. An inactive service is one that has not had an active electrical service or a meter for at least 10years. “If we can remove these inactive services from our distribution system, we can reduce the cost of maintaining our system,” said Mike Sanders, FEC CEO.

Sanders said by removing the inactive service, materials that have already been paid for can be used on other parts of the distribution system. By retiring inactive services, it reduces the number of poles, wires and right-of-way that has to be maintained each year. “One other benefit to cooperative members is that we wouldn’t have to pay property taxes on these inactive services each year,” Sanders added.

If you have an inactive service on your property or you are aware of an inactive service on FEC’s distribution system, please contact the cooperative office at 646-4281 or 1-800-279-0496. Removing the inactive services will not have an impact on active services. “Our goal has always been to provide our members with a high level of service and reliability,” said Sanders. “This will help us maintain our service while lowering our cost of operation, too.”

Legislation Will Save Manufacturing Companies Taxes on Electric Bill
Senate Bill 30 was recently signed into law granting new exemptions from state taxes and local use taxes, however this new law doesn't impact local sales taxes. In order to qualify for the exemption the electricity must be used in the manufacturing, processing, compounding, mining or producing any product, or in the processing of recovered materials. Some examples stated on the Missouri Department of Revenue website that do not qualify for exemption are; preparing a meal in a restaurant, constructing a road or making floral arrangements. Some examples listed on the website that do qualify are; making cabinets for sale, preparing framed photographs for sale, commercial printing, processing recycled paper and bakeries. If you qualify, you must complete a Form 149 (Rev. 8-2007) obtained from the Department of Revenue (or through this link) and deliver it to Farmers' Electric Cooperative to begin exempting your electricity from state sales tax. On Form 149 a selection from Section 5b must be checked, the percentage of your bill that qualifies must be indicated, your method of calculation must be identified and your exempted accounts numbers must be listed. This exemption is currently available and the form must be on file with Farmers' Electric to take advantage of it. For more information to determine if you qualify for this exemption please visit the Missouri Department of Revenue. You may also contact them by phone at (573) 751-2836, email, or by U.S. mail at PO Box 840, Jefferson City, MO 65105.

When Baking, Use These Tips to Save Ca$h
Buying products that bear the Energy Star label is a great way to save electricity around the house. But the government doesn’t require energy efficiency labels for ovens. So it’s up to you to save energy as you prepare your meals. Here’s how you can save money when you use your oven in the future:

  • Use a microwave oven rather than a conventional oven. Microwaves use half as much energy as the oven and cook food faster.
  • Preparing a small meal? Cook it in a portable appliance like an electric frying pan, grill or toaster oven. These small appliances use two-thirds less energy than a broiler.
  • Cook as much of an oven-baked meal at once as possible.
  • Skip the preheating, especially when broiling or roasting.
  • If you need to rearrange your oven shelves, do it before you turn the oven on. That helps you waste less heat by opening the door of a heated oven.
  • Avoid opening the door while your food is cooking.
  • Wipe up minor oven spills with a damp cloth and use the oven’s self cleaning cycle only for major messes. And when you need the self-cleaner, run it right after you prepare a meal when the oven is already hot.

If you lose power at your home or business, please call our 24-hour answering service. Unfortunately, there may be a time in which you lose power at your home or business. Whenever the outage occurs, please remember to call our 24-hour answering service. Especially if the outage occurs during the day. For example, if a raccoon makes the mistake of climbing into one of our substations and comes into contact with one of the phases the result could be blown fuses, equipment failure and the loss of power to hundreds of homes. If the incident were to happen during our regular working hours, we still need you to call 1-800-927-5334. If several hundred people were to call FEC with an outage, all within a few minutes of each other, it would overwhelm our employees. By calling the toll free number, your call will be handled by an operator that is trained to deal with your specific situation. Plus, our answering service has direct contact with every FEC crew in the field. By calling 1-800-927-5334 our crews can respond quicker and get power returned to you in amore timely manner.

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FEC History Books May be Purchased

The recently published history of Farmers’ Electric Cooperative may be purchased at the office for $20. Shipping and handling costs are an additional $5. The 111-page hardcover book, written by Rural Missouri Editor Jim McCarty, covers the formation of the cooperative in 1938 up through early 2007.

