THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING Aiken Electric to serve you in 2023! We are dedicated to delivering you reliable electricity at a competitive price, and we will remain steadfast in that commitment as we make our way into 2024.
As you know, the cost of living has soared, which has increased the costs of providing the excellent service you deserve. After careful consideration, and cutting as many expenses as possible, Aiken Electric has made the difficult decision to adjust the cooperative’s electric rates for the first time in nearly a decade.
For the average residential consumer, the increase in energy costs will be approximately 6.5%. The Electric CPI (Consumer Price Index) has increased 35% over the same time frame. You’ll find the rate structure changes listed at the right. This pricing will allow Aiken Electric to continue investing in the infrastructure that ensures the lights come on every time you flip a switch.
We don’t want a rate increase any more than you do, and we recognize the squeeze our members feel when inflation bloats the price of everything from a carton of eggs to a combo meal to utility services. As a not-for-profit cooperative, we work for our members. That’s why our staff—many of whom are Aiken Electric members themselves—are always striving to find cost savings and run the cooperative efficiently.
It is a testament to their work that even with this change in rate structure, the price of our electricity has risen much slower over the past decade than the cost of other essentials such as medical care, housing and food. It’s important to remember that electric rates are only part of the equation when it comes to your power bill. The amount of energy you use is another major factor. And at Aiken Electric, we will do everything we can to help you save energy and money.
The Help My House program, a national initiative that began at Aiken Electric, conducts home energy audits and offers zero-down, low-interest loans for energy efficiency improvements such as HVAC upgrades and LED lighting. Our Smart Thermostat and H20 Select Plus 2 programs provide incentives to participating members while boosting the energy efficiency of their homes and appliances. We also encourage members to take advantage of our Beat The Peak program, saving money by reducing their electricity consumption when our power grid is at highest demand.
As we enter the new year, you have our word that we will continue to work hard to provide the best possible service at the lowest possible cost. We will always be here to answer your questions, listen to your concerns and offer any help we can. Thank you for your understanding and thank you again for being a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative.
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MONITOR my usage
View your hourly and daily energy usage as well as the weather data in conjuction with energy usage.
SET Alerts
Alerts and reminders can be used to monitor your account activity via text messaging, phone call or email.
Due to worldwide paper shortages, your bill may look a little different going forward. Bills will be sent in brown envelopes instead of the usual white envelopes. Please pay close attention to be sure it is not overlooked or mistakenly thrown away.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 established new Federal standards under Section 111(d) of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) which the Cooperative is required to consider. Our Cooperative must make a determination whether or not to implement the new standards based on evidence collected from the public after notice and hearing. If you would like to provide comments on the standards you may do so in writing by sending them to the following address:
PURPA HEARING COORDINATOR
CENTRAL ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE, INC.
20 COOPERATIVE DR, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29210
Attn: Sharon Kirkland
The new standards are described here.
PURPA 111(d) Energy Standards - PURPA 111(d) Aiken CommentsBeware of Check Washing Scams
You trust that once you mail a check, no one would alter the payee or amount on it. But check washing/alteration is a common fraud tactic used by scammers. Learn how the check washing scam works from this example.
If you believe you are the victim of check washing, contact your bank and the local
authorities. When in doubt, call AEC to confirm we received your payment.
In rural areas across the state, Aiken Electric and other not-for-profit cooperatives spend -thousands of dollars per year repairing equipment, power lines and fiber optic cables that have been struck by a stray shot. Repairs can be very costly and we strive to keep operating expenses down for all members by making every effort to recover costs from any party responsible for facility damages. We need your help – please join us in this collaborative effort to keep “unplanned” maintenance and repair costs for our members as low as possible. Read More.
Aiken Electric Cooperative (AEC) has received reports that scammers are making calls across their service territory pretending to be representatives of AEC. These fake callers are threatening to disconnect service if immediate payment isn’t received. These calls ARE NOT from AEC, even though the caller ID text may show "Aiken Electric Cooperative".
The scammer may even use threatening language in order to frighten you into offering your credit card or bank account information. Don’t fall victim to these tricks. AEC wants to make sure you avoid any and all types of scams that could put you or your financial information in jeopardy. Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to determine if you are communicating with an Aiken Electric employee:
Things AEC employees do:
- Travel in vehicles clearly marked with an AEC logo
- Require employees to carry a co-op photo ID
- AEC field employees wear issued uniforms (blue or tan) or shirts with AEC logo
Things AEC employees do not do:
- Call and request account information or a full SSN
- Conduct electric work inside your home (Except for H2O Select PLUS 2 members with water heater timers)
- Ask for credit card information over the phone
- Require prepaid debit cards as the ONLY method of payment (AEC authorized payment options can be found at aikenco-op.org)
- Charge additional fees to process payments (We recommend members make payments with AEC authorized payment options)
- Operate business outside of www. aikenco-op.org
Remember, there are legitimate third-party processors, not directly associated with AEC, who may charge a fee to process a payment. These payments may take several days to post to your account. If you suspect a scammer pretending to be an AEC employee has visited or contacted you, call the co-op at 803-649-6245 to verify and, also, report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
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Storm Center
Access outage information and outage map. Find out how to AEC report outages.
STORM CENTER
Access outage information and outage map. Find out how to report outages.
ACCESS STORM CENTERWater Heater Program
Staying in hot water in now a PLUS!
Nurturing the community
SERVICE IS THE HEART of our community. As a member-owned electric cooperative, our commitment goes beyond powering homes-we aim to empower individuals, enhancing the overall quality of life in our service territory spanning nine counties.
By registering early for our RUN UNITED event, you not only prioritize your well-being but also contribute to the betterment of the community through supporting the United Way of Aiken County. Another way to participate is through our Operation Round Up program, where members contribute spare change through their electric bill, collectively donating over $1 million since 2000 to aid service groups, individuals and families in need across our community.
We also believe in investing in the infrastructure that powers our community. I am proud to say our three-year plan with CarolinaConnect is now complete.
I have heard first-hand from members who say that having CarolinaConnect has been life-changing, from working from home with ease to enjoying a family movie night without interruptions. If you haven't yet, you can sign up for service at carolinaconnect.com. This year, you will see more expansion, and we will keep you informed of important updates in South Carolina Living.
Aiken Electric strongly believes that a key focus should be on our community's future leaders -local students. This is why each summer Aiken Electric sponsors rising high school sophomores and juniors on all-expense-paid trips to our nation's capital for Washington Youth Tour and to our state capital for Cooperative Youth Summit. Additionally, we offer two $1,000 college scholarships and one $2,000 college scholarship, personally funded by our Board of Trustees, to graduating high school seniors residing in our service territory. Applying for these opportunities is easy - just visit our website and complete the online applications by Feb. 27.
We also know the importance of safety, and we have educated more than 9,000 students since 2005 through our annual Safety Magic Show, "Making Accidents Disappear." This educational program for first graders emphasizes electrical safety through an entertaining magic show.
Lastly, our service to you can be seen at our Annual Meeting on May 17 and 18. This is just one way we learn how to better serve you. So, make plans to drop in and see us.
We're always glad to hear from you.