We are dedicated to providing you with dependable electric service at a competitive cost. Our website is designed to give you information on how Carroll Electric is operated, the services available to you, and the responsibilities of member-consumers. Should you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to let us know.


The History of Carroll Electric

   By the mid 1930’s almost every urban area in the United States had electric power.  However, the rural areas were still in the dark.  Only about 10 percent of the people in these outlying regions enjoyed the convenience of electricity.  Why?  Because the investor-owned utilities didn’t think they could make money by stringing lines into the countryside.  When they did, the cost was usually prohibitive to rural residents.
   In 1938, a group of rural people organized Carroll Electric Cooperative and obtained a 100% loan from the Rural Electrification Administration  (R.E.A.), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Lines were built with funds advanced by the R.E.A. and electricity was made available to nearly everyone who paid a $10.00 membership fee to the cooperative.  In December 1939, the lines were energized for the first time and suddenly lights started dotting the Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas, and Stark County’s countryside.  Members then used an average of only 40 KWH.  Today the average monthly usage has increased to approximately 1100 KWH.
   Carroll Electric now serves over 11,600 members with a system of over 1407 miles of line.
   Ohio has 25 Electric Distribution Cooperatives, providing electric service in 77 of 88 Counties.  There are over 1000 electric cooperatives across the nation serving members in 46 of 50 States.

	How the Cooperative is Operated
	Carroll Electric is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees.  The Board’s duty is to establish policy.  Each trustee is nominated by co-op members and represents a specific geographic district within our service term.  Each board member serves a three-year term.  Board members are elected at the Annual Meeting.

Patrons' Money is Refunded (Capital Credits)

   Carroll Electric is a non-profit organization; rates are based on the cost of doing business.  That doesn’t mean we don’t earn a margin; it means that we return this excess to you, the member-consumer.  The return of this margin is called patronage capital credits.
   At the end of each year, these net margins are allocated to each member on the basis of the dollar amount of energy used during that year.  Annually you will receive a notice stating the amount of capital credits assigned to your account for that year.  This notice is not a check and cannot be cashed or applied to your electric bill.
   Your Board of Trustees has set a goal of returning patronage capital to eligible members on a 19-year cycle.  When approved, checks are issued to eligible members for the amount credited to their account for the year being refunded.

Open Membership

A cooperative is a business which provides service to its members.  A coop has an open membership and will provide service to anyone living within the boundaries of its service area.  You become a member by paying a $10.00 membership fee, signing a membership application, having a service connection, and agreeing to purchase energy from Carroll Electric.  A deposit is a requirement for all rental properties.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

Carroll Electric Cooperative, Inc. is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the rules and regulation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provides that no person in the United States on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap shall be excluded from participation in, admission or access to , denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any of this organization’s programs or activities.

The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s non-discrimination compliance effort is Harold K. Laizure, Jr., General Manager.  Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may obtain further information about the statutes and regulations listed above from and/or file a written complaint with this organization; or the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250;or the Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.  Washington, D.C. 20250.  Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discrimination.  Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible.