CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (07/13/2020) – NEC Co-op Energy understands the hardships that many of our members face amidst the COVID-19 public health crisis. Electricity company in Texas, NEC Co-op Energy is providing more than $11,000 to local community action agencies to help members facing hardships paying their electric bills. Funds are made available through the generous donations of NEC Co-op Energy members who participate in the Member to Member assistance program, as well as from unclaimed capital credits.

Following our cooperative principle #6, Concern for Community, NEC Co-op Energy offers voluntary programs aimed at supporting local communities and members facing hardships. Over the past 10-years, more than $87,000 has been raised through the Member to Member assistance program. The Member to Member assistance program is a program in which participating NEC Co-op Energy members help fellow members pay their electric bills. Each month, participating members voluntarily donate $1 to local community action agencies. There are currently 471 participating members as of May 2020, who have donated a total of $7,000.  Additional support for this program comes from unclaimed capital credits totaling $4,000, which was approved to be used as member support by the state of Texas for this year only.

Members who are facing hardships paying their electric bills can contact their local community action agencies directly by visiting the state wide Community Action web site https://tacaa.org/texas-caas. Please note, NEC Co-op Energy members who apply for assistance are subject to the policies and stipulations set forth by each community action agency, including receiving assistance based on the availability of funds. If you would like to join the Member to Member assistance program, please visit our community programs web-page.