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What does membership in The
Energy Cooperative mean?
What does my annual membership fee pay for?
How long is my membership good for?
What does one membership cover?
What is the difference between active, inactive, and supporting members?
What
is the difference between the classes of membership?
In the past, I paid only $5 for my residential membership -- why is it now
$15?
What is a dues waiver? Are you still
offering free memberships? Who qualifies for a dues waiver?
What
does membership in The Energy Cooperative mean?
The Energy Cooperative is different than other types of energy companies in
part because we are a membership-based, member-owned, nonprofit cooperative.
This means that our members are consumers that use our services and
who control our governance through democratic voting and who have
exclusive access to various member benefits. Your membership primarily provides
you access to the different energy programs offered by The Energy
Cooperative, whether it is for cost-savings, access to renewable energy, or
both! It is also your stake in the organization's success and a
powerful expression of your power as a consumer to exercise informed
choices.
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What does my annual membership fee pay for?
As a member-owned,
nonprofit cooperative, your annual membership
fee is your ownership stake in The Co-op. Membership fees make up only
a small percentage of our annual operating budget, but they allow us to
stretch our group buying power as much as possible, reach out to new
members, respond to the needs of our current members, and grow in response
to a growing membership base.
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How
long is my membership good for?
Your membership begins when you initially enroll for service and lasts one
year. Even if you aren't making any changes to your service or are
exempt from paying membership dues, members are expected to renew their
membership annually. Members who fail to renew within one month of
their anniversary date will become inactive. Inactive members are not
eligible for the full range of member benefits and cannot vote at the Annual
Membership Meeting, although they can still continue to use services through
The Co-op. Membership in The Co-op works best when members use our
services and renew their membership in a timely manner, reducing the
administrative burdens and costs associated with managing membership and
allows us to focus on bringing you the best programs possible.
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What does
one membership cover?
One membership covers:
A) A single
location using multiple kinds of energy services (ie heating oil and
electricity).
B) A single
location with multiple occurrences of the same type of energy (ie multiple
electricity accounts, multiple oil tanks).
C) Multiple
locations of the same or different type of energy services, provided that
they are all of the same membership type designation and being managed by
the same member.
a.
Organizations, Businesses, and Landlords may include multiple locations if
they are all owned and managed by the same company/individual.
b.
Household members may include multiple locations if they are managing the
energy services for another household member, such as a family member at a
different location or a second home.
c.
Personal residences of organizational/business representatives or
landlords are not covered under the organizational/business
membership and require a separate household membership.
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What is the difference between active, inactive, and supporting members?
Members of
The Energy Cooperative are defined by their use of services through ECAP
and their annual payment of dues or receipt of a dues waiver.
Active
members differ from inactive members in that they both use
services/products, but active members are current with their annual dues
payment or have requested an annual dues waiver whereas inactive members
have not paid their dues or requested a dues waiver within one month of
their renewal date.
Supporting members cannot use services/products due to temporary or
permanent unavailability of a service/product, choice not to use service, or
the like, but do pay an annual membership in support of The Co-op's work and
in return for limited member benefits.
Only active members can vote at the Annual Member Meeting and are eligible
for patronage rebates.
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What
is the difference between the classes of membership?
Most of our members are Class B: Household members meaning they use our services to
power or heat their home.
Other members may either be Class A: Organizations, which include
cooperative organizations, credit unions, unincorporated associations,
community associations, or non‑profit organizations.
Class C: Business members include businesses or for-profit enterprises not
already covered by Class A. This includes landlords who are purchasing
and managing power/oil on behalf of their properties. If your tenant
is purchasing and paying for their own service, they should have their own
class B membership. Landlords can list several properties under one
membership.
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In the past,
I paid only $5 for my
household membership -- why
is it now $15?
For the first time in the Co-op's 30 year history,
in 2009 we raised our
membership dues to better support all of you, our members. The $15 fee
we now charge is actually the inflation-adjusted equivalent to the $5 fee
established in
1979. This increase will allow us to grow in support
of our growing membership, while still offering dues waivers to those
members that need it most.
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What is a dues
waiver? Are you still offering free memberships? Who qualifies for a
dues waiver?
In the past, The Co-op has offered various types of free memberships to
various categories of members. In March 2010, a membership policy was
approved clarifying that practice.
Any member may request an annual dues waiver if they are in a low-income
household (Class B members) or have a very small operating budget (Class A
or C). No proof of income/operating budget or explanation is required and there are no
specific limits. We are still very committed to providing membership
free of charge to those in need, so please use your own discretion to determine whether you
would like to request a dues waiver. Please note, dues waivers now
must be requested each year, unlike in years past where they carried over
from year to year.
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