Your March electric bill lists the amount allocated to your patronage capital account based on last year's margins. The information will appear under your usage history on your bill.
As a Midwest Electric member, you have a share in the earnings of your not-for-profit electric cooperative. Your cooperative's electric rates are set to bring in enough money to pay operating costs, make payments on any loans, and provide an emergency reserve. Revenues in excess of the cost of doing business are returned to members like you as patronage capital.
Patronage capital payments typically occur in December if the cooperative's financial standing is sufficient. Last December, the cooperative returned more than $1.2 million in patronage capital to members based on margins and kilowatt-hour sales from 2008-2009.
That's the Cooperative Difference: Being a member of a not-for-profit, member-owned co-op pays off!