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The Cooperative Principles
by Mike Sanders, FEC CEO, October, 2007

In this column two months ago (see below) I wrote about Touchstone Energy, and the Seven Cooperative Principles that are shared by electric cooperatives. This month I would like to go into more detail on the principles, and what they mean to you as a member-owner of Farmers' Electric.

The first principle is Voluntary and Open Membership. Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination. The second principle is Democratic Member Control. Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Farmers' Electric's board consists of seven directors that are members of the cooperative. They serve three-year terms and are elected at the Annual Meeting. Members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote). The third principle is Members' Economic Participation. This principle clearly shows the difference between being a member-owner of an electric cooperative, and being a customer of an investor owned utility (IOU) or a municipal system. Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. The margins (profits) that the cooperative makes are allocated back to the members based on their usage. These margins are retained for a period of time to provide financial stability and to help finance capital improvement to the system. Each year a portion of the prior years' margins are returned to our member-owners by issuing capital credit checks. Farmers' Electric is currently retiring these capital credits on a first-in, first-out method. The fourth principle is Autonomy and Independence. Farmers' Electric is a non-profit, membership corporation that is chartered under Missouri statutes. Your member-elected Board provides leadership, sets business policies, and approves the operating budgets and rates. As CEO, I am hired by and report to the Board, and I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business. Farmers' Electric belongs to several national organizations made up of electric cooperatives, but we are our own business and are not controlled by these outside organizations. Next month I will cover the remaining threec ooperative principles.

What is Touchstone Energy?
Rural Missouri Magazine Back Page, August, 2007, Mike Sanders, FEC CEO

In a recent survey of our membership, it was noted that 35% of our members had heard of Touchstone Energy, and 26% knew that Farmers' Electric is a Touchstone Energy cooperative. I was hoping that these numbers would be higher, so I would like to take this time to give a brief explanation of Touchstone Energy, and what it means to Farmers' Electric. So what is Touchstone Energy? It is an alliance of more than 600 cooperatives in 45 states that collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 22 million customers. These cooperatives have joined together to create a national "brand". Electric cooperatives operate differently than other utilities, and Touchstone Energy helps us to communicate that message to you. The Touchstone Energy logo allows us to be easily identified by consumers as a utility that has the same set of core beliefs and principles as other Touchstone Energy members. Electric cooperatives are driven by their commitment to the Seven Cooperative Principles. These principles are:1) Voluntary and Open Membership 2) Democratic Member Control 3) Members' Economic Participation 4) Autonomy and Independence 5) Education, Training, and Information 6) Cooperation Among Cooperatives 7) Concern for Community. The next time you see a Touchstone Energy ad on TV or hear a Touchstone Energy ad on the radio, remember that Farmers' Electric is part of that group. You can also visit their website at www.touch-stoneenergy.cooperative.com for more information on Touchstone Energy and electric cooperatives across the nation. There is also information on Energy Efficiency programs that will assist you in finding ways to reduce your electrical usage in your house or business.

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1,100 Attend 69th Annual Meeting in Chillicothe
Billy Campbell, wins big screen TV; 573 members register
Tuesday, June 5 at the Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center

Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center

Approximately 1,100 people of all ages attended the 69th Annual Meeting of Farmers' Electric Cooperative June 5 at the Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center in Chillicothe. A total of 573 members were registered at the meeting. It was the largest number of registered members since the 2001 annual meeting, when 588 registered for the meeting. Member-owners of the cooperative re-elected one member to the Farmers' Electric board of directors and heard reports on the cooperative's activities in the previous year, as well as information pertaining to electric rates in the future. FEC attorney Lloyd Cleaveland was also recognized by the board of directors for his years of service to the cooperative. Re-elected to FEC's board by acclimation was Ray Shields, Meadville. Shields is the board's District 6 representative in Linn County.


Billy Campbell, Braymer, won the 52-inch big screen television.

"The days of cheap energy are probably gone forever," noted Ron Cornett, FEC's Board President, in his message to the members. "It will be wise to economize in the future. "Cornett cited the increased expenses to the cooperative's power supplier in generating electricity, including increased costs in purchasing coal, transporting the coal from Wyoming to the cooperative power plants at Thomas Hill and New Madrid, and materials in providing and maintaining the cooperative electrical grid across Missouri, as just a few reasons regarding rate increases that are occurring for FEC. "These are costs that are beyond the control of the board," Cornett said. Cornett also discussed the increased environmental costs, due to changes in environmental regulations, that have cost the cooperatives in Missouri over $1 billion since the early1990's."Think about the energy you waste," Cornett stressed. "The unnecessary trips you take in your automobile. Or, driving a truck instead of a car, or driving when you could have walked somewhere. "Cornett urged the members in attendance to "winterize your homes, turn down your thermostats in the winter and turn them up in the summer. Again, be wise…economize."

