Posted on: September 13, 2023 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop
As your electric provider, part of offering excellent service is keeping that service secure and reliable. You are probably familiar with the many ways we keep our system reliable – from repairing equipment to prevent wear and tear to practicing vegetation management to keep our lines clear. You’ve also heard a lot from us recently about the ways we advocate for energy policy that ensures your power stays on. However, you may not see the dedicated work that we put into ensuring our system and your information remain secure.
Our team undergoes regular training to ensure that we keep the grid safe from cyberattacks like phishing, data leaks, or compromised passwords. In addition, we are protected by state-of-the-art systems from national cybersecurity organizations.
Because we are a cooperative, we work together with co-ops across the country to develop new technologies and infrastructure, to learn from each other, and to keep the grid secure. Thanks to this community of co-ops, we are all stronger and better prepared for anything that comes our way.
We can’t stop a storm or predict every possible disruption, but we will always do everything in our power to keep the lights on and our members protected.
Join us in advocating for a reliable, affordable, and secure electric grid! Learn more about current issues and the ways you can use your voice here.
Posted on: April 17, 2023 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop
We just lowered rates across the board for our residential fiber-to-the-home internet service, and we are no longer requiring contracts!
Check to see if Consolidated Fiber is available where you live, then start your order today.
About Rates:
As a not-for-profit cooperative, we are committed to only charging the amount that it takes for us to continue providing excellent service.
The costs of building and maintaining our network are being shared among more of our members than when we first started, so everyone can pay a smaller monthly share. Our lower rates will make our service accessible to more members, which will help us continue maintaining excellent service at this lower cost.
This change will not affect rates for gas or electric services. Though inflation has affected the cost of fiber materials, internet service is not subject to the same changing policies and demand challenges that have been driving energy costs up across the nation.
About Contracts:
When we first started, we needed contracts to protect our investments into our fiber-to-the-home network. As Consolidated Fiber grows, it has become clear that contracts are no longer necessary – our subscribers don’t want to give up our service once they have it!
New subscribers will not have to sign a contract to get our service. If you are a current subscriber, you will continue to get the same great service at our new lower rates until you tell us you want to make a change.
Plan Speed Changes:
You may have noticed that we bumped up the speed of our first two plans – Fiber 100 is now Fiber 300, and Fiber 250 is now Fiber 500! If you were on Fiber 100 or Fiber 250 before this change, we raised your speed to match our new plans!
We decided to raise our speeds because it’s better for our subscribers, and our fiber-to-the-home network can support the change while maintaining consistent and reliable service for everyone. We are committed to making sure our subscribers have the speed and bandwidth to meet all their needs.
Plans and Pricing
Fiber 300 – $79.95/month
Our first package starts at a much higher speed than most providers, because we want all our subscribers to have a superior internet experience! Fiber 300 can easily handle the needs of average internet users. This plan supports streaming, video calls, uploading pictures and videos to cloud storage, and more without buffering or long load times.
Fiber 500 – $99.95/month
Do you have multiple people in your home streaming or video calling at the same time? Do you live in a smaller household with a lot of smart devices? Don’t compete for bandwidth! Fiber 500 is the perfect middle ground for small or medium-sized households with above average internet use.
Fiber 1,000 (Gig) – $119.95/month
Fiber 1,000 is for households who use a lot of internet. If you have a larger family, multiple gamers or remote workers, and/or numerous smart home devices, this plan ensures that you will have plenty of bandwidth to go around without delays or buffering.
Gamer Gig – $139.95/month
Calling all gamers! Our Gamer Gig plan was made specifically for the tech lovers, streamers, and gamers who want the best of the best. With super low latency and increased network priority, this plan will help keep you at the top of your game – even if everyone is streaming, gaming, or video calling at the same time.
The Affordable Connectivity Program
You may be eligible for $30 off our new lower rates through the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Check your eligibility at affordableconnectivity.gov. Eligible households must apply for the program and then contact us at 800-421-5863 to complete the opt-in process and start receiving your benefits.
Posted on: April 3, 2023 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop
Our Delaware office will be closed to the public from Monday, May 29-Monday, June 26 for building maintenance.
Our Mount Gilead office and our phone lines will still be open for our regular hours.
If you typically manage your bill in-person at the Delaware office, there are plenty of payment options still available to you. You can always use VanillaDirect Pay or MoneyGram to pay your bill with cash at local retailers. We also accept money orders and checks in our night drop boxes at both offices or in the mail. If you would like to pay by card, you can use your Consolidated SmartHub account, or call and use our automated phone system.
Visit our About My Bill page to learn more and see a full list of payment options. If you have questions or need help, give our team a call at 800-421-5863.
Our fiber-to-the-home internet comes with no contracts, unlimited data, free 24/7 tech support, and more!
Consolidated Fiber is available to about 9,000 homes throughout our service territory, and it could be right outside your door. Visit our
Residential Fiber Page to learn more and see if our internet is available where you live!
Posted on: December 16, 2022 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop
Help rural Ohio get better internet!
We are partnering with electric cooperatives and rural organizations across Ohio to share the true reality of internet coverage in our communities. The federal government has tens of billions of dollars available to fund broadband projects that bring reliable, high-speed internet to unserved or underserved areas. We need your help to make sure that funding benefits those who need it most!
