When it comes to the electricity at your home, it’s helpful to know what the electric cooperative takes care of and what you’re responsible for. This can save time, money, and confusion if something goes wrong.

A good way to think about it is this: the dividing line is where the cooperative’s system connects to your home.

The cooperative is responsible for the equipment that brings power to your home. This includes the service line from the pole, the transformer, and the electric meter. However, it’s important to note that the only part of the meter owned by the cooperative is the portion under the plastic and is plugged into the meter base. The meter base itself (the gray box mounted on your home or pole) is your responsibility. If there’s an outage or damage to cooperative-owned equipment, whether from storms, fallen trees, or normal wear, the cooperative will handle the repairs.

Members are responsible for the meter pole (if your home uses one), the meter base (the grey box), and the equipment that brings power into the home. This also includes the breaker panel, wiring, outlets, and devices inside your house. In homes with an overhead service, the riser, which is the pipe that extends above the roof and connects to the overhead line, is also your responsibility. Risers are occassionally damaged during storms and must be repaired before power can be restored. If any of this equipment is damaged, you will need to have it repaired by an electrician.

Understanding these responsibilities ahead of time can make a stressful situation much easier to handle.