In April 2026, each Big Flat Electric Cooperative Member that received and paid an electric bill in 2025 will be issued a Capital Credit Allocation Notice through the mail. 

Cooperatives are distinctly different from investor-owned utilities. For-profit electric utilities generate margins on behalf of investors and shareholders. In an electric cooperative, like Big Flat Electric, any margins (revenues remaining after all expenses have been paid) are allocated to Members in proportion to their electric usage payments. The more electricity you use, the more shares of the Cooperative you own.  That’s the power of cooperative membership. 

Capital Credit Allocations DO NOT represent available funds. Over time, allocations may be paid out to Members as funds are available. Payment is known as capital credit retirement. The decision to retire capital credits rests solely with our Board of Directors and is dependent on the financial condition of the Cooperative and the provisions of our Bylaws. Big Flat Electric’s current retirement cycle is 18 years, and we generally issue capital credit retirement checks in October of each year. 

For the year 2025, Big Flat Electric’s margins for allocation totaled $382,783. Each active Member received their allocation as a credit to their individual capital credit allocation account. The balance in your account is the sum of your allocations earned to date, minus any retired (paid) Capital Credits to date.      

Your Capital Credit Allocations never expire or go away. Once in your account, they are yours. Please notify our office of any future address changes so that you will receive your available payouts when processed. Allocated Capital Credits shown on your recently mailed allocation notice may not be used to pay electric bills or any other debit you may owe Big Flat Electric. 

If you have any questions, please call the office at 406-654-2040.  Thanks!