Tri-County Electric Blog
News You Can Use…and so much more
Welcome to Tri County Electric Membership Corporation’s blog. Here you will find helpful short articles about vegetation management, saving money on your Electric Bill, programs available to help you plan a construction project and much more.
Visit this page often to learn more about system updates, new programs and services, upcoming events and energy efficient strategies for your home or business.
Residential Rates
Billing Period: December 2024 Minimum Bill (No kWh): $27.53 Energy Charge: (Cents / kWh) $0.10606
WR400 Deluxe NOAA Weather Radio
The WR400 Deluxe NOAA Weather Radio uses digital S.A.M.E. technology to lock into your county's warning system, giving you instant weather updates from the National Weather Service. The USB output on this alarm clock weather radio allows you to charge devices directly from the radio. Program up to 25 counties with 80 different emergency alerts. The WR400 weather...
TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC TAKES LOCAL STUDENTS TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Three students from Tri-County Electric’s service area got the opportunity of a lifetime to spend a week in our nation’s capital as delegates of the 2024 Washington Youth Tour. Erin Meadows, Clay County High School, Siara Chyle, Red Boiling Springs High School, and Samantha Law, Macon County High School, were among 139 students from across Tennessee on the weeklong...
2024 Electric Cooperative Writing Contest Winners
Each year Tri-County Electric partners with our statewide organizations in Tennessee and Kentucky to sponsor the Electric Cooperative Writing Contest. Winners also qualify for thousands of dollars in scholarships. High school juniors are asked to submit a short story not exceeding 900 words of a specific title each year. This year’s story title was Electric...
TVA Approves Tri-County Electric Cost of Service Study….
In an effort to lower costs for our member-owners, Tri-County Electric requested a rate change from our regulator, the Tennessee Valley Authority. The approved change will allow Tri-County Electric to shift costs to the fixed portion (customer charge) of our member’s monthly bill while lowering the kilowatt hour charges to offset the increase. This rate adjustment...
Effective October 1, 2023, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) increased wholesale rates to all distributors, including Tri-County Electric, by 7%. Tri-County Electric will pass the TVA increase through, resulting in an impact of approximately $6.50 increase/month for the average residential account of 1250 kWh/month. While this is a TVA pass through, not a...
Now utilizing text messaging
Tri-County Electric will be utilizing text messaging as part of our Outage Management System. We now have the ability to text to share known outages with members. We will automatically include all members we have a cell phone number for, so please make sure your phone number is updated. Members can opt out at any time. Initial text messages will look similar to the...
TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC TAKES LOCAL STUDENTS TO WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tri-County Electric, Lafayette – Two students from Tri-County Electric service area spent a week in the nation’s capital as delegates of the 2023 Washington Youth Tour. Bailey Massengille, Red Boiling Springs High School and Anna Grace Blythe, Metcalfe County High School joined 128 other students from across Tennessee on the weeklong trip that began on Friday, June...
Electric Cooperative Writing Contest Winners
Each year Tri-County Electric partners with our statewide organizations in Tennessee and Kentucky to sponsor the Electric Cooperative Writing Contest. Winners also qualify for thousands of dollars in scholarships. High school juniors are asked to submit a short story not exceeding 900 words of a specific title each year. This year’s story title was Electric...
2023 Tri-County Electric Annual Meeting
A nice crowd enjoyed Tri-County Electric’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 4, 2023, at the Lafayette, Tennessee office. The lucky winner of the $100 to start the meeting was Ms. Barbara Blankenship. Ron Alan Powell, Lafayette District Director, welcomed everyone to the meeting, followed by the Invocation from Russell Cherry, Manager of Purchasing. The Reading of...
You’re Invited
From the desk of Paul Thompson, Chief Executive Officer Please join us at our Lafayette office located at 405 College Street Lafayette, Tennessee, on Thursday, May 4, 2023, for Tri-County Electric’s Annual Meeting. Rural electric cooperatives meet with their member-owners on an annual basis to report on the activities of the cooperative. We will provide free...
BE AWARE OF THIRD PARTY BILL-PAY WEBSITES
Online bill pay can be a convenient and safe way to do business with Tri-County Electric and other service providers. However, it is important to use caution when completing financial transactions online. Third-party bill payment websites appear to be affiliated with Tri-County Electric. These sites allow consumers to pay a variety of bills in one place, including...
TVA, Local Power Companies Manage Record-Setting Power Demand
TVA MEDIA ADVISORY KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Record-setting temperatures across the region continue to put intense pressure on the power system. The Tennessee Valley Authority and local power companies working around the clock in difficult conditions to meet this extreme demand. On Saturday morning, December 24, TVA directed local power companies to implement planned,...
