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>> In many ways, a cooperative is different from any other type of business. One of the most fundamental differences and one of the seven cooperative principles is your ability to receive "capital credits." Unlike "for-profit" businesses, which exist to make money, electric cooperatives exist to provide a service and fill a need. Any money collected in excess of the costs to provide service is refunded to the member in the form of capital credits.

                                             >> Electric cooperatives
                                           exist to provide a service
                                                         and fill a need. <<

"If your power bill is one percent of the cooperative's total revenue, your portion of the capital credits would be one percent of Tri-County's margins, the equivalent of profits for a regular business," comments VP/CFO Dawn Haskins. "Instead of distributing profits to investors through stock dividends, cooperatives return capital credits."

Capital credits are currently refunded to members after 20 years. These funds are invested for distribution facilities and general plant operations instead of borrowing. Active members receive a capital credit refund as a bill credit. Capital credit refund checks are mailed to past members or those with inactive accounts.

Please review the list of names of members due capital credit checks found in this issue. Contact a Tri-County representative if you can help us locate one of those individuals. <<