Philosophically, the cooperative is a family. In reality, just like a family, every action by 1 member has an impact on all the other members. As a member of a cooperative, you are not only a consumer but also an owner of the system. There are no faceless, far-away people making money off your electrical usage. We’re all in this together. Really.
Section 5 of the Bylaws: It is expressly understood that amounts paid for electric energy in excess of the cost of service are furnished by members as capital, and each member shall be credited with the capital so furnished as provided in these bylaws.
Each member shall make available to the Cooperative a suitable site, subject to approval by the Cooperative, whereon to place the Cooperative’s physical facilities for the furnishing and metering of electric service and shall permit the Cooperative’s authorized employees, agents and independent contractors to have access thereto for inspection, maintenance, replacement, relocation or repair thereof at all reasonable times.
As part of the consideration for such service, each member shall be the Cooperative’s bailee (a person or party to whom goods are delivered for a purpose, such as custody or repair, without transfer of ownership) of such facilities and shall accordingly desist from interfering with, impairing the operation of, or causing damage to such facilities, and shall use his best effort to prevent others from doing so.
Section 6 of the Bylaws: Each member shall pay monthly, at rates which shall from time to time be fixed by the Board of Directors, for all electric energy purchased from the Cooperative. Each member shall pay to the Cooperative a minimum amount per month regardless of the amount of electric energy consumed, as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors from time to time. Each member shall also pay all amounts owed by him or it to the Cooperative as and when the same shall become due and payable.
Bylaws and Service Rules & Regulations are available from the Western Oregon Electric Cooperative (WOEC) website.
Sources: What It Means to Be a Coop Member, Ruralite, January 2017, Ruralite Page 4
The 7 Cooperative Principles, Ruralite, February 2017, Page 4
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