TVA Operational Update – Holiday Cold Snap 12/23
The holiday cold weather is upon us. As of Friday morning, temperatures are averaging in the single digits across the entire region, pushing power demand past 30,000 MW. We expect power demand to remain near this level through Saturday. In an effort to conserve electricity, we are asking the public to join us in taking some simple steps to reduce power use without...
Kentucky State Sales Tax Law Change
Alert to our Kentucky Member-Owners If you have more than one residential account with us, we will contact you by direct mail, email and text to alert you of the requirement for you to select which residential account is your primary residence. Member-owners can stop by any office to obtain and complete the form. If you have only one residential location, you are...
Understanding and managing your electric bill….
Tri-County Electric is a member-owned electric cooperative. We purchase our wholesale power from and are regulated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The three primary components of your residential electric bill are the Customer Charge, kilowatt hour (kWh) charge and the TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment. The Customer Charge for Tri-County Electric’s residential...
CO-OPS VOTE
How Hot Weather Affects your Electric Bill
Tri-County Electric’s 2022 Washington Youth Tour Writing Contest Winners
The motto of the Washington Youth Tour is “900 Words Can Change Everything”. Four students living in Tri-County Electric’s service area found this to be true by writing winning short stories explaining how electric co-ops are “Building a Brighter Tennessee” through investments in energy, education, broadband, economic development and more. Tri-County Electric’s 2022...
Avoid Solar Energy Scams
By Abby Berry Solar energy is booming, and the future is brighter than ever. Through the use of rooftop solar panels, many homeowners can now harness the sun’s natural rays to produce their own electricity that’s environmentally friendly and cost effective. But with the increasing popularity of solar, unfortunately, some businesses are taking advantage of consumers...
STEM Grant
The Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Tri-County Electric Cooperation and Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated (a TVA retiree organization), recently awarded Macon County High, Red Boiling Springs High, And Macon County Junior High School, $2,500.00 for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education project. The grant award is a part of...
Tri-County Electric’s 2021 Youth Tour Winners
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) made the decision to cancel the 2021 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour (also known as the Washington Youth Tour) amid concerns over COVID-19. For over 50 years, teens from rural America have been coming to Washington, D.C. on the “trip of a lifetime,” courtesy of Tri-County Electric and other local...
2021 TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC ANNUAL MEETING
A nice crowd enjoyed Tri-County Electric’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at Westmoreland High School in Westmoreland, TN. The lucky winner of the $100 to start the meeting was Ms. Elise Phillips. Tony Bentle, Westmoreland District Director, welcomed everyone to the meeting, followed by the Presentation of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance by Cub Scout Pack...
Solar Scams
Tri-County Electric has become aware of some misleading information being shared to Co-op members concerning renewable energy projects. During this summer season, some solar contractors are becoming more and more aggressive. These contractors will call upon local members and offer solar installation opportunities. Sometimes, during these conversations, erroneous...
Brutally Cold February Temperatures
We experienced brutally cold weather during the month of February. Your home uses much more energy during cold weather, even when your thermostat settings are the same. According to the National Weather Service Data out of Nashville, Tennessee, February temperatures were well below normal. They recorded seven days that the temperature didn’t reach 32 degrees, three...
STOP Hidden Fees by Voting NO on Pole Attachments
UPDATED March 18, 2021 In a significant win for the electric cooperative program in Kentucky, the General Assembly approved legislation Tuesday that allows electric cooperatives to add broadband service, and earmarks $250 million in federal funding to encourage broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas. The bill now goes to Governor Andy Beshear for his...
Three S’s of Residential Solar Installation
Don’t get scammed by the solar sales presentation promising to eliminate your monthly electric bill. Solar FAQ As a distributor of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power, Tri-County Electric supports our member-owner’s interest in solar energy. Unfortunately, many of our member-owners are being deceived by so called “Solar Power Experts.” Our members are being...
Tri-County Electric’s 2020 Electric Youth Tour Winners
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) made the decision to cancel the 2020 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour (also known as the Washington Youth Tour) amid concerns over COVID-19. For over 50 years, teens from rural America have been coming to Washington, D.C. on the “trip of a lifetime,” courtesy of Tri-County Electric and other local...
New Convenient Cash Payment Option
Tri-County Electric members now have an additional and convenient CASH payment option. We are participating in a program that allows our members to make payments at locations where many of our members currently shop. Follow the steps below to enroll in the program. Step #1: Member Obtains Barcode Member gets their unique real-time barcode. Once the barcode...
Lend Your Voice to Rural America
In 2016, rural America played a big part in our national elections – 500,000 MORE rural voters went to the polls than in 2012. In 2018, we saw more candidates and elected officials visiting cooperatives than ever before and engaging in dialogue about rural issues of importance. This year, electric cooperatives have the opportunity to play a vital role in encouraging...
