A different electric service story

Covington Electric serves more than 25,600 meters across 2,800 miles of power lines in six Alabama  counties.

NCBA CLUUSA - EC’s story began in 1944, when rural families and farmers in south Alabama banded together to bring electricity to their homes and communities that commercial power companies had left behind. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 provided low-interest federal loans for the installation of electrical distribution systems to serve rural areas of the United States, so these communities took this opportunity to come together to build the infrastructure they needed.

Today, CEC continues to reflect the cooperative spirit that made rural electrification possible. This is evident in their commitment to their communities, which extends well beyond delivering reliable, affordable power. CEC invests in local schools and families through Bright Ideas Teacher Grants and student scholarships, and supports charitable causes that members care about.

.Recently, CEC contributed a combined $15,000 to two organizations dedicated to supporting and protecting children across Covington County: Covington County Child Advocacy Center and Covington County Children’s Policy Council. Through matching funds provided by CoBank, a national cooperative bank serving electric cooperatives and other rural infrastructure providers, these contributions were doubled for a total of $30,000 to enhance the impact of their work.

During National Co-op Month each October, CEC hosts Member Appreciation Days at its two offices, offering members a free employee-prepared lunch, information on benefits and services, and opportunities to share feedback directly with cooperative staff. As a cooperative, CEC uses these events to remind members that they are the owners of the business, and CEC staff are here to serve in their best interests.

CEC helps members save energy and money through an energy efficiency loan program, heat pump rebates, discounted water heaters, electric vehicle rebates, and an educational solar demonstration project that provides real-time solar output data online. CEC not only helps save energy and money, but also puts money back in members’ pockets. Fundamental to the cooperative business model, CEC returns excess revenue to members through capital credits, based on each member’s kilowatt-hour usage from the previous year.