October is National Cooperative Month, a time to celebrate what makes electric cooperatives different. We are owned by those we serve. That means our customers are members of our cooperative, and we want to understand what matters to you and respond to your needs.

Earlier this year, we conducted a member satisfaction survey, and I want to share some of what we heard.

We’re pleased that overall satisfaction with Boone Power increased from 69% in 2024 to 72% this year. The percentage of members who said we are meeting their expectations also increased, from 71% to 74%. Our reliability remains one of our greatest strengths, with 87% of members satisfied with the reliability of their electric service and 82% satisfied with our response to outages.

Turning feedback into action

We also learned that you want greater transparency about rates, growth, and infrastructure investments, and more tools to help manage your energy costs.

I hope you’ve been able to read my columns over the past few months, where I’ve addressed some of these topics of interest. If you missed any, you can find them easily from boonepower.com/news.  

Many of the things we are doing today align directly with what we heard through the survey. We launched our optional time-of-use rate pilot program this summer to give members another way to manage their energy costs, and we introduced prepaid billing last month as an option for members who want more control over when and how they pay for electricity. 

Keeping costs in focus

Another aspect that sets us apart as a cooperative is that we operate as a not-for-profit. So, when our wholesale power costs go down, we pass those reductions onto you, our members. We’re proud to have been able to do that not once, but twice, in 2026.

The first was in May, when the average General Service member using 1,200 kilowatt-hours per month saw a $3.49 decrease on their bill. Across Indiana, the average cost per kilowatt-hour was 18.2 cents at that time, with Boone Power’s average price per kilowatt-hour being 17.2 cents.

In August, we passed along another reduction, averaging $3.76 for the same 1,200 kilowatt-hours, bringing Boone Power’s average price per kilowatt-hour to 16.9 cents.

Serving you during construction

Just as keeping costs in focus is important, so is making sure we continue to provide the level of service our members expect. As construction progresses on our new administration building, I want you to know there will be some upcoming changes to the way you interact with us during this transition.

We are developing plans for a mobile office space to be located south of our current office building. This will give us a dedicated place to continue to serve members in person, including having conversations with our team and making bill payments, while construction continues. We will share more details as those plans take shape, so please stay tuned for additional information.

The survey also reinforced something fundamental about the cooperative difference. Those who identify themselves as members are highly satisfied with Boone Power — 93% of those respondents reported being satisfied. We know there is real value in helping those we serve understand that Boone Power is more than the company that delivers electricity to your home or business. 

We are your cooperative, locally operated, and dedicated to our community. We have enjoyed participating in several well-attended community events over the summer and fall, including the Whitestown Summer Concert Series, the Boone County Battle of the BBQ in support of the Boone County Cancer Society, and the Festival of Turning Leaves in Thorntown. It’s been a great opportunity to meet members and share more about our programs and services.

National Cooperative Month is the perfect opportunity to thank you for the feedback you share with us — whether through member satisfaction surveys, attendance at educational events we host (such as the recent MAC event here), or at local festivals (see photos below) — and to share how we are working to respond to what you have shared with us.

As we continue to grow and build for the future, our commitment remains the same: providing reliable electricity, keeping costs in focus, and continually working to serve you, our members.