The Three (S’s) of Residential Solar Installations
Don’t get scammed by the solar sales presentation promising to eliminate your monthly electric bill. As a distributor of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power, Tri-County Electric supports our member-owner’s interest in solar energy. Unfortunately, many of our member-owners are being deceived by so called “Solar Power Experts”. Our members are being told if...
Charging Station
Pingen Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University visited with Tri-County Electric’s Lafayette location last Friday. He said “Thank you very much for becoming a host of the level-2 charging station in the EV demonstration project. I look forward to demonstrating the EV in Macon County in the near...
COVID-19 IMPACTED TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC’S 2020 ANNUAL MEETING
With the safety of our member-owners our top priority, Tri-County Electric announced a change in plans for the Annual Meeting that was to be held May 7, 2020 in Westmoreland, TN. Unfortunately, we were not be able to conduct our traditional celebration with our member-owners. The 2020 official business meeting included only those board members and staff necessary...
Nest Thermostat
Learn more about your Nest Learning Thermostat and how you can utilize the features to help save energy in your home. https://support.google.com/googlenest/topic/9361969?hl=en&ref_topic=9361189
Heat Pump Loans
Tri-County Electric offers heat pump loans through TVA’s Energy Right program for the installation of heat pumps in our member-owners residences. Electric heat pumps and dual fuel heat pumps are eligible for financing through this low-interest fixed-rate loan program. Heat pumps, properly installed, provide energy efficiency for both heating and cooling. To qualify...
Demand Response Program
If the member-owner agrees to participate in our Demand Response Program, we waive the installation fee of $1,500. The goal of the program is to lower the demand charges the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) imposes on Tri-County Electric. The demand charge is based on the maximum amount of power TVA delivers to Tri-County Electric during any sixty minute period...
Keep Electric Poles Clear
It is important to keep electric poles clear for the safety of those who work on the power lines. Attaching items to electric poles is against the law. Attaching items to Tri-County Electric’s poles is prohibited not only by Board Policy, but it is also a violation of state law due to the safety hazard it creates. Any item attached to our poles presents an obstacle...
It’s Time for Levelized Billing
October 2020 – If you haven’t yet done so, it's the time for Levelized Billing sign ups at Tri-County Electric. Levelized Billing is FREE and it averages those larger winter and summer bills with the rest of the year to produce a lower monthly bill. Best of all, since the average is always current there is no “pay-up” month! Levelized Billing is for everyone that...
2019 Annual Meeting
Tri-County Electric’s 2019 annual meeting of the members was held on Thursday, May 3, 2019, at Macon County Junior High School in Lafayette. The evening began with an opportunity to watch an interactive trailer demonstration or take a ride in the bucket truck. Each registered member received an attendance gift and children will received a T-shirt to have their name...
Safety Demonstration Trailer
Tri-County Electric teaches the importance of safety with electricity using our Safety Demonstration Trailer. Schools and civic groups in the areas serviced by Tri-County Electric can schedule the Safety Demonstration Trailer for a free interactive experience designed for children and adults to explore safe handling of electricity and to see a demonstration of...
2020 Washington Youth Tour Competition
The 2020 Washington Youth Tour Competition opens for this unforgettable trip. Your prize for showing the benefits of cooperative power: an unforgettable trip to Washington, D.C., June 19-25, 2020, with nearly 2,000 other students your age from across the country. Each day of the Washington Youth Tour brings more impressive sights, opportunities for photos and lots...
Tennessee Valley Solar Calculator
Considering Solar? Tennessee Valley solar calculator can help you learn whether this is a good option for you by understanding the costs and potential savings of installing solar to your property. You can learn how solar energy works by clicking here. Click Solar Calculator to use the tool that can help you make an informed decision when considering whether or not...
Power Outage FEMA Advice
Download FEMA's power outage preparedness guide here. Extended power outages may impact the whole community and the economy. Power Outage FEMA Advice is available to help you prepare for and respond to an extended outage both at home and in the workplace. A power outage is when the electrical power goes out unexpectedly. A power outage may: Disrupt...
Standing Stone State Park Goes Green
Standing Stone State Park goes green! Standing Stone State Park in Tennessee, a Tri-County member, has completed the Gold Recognition Level of the TN State Parks Go Green With Us Initiative and Guidelines. The guidelines include multiple areas of environmental sustainability, including education and outreach, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste and...
Dealing with Nuisance Insects
In many areas of the country when cool, fall days arrive, Asian lady beetles (ladybugs), Harmonia axyridis and boxelder bugs, Boisea trivittatus, congregate on exterior walls. this leaves many of us dealing with nuisance insects. They typically choose the south and west facing walls since these walls are the warmest. Once on the wall they look for nooks, crannies...
