Electricity is a value. It powers our everyday lives, often for less than $5 a day. Being a member of Beltrami Electric Cooperative – like you are – offers even MORE value to your dollar because you’ll likely get some of that dollar back. It’s a nice little system we like to call CAPITAL CREDITS.

Capital Credits represent your share of ownership in Beltrami Electric Cooperative

Electric cooperatives operate as not-for-profit utilities, which means that any profit (called margins) is returned to members, not shareholders. The margins are allocated every year according to how much energy the members each buy. Then they are retired in the future and paid out to those members to which they were allocated. The allocation and retirement of capital credits is one of the most unique and rewarding benefits of being a member-owner of Beltrami Electric Cooperative.

Refund amounts are based on your length of membership and the amount of energy purchased during the period retired.

Capital credits may not be retired every year – it depends on the current financial needs of the cooperative. This year, the board has authorized a retirement of more than $1.7 million in capital credits, including general and estate retirements. The co-op and board work together to keep rates as low as possible while still having the revenue needed to ensure safe and reliable electricity.

Look for your credit on your bill

For members who joined the cooperative prior to 2023, capital credit refunds will be applied as a credit to bills in late November or early December (depending on your billing cycle). The credit will be applied to the primary service on your bill statement under Account Detail.