Consolidated Cooperative Hosts First Drive-Through Annual Meeting 

Posted on: May 16, 2022 By: CEC Updater

2022 Trustee Election Results Announced 

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

Posted on: March 25, 2022 By: CEC Updater

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.

Life just got easier with VanillaDirect Pay!

Consolidated returns $10,445 to Northmor Local Schools

Posted on: March 25, 2022 By: CEC Updater

As a not-for-profit cooperative, Consolidated returns “capital credits” to members. That means the co-op’s margins, or the money that’s left at the end of the year after expenses are paid, are allocated to the members of the cooperative. The amount of capital credits a member receives is based on how much electricity is purchased in a year. Consolidated keeps the money for a number of years to offset unexpected expenses, such as storm damage, or to use as general operating funds. That helps Consolidated avoid taking loans or having high-interest rates, which saves members money.  

All members receive returns in proportion to the amount of power they used in a certain prior year. Northmor Schools recently received $10,445 in capital credits returns. District Superintendent Chad Redmon says the money will go to the school’s general fund. “These dollars are greatly appreciated and will benefit our students and staff directly,” says Redmon.   

Consolidated board votes to sell commercial fiber business; residential fiber internet is unaffected

Posted on: August 31, 2021 By: CEC Updater

Consolidated Cooperative’s board of trustees has approved the sale of the cooperative’s enterprise fiber business, which provides fiber network services to about 75 local schools, hospitals, and commercial organizations, to Horizon, an Ohio-based telecommunications provider. The sale does not include Consolidated’s residential fiber internet services and does not affect residential fiber customers. 

Horizon will purchase the enterprise fiber business and two-thirds of the fiber network. Consolidated will retain one-third of the fiber network to continue growing its residential fiber internet services and support its electric operations. 

“The board’s primary goal is always to serve the best interests of our fellow member-owners,” board Chairman Don Breece said. “We’re very confident in Horizon’s ability to expand on the mission we started — providing services that will improve the quality of life for our members and help our communities thrive.” 

Consolidated initiated enterprise fiber services in 2009. Residential fiber internet was launched in 2017 and is a separate business. 

“The enterprise fiber business has exceeded our goals and expectations for it, which were primarily to improve our electric operations, set us up to offer broadband internet service in the future, and help to pay for all that by selling capacity to third parties,” Consolidated President and CEO Phil Caskey said. “We determined the best path forward for Consolidated, our members, and our communities is to focus on growing our electric, gas, and residential fiber internet services. Selling our commercial fiber business to Horizon will allow us to do that, and we know Horizon will continue to provide outstanding service to commercial organizations in our region.”  

Consolidated’s current commercial fiber customers will not see any interruption in their service; Horizon will continue to serve customers according to their contracts. 

About the enterprise fiber business sale 

Is Consolidated continuing to offer fiber internet to residential members? 

Yes, Consolidated is continuing its residential fiber construction. The sale does not affect residential services. The board of trustees will approve the 2022 work plan this fall. 

How does the enterprise fiber business sale affect electric or gas members? 

Electric, gas, and residential fiber services are unaffected by the sale. 

How can local businesses get fiber network services now? 

Horizon will add two-thirds of Consolidated’s fiber network to its existing Ohio network, allowing it to extend north through other parts of the state. Local businesses may be able to explore fiber service options with Horizon. 

How can Consolidated continue to offer home internet if they’re selling their fiber network? 

Consolidated is retaining one-third of our fiber network, which is plenty to continue growing our residential fiber internet offerings and improve our electric operations. 

Other questions? Please call us at 800-421-5863 or submit a contact form. 

Delaware lobby open

Posted on: July 8, 2021 By: CEC Updater

As of Monday, July 12, both of our locations will have fully reopened lobbies from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Masks are encouraged for unvaccinated guests entering them.

AEP begins design of new transmission line in northeast Delaware County

Posted on: November 6, 2020 By: CEC Updater

Consolidated members in northeast Delaware County will have significant improvements in electric service reliability thanks to a new transmission line American Electric Power is planning to build there. 

The 4-mile extension of a high-capacity 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line will serve Consolidated members who get power from our Lott substation, which is about 5 miles west of Centerburg on Condit Road near the intersection with Olive Green Road. While it will serve Consolidated’s substation, AEP owns the line and will ultimately determine the path it takes. 

The 138-kV transmission line will replace an aging, unreliable 34.5-kV line, meaning consumers in the area should see substantial reductions to transmission-related power blinks and outages. When those power interruptions occur, Consolidated has been able to switch the power feed to another substation and get members back on more quickly, but the new line should prevent these interruptions from happening in the first place. 

AEP, one of Consolidated’s electricity transmission providers, has just publicly announced the project, which is in the initial planning phase. AEP expects it to be up and running by the fall of 2024. 

For more information, visit AEP Transmission’s Lott project page. 

Consolidated Adjusts Business Procedures

Posted on: August 12, 2020 By: CEC Updater

Mt. Gilead implements new hours, Delaware remains closed

As businesses develop new procedures during a pandemic that continues to linger, Consolidated Cooperative is doing its part to help reduce community spread of COVID-19 and keep members and employees safe.

Most notably, Consolidated’s Mt. Gilead office, located on State Route 95, is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Consolidated’s Delaware office, located on State Route 521, remains closed to the public until further notice.

Consolidated continues to encourage members to use drop boxes at both the Mt. Gilead and Delaware offices for payments, as well as online portals such as SmartHub and your bank’s online bill payment service.

