Let’s face it: small is the new big. More people are seeing the benefits of supporting local businesses—and the value of partnering with an honest, straightforward company. But with a co-op, there’s even more to it than that.

So why are more people choosing a co-op?

  1. Profits go to YOU, not them.
    That’s a big one. With a co-op, you’re a member. When you pay your electricity bill, you’re investing in the company, which means any profit the company makes goes back to you. And guess what: if you don’t like something, you can speak up, vote and make changes. That just doesn’t happen with a regular electricity provider.
  2. It’s personal.
    “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…” That still holds true. If you have a personal connection with your service provider, it matters. It’s the reason we still use good ol’ Carl as the plumber. He’s honest, friendly and does good work. Sure, the shiny new commercial plumbers are great and all, but…they’re not Carl.
  3. The love for local
    It just feels good supporting a local company, doesn’t it? Putting the money back into the community and knowing you’re doing your part to grow the local economy. Plus, local businesses understand local customers. An outsider simply can’t compete with that.
  4. Those warm and fuzzy extras
    When a company is “small,” and run by its members, they’re nimble. And they can do cool stuff for their members, like: provide local scholarships, offer referral credits, hold annual member dinners, offer perks like year-end bill credits, military discounts, and the kinds of things that keep members around.
  5. They know what they’re doing.
    In some cases, co-ops have been around for 50 years or more. In fact, NEC Co-op Energy, as a part of Nueces Electric Cooperative, just hit 80 years of business—originally founded by farmers in rural areas who couldn’t get power from the city. Hence, why some members have stuck around for decades, passing down the co-op tradition to family and friends from generation to generation.
To learn more about your local electric co-op or to join visit:

Why choose NEC Co-op

Like this article? You might be interested in: Shop, Switch, Repeat: The Electricity Consumer Cycle

– NEC Co-op Energy, Electricity Company in Texas