FEC's Chief Executive Officer, Mike Sanders focused his remarks on electric rates and the need to become more energy efficient in the homes and businesses served by Farmers' Electric. "Rates are going up, as we've been telling you for the last three years, "Sanders said. "We will not have stable rates like we had for most of the last 15 years.” "Nobody likes rate increases," continued Sanders. "You don't like them, the board doesn't like them and the employees don't like them. Yet, we are not alone in dealing with this issue. This is a nationwide problem." Sanders emphasized the cooperative was doing everything it could to minimize the rate increases to its members. "However, we do need to meet certain financial requirements to satisfy our lenders and we do need to maintain our strong maintenance program, such as trimming trees, to provide you with reliable power, "Sanders said. Sanders' remaining remarks focused on the need of the membership to become more energy efficient. "You can help us reduce the demand for electricity and to stabilize your electric bills by using it wisely," Sanders said. Sanders cited the use of compact fluorescent lighting, buying Energy Star appliances, adding insulation in the attics of homes, caulking around windows and doors, and adjusting thermostats in the winter and summer. He urged members to join up for the cooperative's Switch Team, which allows the cooperative to control electric water heaters and air conditioners during peak usage times. "This will help to reduce our cost of power, which, in turn, will help to keep your electric bills lower," explained Sanders. "Reduce your energy usage between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the hottest and coldest days of the year. This will make a difference. "Sanders announced that the cooperative would be providing home energy audits for its members later in the year. Details on the home energy audits would be announced in future issues of the Rural Missouri magazine, Sanders said.

Guest speaker Don McQuitty, CEO of N.W. Electric Power Cooperative, Cameron, focused his presentation on current generating assets in Missouri that are owned by the rural electric cooperatives and the need for more generation in the near future. McQuitty  specifically discussed the cost differences in the wide variety of generation facilities owned and operated by Associated Electric Cooperative, the power provider for FEC. "It is much cheaper to generate electricity with coal than with gas," said McQuitty. The number cited by McQuitty showed coal to be two to three times cheaper in generating power than natural gas. "This is why we need that new power plant down at Norborne," McQuitty concluded.

Lloyd Cleaveland award presented by Ron CornettFollowing the presentations by Cornett, Sanders and McQuitty, the cooperative's attorney conducted the election of the Committee on Nominations for 2008. Elected to the committee were Kenneth Lee, Dennis Farmers, James A. Waters, Vernon Williams, Charlotte Miller, Judy Holcer and Dennis Widhalm. At the conclusion of the committee elections, Cornett surprised Cleaveland with a unique plaque, citing Cleaveland's 50 years of service to the cooperative. Cleaveland received a standing ovation from the large crowd in attendance.

Over 70 prizes were given away at the conclusion of the business meeting. Ron Surber, Wheeling, won a 37-inch plasma television, donated by North Missouri Construction, Chillicothe.

The 2008 Annual Meeting will beheld Tuesday, June 3.

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Electric Statement Has a New Look
April, 2007

Your April 1 electric statement will have a new look. Your statement will now be delivered on a normal size sheet of paper and will include a convenient return envelope. Standard size paper and envelopes help reduce the cost of customized materials and improve delivery through the postal system.Click image for a closer view...

The sample statement to the right shows the new features on your statement. In addition to having all the standard pertinent information such as name, address, account number, meter reading, service period, and so on, your new statement will also feature monthly comparisons of Electricity Usage, Average KWH/Day and Cost per Day.

The bottom third of the statement will be perforated for your convenience to tear off and send back with your payment. Please include your stub along with any necessary changes to your phone number or billing address. At any time, you may elect to have your utility payment automatically withdrawn from your checking account or applied to a credit card. You may indicate that selection on the back of the stub along with the necessary information or you may make a one-time electronic payment by completing the back of the stub. Additionally, please review the back of the statement for important phone numbers or instructions in case of a power outage on contacting Farmers' Electric.