Please take a few minutes to review the new National Broadband Map from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This will allow you to see if the internet coverage at your location is accurately represented, and to challenge the map if it isn’t. If the government map shows that you have good internet coverage, they will not approve funding for broadband projects in your area.
All challenges must be filed by January 13, 2023, to ensure that the map is revised before funding decisions are made this summer. This will give rural Ohio the BEST chance to access the funding it needs to connect.
If the coverage is correct at your location, no action is required
If the coverage is incorrect, click or tap “Availability Challenge” and follow the on-screen prompts.
Fill out the short form that appears
Repeat the process for any additional inaccurate provider listings (there may be more than one)
Ask your friends and family to report their internet experience by sharing this information.
Watch this video for step-by-step instructions:
Why does this matter to Consolidated?
As a rural cooperative, we are committed to helping improve life in our communities. In today’s world, our communities need access to high-speed internet to learn and connect, attract growth, and thrive. Though we do provide fiber-to-the-home internet through Consolidated Fiber, this project is bigger than us.
We started our fiber project to serve our members when no one else would. We are not out to make money; we are out to make sure that everyone who wants great internet can get it – regardless of who’s providing the service. This project is about our members, rural Ohio, and rural Americans everywhere who are underserved.
Please help your community thrive by sharing your internet reality.
We are accepting submissions for our annual Little Artist Contest! All children between the ages of four and ten are invited to design the front of our 2022 holiday card.
Children should submit hand-colored artwork on an 8.5×11″ sheet of paper that’s folded in half like a card. Entries are judged on creativity and color. In addition to being on the cover of the card we send to our members, the winner will receive a $50 gift card, and their artwork will be featured in December’s Ohio Cooperative Living magazine.
Entries are due Oct. 7. Please make sure that the child’s name and age are clearly printed on the back of the card, along with their guardian’s name and contact information. You can drop entries off at our offices during business hours, or send them in the mail using the following address:
ATTN: Holiday Card Contest Consolidated Cooperative 5255 State Route 95 Mount Gilead, OH 43338
Posted on: September 14, 2022 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop
This year, our Mount Gilead office will be an official registration site for National Voter Registration Day!
If you need to register, or if you need to update your voter registration information, you can do so at our Mount Gilead location on Tuesday, September 20. We will have employees on site to help you from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and we will securely submit all state and federal registrations at the end of the day.
Make sure to register by October 5 if you would like to participate in the General Election on November 3. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
State and federal government policies play a big role in the health of cooperatives like ours. Make sure that you have the resources you need to be a Co-Op Voter! Visit the Co-Ops Vote website to check your registration status, learn about your local legislators, and get more information about this year’s elections.
From now through September 30, you can earn a $5 bill credit just for trying VanillaDirect Pay!
VanillaDirect Pay is a secure and convenient way to pay your Consolidated bill with cash at a long list of local retailers.
All you have to do is find the personalized barcode on your Consolidated SmartHub account or your paper bill, and show it to the cashier at a participating location when you are ready to pay. Your payment will be automatically applied to your account.
We will cover the cost of up to two transactions per month for all our members. If you choose to pay more frequently, there is a small, $1.50 fee per transaction.
Now is the perfect time to start using VanillaDirect Pay, because starting October 1, 2022, we will no longer be able to accept cash payments at our Delaware location. If you typically make your cash payments in Delaware, we are happy to help you find a VanillaDirect Pay location close to you!
If you use VanillaDirect Pay to make a cash payment on your Consolidated bill by September 30, 2022, we will add a $5 bill credit to your account.
Visit the VanillaDirect Pay website to find a location near you.
On Saturday, May 14, Consolidated Cooperative hosted its first-ever drive-through annual meeting. Over 350 cars drove through Consolidated’s facility in Mount Gilead that morning to receive a free hot breakfast, a bill credit, and a gift. Forty-eight employees and trustees from the co-op served over 698 total guests between 8-10 a.m.
“Our annual meeting is an opportunity for us to connect with our members and show our appreciation for everything they do,” said Consolidated President and CEO, Philip Caskey. “This year’s turnout was better than it has ever been before, and we are thankful that we had the chance to serve so many of our members and their families on Saturday.”
At the meeting, Consolidated announced the winners of its 2022 Trustee Election:
District 1: Kent Kramer (unopposed)
District 2: David Erickson (vs. Don McCracken)
District 3: Tim Bachelder (unopposed)
David Erickson is new to the cooperative trustee board, though he has been a cooperative member for 13 years. Erickson is an active leader and volunteer in his community, and he has over 30 years of technical and leadership experience in electric utilities.
Though longstanding trustee Don McCracken will not be returning to the board, the cooperative is celebrating his 29 years of dedicated service to Consolidated members.
VanillaDirect Pay is our newest, convenient way to pay your Consolidated bill with cash.
VanillaDirect Pay makes payments easier. Out running errands? VanillaDirect Pay allows you to pay your Consolidated bill with cash at any of these local retailers: Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS Pharmacy, Speedway, 7-Eleven, and more. Click here to find other participating locations.
How does it work? Show your barcode located on your paper bill or in your SmartHub account at the register. The cashier will scan the barcode and then take your payment. Your payment will be credited to your Consolidated account immediately.
Pay as you go! With VanillaDirect Pay, you can make partial payments on your account. Whether you split it up through the month or pay it all at once; you decide what works best for you.
