One of the benefits of being a Decatur County REMC member is that you own a share of the cooperative’s earnings. These are called capital credits.

Each month, when you pay your bill for electric service, Decatur County REMC uses that money to cover the necessary expenses to provide the service. After covering operating expenses, capital expenditures, and other essential costs, any remaining revenue left is referred to as a margin. While investor-owned utilities would call this profit, this is where the cooperative difference comes into play.

At the end of each year, that margin, or leftover amount, is allocated to the capital credit fund. These margins are distributed back to you based on your energy usage, representing the return on your investment in the cooperative.

The board of directors will then vote to retire or repay the capital credits based on the cooperative’s annual budget and overall financial health.

Since 1968, Decatur County REMC has retired over $17 million back to our members and we are doing it again this month. You will see your credit on the August statement if you had service in 1993, 1996, or 1997.

Here’s how it works:

Serve

DCREMC provides electricity and tracks the amount you use and pay for throughout the year.

Margins

At the end of the fiscal year, DCREMC determines if there is excess revenue, called margins.

Allocation

Based on how much electricity you’ve used, DCREMC then allocates the margins as capital credits to you.

Retirement

When financial conditions permit, your board of directors will pay, or retire, the capital credits.