We trust you will find your new statement convenient and the new information useful. As always, if you have any questions about your statement or any other matters regarding Farmers' Electric please call the office in Chillicothe at 1-800-279-0496.

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Nominations Committee Meeting
April 10, 2007

The 2007 Committee on Nominations will meet Tuesday, April 10, at the Farmers’ Electric Cooperative office in Chillicothe to propose three candidates for three director positions. The election for the three director positions will be held at the June 5 Annual Meeting of the cooperative. A director will be elected from District 6, which consists of all or parts of the cooperative’s service territory lying within the county of Linn.

The 2007 Committee on Nominations includes: Kenneth Lee, 12030 Ridge Avenue, Winston; Dennis Farmer, 5208 SE Wildlife Road, Cowgill; James A. Waters, 17252 Highway JJ, Norborne; Vernon L. Williams, 11076 LIV 2313, Chillicothe; Charlotte F. Miller, 14255 CR 291, Hale; Judy Holcer, 31619 Highway W, Meadville; and Dennis Widhalm, Route 1, Box 144, Brunswick.

In accordance with the rules and regulations set forth for your cooperative, it is necessary to publish the list of the Committee on Nominations so that the members of Farmers’ Electric Cooperative may contact them prior to the April 10 meeting. A board member may also be nominated by petition if 15 or more members nominate an individual , not less than 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, to be held June 5, 2007, in Chillicothe. Additional nominations may also be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting.

No person shall be eligible to become or remain a director of the cooperative who:
a) is not a member and bona fide resident consumer in the area served by the cooperative (i.e. such member must actually live in a residence being served by the cooperative), which the office of director exists; or
b) is an employee, outside or independent contractor of the cooperative, or has within five (5) years preceding the date of election been an employee, outside or independent contractor of the cooperative; or
c) is not at least eighteen (18) years of age or is in any way interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or supplies to the cooperative.

The official Annual Meeting announcement will be published in the May 2007 edition of the Rural Missouri magazine.

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Capital Credit Statements in the Mail
April, 2007

Capital credit statements should arrive in the mail soon for member/owners of Farmers’ Electric Cooperative. At the end of each calendar year, our profits, or margins, are assigned to each member-owner. the capital credit amount is based on the individual member’s usage for the year.

The money is set up in a separate capital credit account for each member. The money does not earn interest or dividends, but is instead used as a means for the cooperative to continue to operate. Each year FEC’s board of directors reviews the financial condition of the cooperative to determine what amount, if any, of the outstanding capital credits can be returned to its members.

Last year, FEC issued $422,305 in capital credits. Overall, a total of $13,330,653 has been returned to the member-owners of FEC. The board of directors will make the decision as to whether or not to issue capital credits in the fall.

Please note that the amount listed on the notice SHOULD NOT be deducted from your electric bill. Also, this is not an additional bill for you to pay. This is a simple means of communication with you, our member-owner, to inform you of the capital credits that have been set aside in your name. The money will be refunded to you upon approval of the cooperative’s board of directors.

Capital credits are a great example of one of the many benefits of being part of a rural electric cooperative.

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FEC Crews Help Cooperatives Recover From Worst Ice Storm Ever
The most devastating ice storm in south Missouri history caused major outages for all of the rural electric cooperatives in that part of the state. Early estimates by the cooperatives sustaining damage has approximately $137 million dollars in damages, not including lost revenues, as a result of the storm. Farmers' Electric responded with the largest number of linemen ever sent by FEC to assist fellow cooperatives. A total of 12 linemen traveled to the Neosho area to assist New Mac Electric Cooperative and Ozark Electric Cooperative.

Read more about it and see a photo in our March Rural Missouri Back Page.

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HOLIDAY CALENDAR

Farmers’ Electric Cooperative’s business office will be closed the following holidays:

  • New Year’s Tuesday January 1, 2008
  • President’s Day Monday February 18, 2008
  • Memorial Day Monday May 26, 2008
  • Independence Day Friday July 4, 2008
  • Labor Day Monday September 1, 2008
  • Veterans’ Day Tuesday November 11, 2008
  • Thanksgiving Thursday November 27, 2008
  • Christmas Day Thursday December 25, 2008

Regular office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Regular office hours at Farmers’ Electric Cooperative are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

201 West Old Highway 36
Chillicothe, Missouri 64601
Phone: 660-646-4281
Fax: 660-646-3569
Toll Free: 1-800-279-0496
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