Capital Credits

Norris Electric is a not-for-profit electric cooperative. It is owned by those members who use our services. At the end of each year, any operating margins, or profits, are allocated to members receiving electric service during that year in the form of capital credits.

Capital credits represent member ownership, or equity, in the cooperative. A yearly capital credit statement is sent to current members if there are margins to be allocated. Capital credits are not cash sitting in an account and can not be used towards payment of an electric billing statement.

Capital credits are used to operate the cooperative and remain on file until they are refunded by the board of directors. Prior to refunding capital credits, the board carefully considers the cooperative's financial position and necessary long-range capital improvements, prior to offering a "general capital credit refund." The board can announce a general refund at any time.

Unclaimed Capital Credit List (4.07 MB)

Frequently Asked Questions

Capital credits are one of the many benefits of cooperative membership. The Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric cooperative. Capital credits are margins that result from excess revenues after all expenses have been paid. These margins are then allocated to the members of the Cooperative each year after the Cooperative's independent financial statement audit.

As outlined in the Cooperative's bylaws, margins result from revenues in excess of operating expenses in connection with furnishing electric service. These margins represent profit in a given year which is allocated to each members' capital credit accounts. Margin retention is necessary in order to provide the Cooperative with working capital used to maintain and/or improve its infrastructure.

An allocation determines your share of the Cooperative's margins in a particular year. Margins are allocated in proportion to the revenue received from each member. This is referred to as your capital credit allocation. Retirement is the amount you receive back as a capital credit refund. Once allocated, the assigned margins (or capital credits) are retained by the Cooperative as a source of working capital used to maintain and/or improve its infrastructure.

Each year, the Cooperative's Board of Directors review the financial condition of the Cooperative to determine if a retirement of capital credits can be made. Capital credits are retired using the FIFO method. That means the capital credits that have been invested in the Cooperative for the longest period of time are returned first. The Cooperative is currently retiring capital credits on a 25-30 year rotation cycle.

A member who terminates service no longer receives additional capital credit allocations. The balance in the member's capital credit account is maintained until it is retired in full. It is important you keep us informed of your current address and telephone number so you will receive your check when retirements are approved and paid out.

Patronage capital retirement payouts are generally non-taxable income if energy was used for residential purposes. Patronage capital retirement payouts may be subject to tax if the energy was used for non-residential purposes, such as in a trade or business that takes a deduction for the original purchase of electricity. We suggest that you consult with your tax advisor regarding your personal situation.

In the case of dissolution of marriage, the Cooperative must receive appropriate legal documentation as proof of the dissolution of the marriage between spouses in order to make any changes in the ownership of the capital credits We are single membership so if no documentation is submitted then the capital credits will remain in the original member's name.

The Cooperative's Board of Directors will allow the capital credits to be retired early or paid back to the legal representative(s) of your family member's estate. Capital credits that are claimed early due to the death of a family member are returned at a discounted rate. This discount rate is used to determine the net present value of the immediate payout of the deceased member's capital credits. Present value is a calculation to determine the current value of future payment (the current value of $1 increases as time passes). The discount or present value rate for an immediate estate payout is calculated using: (1) the deceased member's capital credit account balance to be paid out in future years; (2) an interest rate which is equivalent to the Cooperative's current weighted average cost of capital; (3) the Cooperative's current capital credit payout rotation cycle.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are capital credits?

What are margins?

What is the difference between allocated and retired capital credits?

How are capital credits retired?

What happens to a member's capital credits if the member moves away from the system?

Is the capital credit check considered income and will I be taxed?

What happens when joint owners of a membership divorce or separate?

What happens to my family member's capital credits if they have passed away?