How do our rates compare to other utilities?

Coastal Electric Cooperative offers members competitive rates.

We are a not-for-profit business. Our charges are based on the actual cost of service. Before setting our rates, we conduct a cost of service study to make sure that each class, such as residential, general service and industrial, are each paying their fair share.

Because Coastal Electric Cooperative is a cooperative, owned by its members, it does not technically earn profits. Instead, any revenues over and above the cost of doing business are considered "margins."

These margins represent an interest-free loan of operating capital by the membership to the cooperative. This capital allows Coastal Electric Cooperative to finance operations and - to a certain extent - construction, with the intent that this capital will be repaid to you in later years. We call these captial credits.

Coastal Electric ranks 25th from the bottom of 58 electric utilities surveyed quarterly by Jacksonville Electric Authority. (Source: July 2006 JEA Quarterly Rate Survey) See how we compare nationally to other electric companies throughout the nation (pdf).

Coastal Electric compares favorably with Georgia Power, both in the territory previously served by Savannah Electric and in the other areas they serve. Based upon the most recent Georgia Public Service Commission rate survey (July 2006) for 1,500 kilowatt-hours, Coastal Electric is 10 percent less that Georgia Power (Savannah Electric region) and just slightly higher (1.1 percent) than Georgia Power in their other territory.