Our fiber-to-the-home internet comes with no contracts, unlimited data, free 24/7 tech support, and more!
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.
How to Submit an Availability Challenge:
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
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.
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.
*Limit one (1) $5 bill credit per membership.
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 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!
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 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.
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.
