By Allyson Gutwein The holiday season is a fantastic time of the year to do many things, including shop! We search for unique items, white elephant gifts, keepsakes and goodies that will make us Santa’s favorite elf. When it comes to purchasing does it really matter where we shop? In short: IT DOES. Shopping locally… Continue reading.

Last month, we took a look at cooperative principles 1-3. This month, we take a look at the remaining four principles.  Autonomy and Independence The fourth principle, Autonomy and Independence, means that the co-op operates in an autonomous way that is solely directed and guided by its members, reflecting the values and needs of our… Continue reading.

This holiday season you’ll probably see lots of advertising for “smart” home this and “smart” home that. Commercials will highlight gadgets that make your life better because they make your home so dang smart. Rather than make promises about how “smart” these devices are, let’s talk about how they can be more helpful in your… Continue reading.

Part of the excitement of the holidays is getting together with family and friends around a dinner table laden with a traditional holiday feast. Unfortunately, ill prepared foods can ruin more than holiday spirit — they can cause serious illness and even death. Here are some tips from the Center for Science in the Public… Continue reading.

What is a rate study? A rate study is a professional study, usually by a third party entity, to determine whether both existing and future utility rates are sufficient to meet all of the utility’s needs and whether the rates need to be adjusted. How are the numbers in a rate study determined? Developing revenue… Continue reading.

ACE Hardware, State Farm, REI, Land O’Lakes and Boone REMC all share something in common: we’re all cooperatives.  We may be in different industries, but we all share a passion for serving our members and helping our communities to thrive. In fact, all cooperatives adhere to the same set of seven principles that reflect our… Continue reading.

When your local electric cooperative’s energy advisor is stumped by a perplexing     power problem, the solution may come from a fellow energy advisor in another town – or  even another state. Local electric cooperatives, including your power provider, vary in size and the number of homes and businesses they serve. Yet they are… Continue reading.

No matter your job, a business owner lives in your house: you! As a member of your local electric cooperative, you are actually an owner (a member-consumer) of the organization! Electric cooperatives sprang up across the U.S. in the 1930s as towns and cities across the nation gained access to electricity. The Rural Electrification Act… Continue reading.