At Community Electric Cooperative, we’re always working to keep your power supply reliable and your rates as low as possible. But did you know that the cost of many materials needed to keep the lights on and to keep your appliances and home electronics running has increased dramatically over the past four years?
From the poles that support our lines to the wire that delivers electricity to your home, prices have soared due to inflation, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and global demand. Take a look at some of the material cost increases we've experienced:
- Primary wire: up194%
- Transformers: up108%
- Poles: up91%
- Insulators: up71%
- Crossarms: up69%
- Ground wire: up63%
- Surge arrestors: up59%
- Secondary wire:up 43%
- Cutouts: up31%
These increases significantly impact the cost of maintaining and building the infrastructure required to safely and reliably serve our member-owners, particularly as more families move to our service territory. And while the cooperative absorbs as much of that burden as possible, these costs eventually ripple out and influence rates for our members.
The Bigger Picture
This trend isn’t unique to Community Electric. Utilities across the country are reporting similar increases. According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the average price of transformers more than doubled in recent years. And with lead times for critical components stretching out several months—or longer—co-ops are forced to buy early and store more materials, increasing costs even further.
Labor, fuel, and equipment expenses have also surged industry-wide, making construction, maintenance, and restoration more expensive than ever before. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that, between 2015 and 2024, the average price of electricity delivered to residential customers has risen by 30 percent (to 16.5 cents/kilowatt-hour).
Why It Matters to You
As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we don’t pass along costs to increase profit—we only adjust rates when absolutely necessary to cover the cost of providing safe, reliable service. That’s why we want you to be aware of the challenges we're facing and the steps we’re taking to manage them responsibly.
We're working hard to:
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- Bulk order materials when prices are low
- Maintain long-term vendor relationships to get the best deals
- Monitor usage and supply chains to reduce waste and delays
- Invest in long-term infrastructure that reduces maintenance and replacement costs
Offsetting Costs Through Innovation: Meet RECORE Energy
To help manage rising costs and protect our members, Community Electric Cooperative leverages the strength of its wholly owned subsidiary, RECORE Energy.
RECORE Energy is a trusted provider of commercial standby generator solutions, serving businesses across the Mid-Atlantic region and several other states nationwide. By offering Energy-as-a-Service, monitoring, and maintenance services, RECORE not only delivers peace of mind to customers—but also brings revenue back into the cooperative, reducing the financial pressure on our member base.
This forward-thinking business model allows us to diversify income, enhance service offerings, and invest in long-term infrastructure improvements without overburdening our members.
It’s worth noting that, even as our RECORE business has grown, Community Electric has kept the size of its work force fairly static. Over the past 10 years, including the RECORE team, the number of CEC employees has risen to 43 from 40.
What You Can Do
As a not-for-profit cooperative, our priority is you—our members. We’re committed to keeping costs manageable and helping you better understand and control your electric usage. Here are several ways you can take action today:
Apply for Rebates
Take advantage of rebate programs for energy-efficient upgrades like smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters. These rebates can help offset the upfront costs of efficiency improvements in your home. You can access the state of Virginia’s home energy rebate website page at this link
- Track your energy use in real time with the SmartHub app. You can monitor daily usage, report outages, pay bills, and receive important updates—all from your phone.
- Not sure where your energy dollars are going? Try our Energy Usage Calculator to see how appliances, lighting, and heating/cooling contribute to your monthly bill.
- Check out our Energy Tips & Tools page for simple, low-cost changes that can lead to big savings over time.
We're In This Together
Community Electric Cooperative is more than your utility provider—we’re your partner in energy. Rising material costs are a challenge we face head-on, with smart strategies like leveraging RECORE Energy and expanding member resources.
If you ever have questions about how your dollars are being used, or want help managing your bill, our team is here to support you.
Let’s power a smarter, stronger, and more cost-efficient future—together.