The three types of utilities are: cooperatives, investor-owned and municipal. An investor-owned utility (IOU) is owned by stockholders who may or may not be customers and who may or may not live in the utility’s service territory. The IOU is a for-profit company. Municipal systems are usually owned by a city, state or federal government agency. Municipals usually are located in urban areas and serve those within that area. A Cooperative is owned by the members it serves, and is more often found in rural areas
Touchstone Energy® is a network of local, customer-owned electric cooperatives throughout the country, which are committed to providing superior service at affordable rates to all customers large and small. Those cooperatives involved have a reputation for integrity, accountability, innovation and community service.
As member/owners, consumers are entitled to share in all margins earned by the Co-op. The accumulation of capital credits represents the member’s equity, or measure of their share of the ownership of the Cooperative. When the financial condition of the Co-op is adequate to meet all normal and emergency needs, the Board of Directors may approve the return of a portion of these capital credits.
Trees and/or tree limbs growing too close to power lines can fall during storms and break utility lines; thereby, causing an outage.
Taller trees, such as maples, oaks, spruces and pines, should be planted at a distance of 50 feet or more from overhead utility lines to avoid high branches overhanging the line or toppling into the line during storms. If you must plant trees within 20 feet to either side of power lines, plant species that will not exceed 25 feet in height, such as redbuds and dogwoods.
Accounts are subject to disconnection after the due date with out any further notice. The only way to guarantee there is no interruption in service due to non payment is to remit your payment in full by the due date. Failure to receive your bill does not relieve obligation to pay or entitle the member to an extension of the due date. Bills are mailed out each month; if you do not receive one please contact our office and new bill will be mailed out. Balances can be checked on our ebiz website or by calling our office.
One toll-free call to your local One Call Center gets the process going to have all of the utilities in your area located. Dial 811 from anywhere in the country to be connected. Failure to do so before digging can bring about stiff penalties, fees, and repair costs. For more information visit www.kansasonecall.com.
Recognizing “Concern For Community”, one of the 7 cooperative principles, Western Cooperative Electric has established the Western Cares program to help members in temporary need of assistance in paying their outstanding or delinquent electric bill. Operation roundup is an initiative whereby members may elect to round up their bill to the nearest dollar to help those in the western cares program. If you're interested in being a part of Operation Roundup, you can learn more and sign up here. If, on the other hand, you would like to sign up for Western Cares, further details and the form can be found here.
To report an outage or emergency, call 1-800-456-6720. Your call will be answered 24 hours a day, every day.
Before calling to report a power outage, first check the fuses and/or breaker switch in your service panel. If fuses or breakers are okay, check with your neighbors to determine if they are experiencing an outage. If you believe the trouble is not in your equipment/wiring, report the problem to the cooperative.
Members have several options to choose from to pay your bill. You can learn more about these options on our 'Ways to Pay Your Bill' page. Be sure to include the top portion of your bill with your payment.