Being a member of Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation means that you are more than just a customer, you are also an owner of this company as part of the cooperative structure. Read below to find out more about what that means for you.
Responsive to Member Needs
- The board of directors is member-elected and made up of leaders from your community
- No distant shareholders means that Piedmont Electric can focus solely on the issues in our community
- Our not-for-profit designation keeps costs low, and any funds remaining at the end of the year are later returned to our members as Capital Credits
- Programs like SmartHub, free Home Energy Audits and Energy Efficiency Calculators are all born out of conversations with our members and are in response to specific member needs
- The power is in your hands as Piedmont Electric works hard to create tools that help you save money on your monthly bill
What is a Cooperative?
A cooperative is an organization that is owned by the community it serves. When you sign up for electricity from Piedmont Electric, you become a member, and owner, of this cooperative. This gives you the power to vote for the democratically-elected board of directors, or even run for a seat on the board yourself!
This system allows Piedmont Electric to focus on our members’ needs and work to develop programs that will make a real impact on their daily lives.
While each co-op is locally owned and operated, Piedmont Electric is a member of the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA), which includes a total of 905 co-ops serving an estimated 42 million people in 47 states nationwide. In addition, Piedmont Electric partners with North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives serving more than 950,000 households and businesses. Through these national and state organizations, we work on emergency restoration, power supply maintenance, material procurement, communications, employee training and benefits and much more.
A Touchstone Energy Cooperative
Piedmont Electric is part of the National Touchstone Energy Network of Cooperatives, which represents a nationwide alliance of 750 local, member-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states. As a Touchstone Energy member, we work with other Touchstone Energy cooperatives to generate services and member programs that would normally require the resources of a much larger corporation.
Together We Save
Piedmont Electric strives to provide dependable electricity at a cost (not-for-profit) to every member. By working with our national organization and other Touchstone Energy cooperatives, we are able to energize and enhance our members’ lives with affordable electricity. Through shared services and programs, we empower our members to save money through responsible energy use and a community of connections.
Working Together
One of the main incentives of belonging to a connected group of cooperatives is our ability to affect change in the state and federal legislature. We work with our statewide and national organizations to ensure that lawmakers have all the facts about energy distribution and keep the needs of cooperatives and members like you in mind when passing new laws.
Co-op Connections® Card
As members of this community, Piedmont Electric and other cooperatives want you to save on more than just power. That’s why we worked with other cooperatives and Touchstone Energy to create the Co-op Connections® Card. This card offers discounts at local merchants, as well as at major retailers across the country!
Helpful member programs come from your ideas. Give us your feedback at info@pemc.coop or call us at 800.222.3107