Any payments made by members at the Mt. Gilead location will now post daily. Members who utilize the Delaware location drop box, payments only post on Mondays and Fridays. If a disconnect is to be avoided by making a payment we encourage you to make the payment either in person at the Mt. Gilead office, or place the payment in the Mt. Gilead drop box.

What to expect if you visit the Mt. Gilead office

The member services team will accept in-person payments and account inquiries in Mt Gilead. However, before visiting, please call the co-op at 800-421-5863. You may be able to take care of business matters by phone, saving you a trip, and minimizing in-person interactions.

If you find that an in-person office visit is required, please know that hand sanitizer is available at the lobby entrance. The lobby and entryway are sanitized frequently throughout the day and each evening.

Also, we ask that you observe the following protocols when visiting:

“Our goal is to deliver members products and services that are reliable, as affordable as we can make them—and safe,” says Phil Caskey, the co-op’s President & CEO. “During these challenging times, there is increased emphasis on keeping our members, our employees, and the communities in our service area, healthy and safe from the effects of COVID-19. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Consolidated expands business hours for the Mt. Gilead location

Posted on: July 1, 2020 By: CEC Updater

As business returns to a new version of normalcy following the slowdown of the coronavirus outbreak, Consolidated has re-opened the Mt. Gilead office for bill payment and account inquiries only, during the hours of 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m, Monday-Friday. The Delaware office will remain closed until further notice.

Before coming by, please call us at 800-421-5863. We may be able to save you a trip and minimize in-person interactions by taking care of business matters over the phone or online.

We also encourage your continued use of our drop boxes for payments, as well as online portals such as SmartHub and your bank’s online bill payment service.

Here’s what to expect if you visit the office

Hand sanitizer is available at the lobby entrance. The lobby and entryway are sanitized frequently throughout the day and each evening.

If an in-person visit to the office is required, we ask that you observe the following protocols:
• Do not enter the building if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Practice Social Distancing and maintain a distance of 6 feet from others.
• Only one person in the lobby or entryway at a time.
• Face coverings are strongly encouraged.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to maintain the cooperative as a safe and healthy place for our members and employees—and our communities. Thank you for your cooperation.

Consolidated Cooperative’s Mt. Gilead Office Launches Limited Hours

Posted on: June 19, 2020 By: CEC Updater

As business returns to a new version of normalcy following the slowdown of the coronavirus outbreak, Consolidated re-opened the Mt. Gilead office with limited hours. The Delaware office will remain closed until further notice.

Our member services team will now accept your in-person payments and account inquiries in Mt. Gilead from 8 a.m. until noon, weekdays. Before coming by, please call us at 800-421-5863. We may be able to save you a trip and minimize in-person interactions by taking care of business matters over the phone or online.

We also encourage your continued use of our drop boxes for payments, as well as online portals such as SmartHub and your bank’s online bill payment service.

Here’s what to expect if you visit the office

Hand sanitizer is available at the lobby entrance. The lobby and entryway are sanitized frequently throughout the day and each evening.

If an in-person visit to the office is required, we ask that you observe the following protocols: 

  • Do not enter the building if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Practice Social Distancing and maintain a distance of 6 feet from others.
  • Only one person in the lobby or entryway at a time.
  • Face coverings are strongly encouraged.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to maintain the cooperative as a safe and healthy place for our members and employees—and our communities. We look forward to the day when you can stop by our office locations just to say hello, without calling ahead. We miss seeing you. Until then, thank you for your cooperation.

COVID Update – A Message to Consolidated Cooperative’s Members

Posted on: June 19, 2020 By: CEC Updater

Consolidated is following the guidance of Governor Mike DeWine as we begin the planning process for returning to our “new” regular course of business following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collectively, as citizens of Ohio and as a part of the cooperative, we are all called to undertake two seemingly contradictory tasks:

  • Continue to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in our various communities;
    And
  • Begin to resume business to restore the health of our personal, local, and state economies

This assignment has its challenges. Consolidated is currently working on reinstating procedures that enable our full and safe return to business operations, including re-opening our offices to members. The initial phase includes:

  • Resuming meter reads
  • Resuming late-fee assessments and disconnections for non-payment starting July 13
  • Offering our most flexible repayment options
  • Mt. Gilead office opened with limited hours on June 15
  • Delaware office remains closed until further notice

Someone You Know Needs a HUG
Something that has touched all of our hearts here at Consolidated is how kind and generous members are toward each other. There is an outpouring of help from members who have been helping to pay other members’ utility bills during these past two months. Many of you are using the co-op’s HUGs program (Helping with Utility Gifts) to lend a hand to friends, neighbors, and family members who have lost their income.

The need for help is unprecedented, and as a co-op family, helping our own is part of who we are. As we begin making our way back to a new normal, we encourage you to continue supporting each other.

Learn more about HUGs here. You can also call our member services team at 800-421-5863 and talk with us about donating a HUG, or making another type of monetary donation to a fellow member in need.

If You’re Experiencing Financial Difficulty
Perhaps you were fine at the beginning of the pandemic and had no problems keeping up with your bills, but now you find yourself in a position where you need some help. Or maybe you’ve been struggling all along and have not wanted to call us. Please give us a call immediately at 800-421-5863. Don’t put it off. The sooner we know you’re experiencing difficulties, the sooner we can work with you to develop a payment plan that will help you avoid a larger repayment amount.

Consolidated is here for you. We’re your cooperative family, and we care about you and your family. We’ll be in touch again soon to keep you informed and up-to-date as your co-op plans for a return to the new normal.

Light up your life.