Take Charge of Your Water with a Rain Garden
A Rain Garden is a landscape depression that can be filled with moisture-loving plants. You can take charge of your water with a Rain Garden. Hidden beneath the pretty plants is a natural storm water treatment system that allows 30% more water to infiltrate into the ground. This reduces the amount of water from flowing through your property creating erosion or...
Commercial Rates
Up-to-Date General Power Rate – Schedule GSA The rate for Commercial Service fluctuates with the cost of power from TVA. For the current month's charge, please check this chart monthly. If you have questions, please contact our office. December 2024 Power Charge GSA 1 Demand from 0 to 50 kW and kWh less than 15,000 Minimum Bill per meter (No kWh), unless higher...
Vegetation Management
Tri-County Electric's Vegetation Management policy balances the beauty of landscaping and tree planting in neighborhoods with the need to keep power lines clear of vegetation to keep the power source secure. The Vegetation Management policy is designed to keep trees from damaging the power supply. Most everyone recognizes the importance of trees. They provide...
Rates for Security Lighting
Up-to-Date Rates The rates for security lighting fluctuates with the cost of power from TVA. For the current month's charge, please check this chart monthly. If you have questions, please contact our office. May 2021 Lighting Type Charge 51 Watt LED $10.56
Heating & Cooling
a Learn more about how to save on heating and cooling with these tips. Not only will it mean your home is more efficient, you will save money on your energy bills. Q. How well is my home insulated? A. If you can see your ceiling joists, you need to increase the amount of insulation in your attic. Attic insulation should have at least an R-30 rating. Download...
Appliance Savings
Use this calculator to help identify appliance savings tips. Find out how much energy the appliances in your home use with our online Appliance Calculator. It can add up to about 20% of your total consumption. Food Take the dollar bill test. Close your refrigerator door on a dollar bill and then try to pull it out. If the dollar comes out easily you may need new...
Water & Lighting Savings
Water and lighting savings can be found in inefficient water heaters, leaking faucets and the light bulbs you are using. These could be areas where you are losing money every month. Find savings tips you can implement at your home or office. Lighting Use energy-efficient Compact Fluorescents (CFL). They cost more to purchase but use one-quarter as much energy as...
One Central Phone for All Offices
Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation now has one central phone for all offices in the district. The new central phone number is: 1-800-369-2111. This replaces all local office numbers. While a number change is hard to get use to, this will be a local call from every area we serve. The 800 number has been in use for a long time, but it will now be used as our...
Broadband Build Updates
There are Broadband build updates! Tri-County Electric is proud to announce plans to build a fiber network throughout Trousdale County and the portion of Sumner County served by the Hartsville District. The project will be a Demand Response Pilot and will allow the rural electric cooperative, through their subsidiary Tri County Fiber Communications, to provide...
Right of Way Policy
Everyone should learn more about the Right of Way Policy at Tri- County Electric Membership Corporation. Prior to maintaining the right-of-way, Tri-County Electric will attempt to contact the property owner using information available to Tri-County Electric. Tri-County Electric will only recognize the property owner or his/her pre-established designee as an...
Energy Saving Checklist
There are things you can do to lower your energy usage. Discuss these with your family so that everyone can do their part to decrease your electric bill. Take the energy right Home e-Valuation (do-it yourself energy audit), receive the free energy kit, use all the contents and save $2 – $4 per month. Adjust your HVAC system’s thermostat over an...
Don’t Dig Without Calling Tri-County
Don't dig without calling Tri-County! One of the worst mistakes in any construction project is failing to identify where lines are buried on the property! It is costly and even potentially dangerous to dig up underground power, gas, cable, phone and water lines. There may also be irrigation water lines or buried electrical fencing conduits. Whether you are starting...
Landscaping with Utility Friendly Trees
Landscaping with utility friendly trees will help keep vegetation away form power lines. In an effort to keep trees away from power lines, planting trees within 30 feet of the Right of Way of your property is prohibited. Trees found within the 30' set back will be removed with the exception of “utility friendly” trees. An example of these trees includes dogwoods....
NOAA Public Alert Radio
Tri-County Electric is doing its part to help keep our members informed of dangerous weather conditions. NOAA Public Alert Radio devices are available for members to purchase and have been installed in schools, hospitals and nursing homes. On behalf of its members, NOAA Public Alert Weather Radios have been installed in all schools, hospitals and nursing homes in...
Surge Protectors
Surge Protectors are the best defense for keeping appliances and other electrical items safe from damage due to weather and other power grid issues. Fluctuations in power supply can destroy the items you have plugged into sockets in your home or business. While Tri-County Electric strives to maintain an uninterrupted power supply, there are weather events, such as...
