September 18, 2024

PetitionTo the Board of Directors, Coast Electric Power Association,

Subject: Request for Cooperative Accountability in Addressing Billing Error Impact on Members 

Dear Board Members, 

As members and co-owners of Coast Electric Power Association, we are writing to express our collective concerns regarding the recent billing error that has impacted approximately 5% of the cooperative’s members. This error, affecting bills from January to August 2024, represents a significant breach of trust in the financial accountability of the cooperative. As such, we believe that the burden of this mistake should not fall on the members, but rather be absorbed by the cooperative itself. 

As members of Coast Electric, we have no alternative for our electricity services, which places Coast Electric in a monopoly-like position. This lack of choice underscores the need for Coast Electric to operate with the utmost transparency and fairness, especially when it comes to billing its members. If we are to be treated as cooperative owners, it is only just that Coast Electric takes full responsibility for this billing error. We are requesting that the financial shortfall caused by this issue be borne by the cooperative and not its individual members.

The retroactive charges that are set to be billed in October 2024 place an undue financial strain on many of your members, especially those on fixed incomes or who have budgeted based on the incorrect bills they received. While payment plans have been offered, this still does not account for the cooperative’s responsibility in ensuring accurate billing in the first place. We ask that Coast Electric explore more equitable solutions, including:  Absorbing a portion or all of the financial discrepancy, given that it was an internal error.  Increasing transparency and communication regarding how such errors are identified and prevented in the future. 

As a member-owned cooperative, Coast Electric has an obligation to operate in the best interests of its members. Passing the burden of this error onto those very members undermines the principles of cooperative ownership. We believe that the cooperative should bear financial responsibility for the error, as it was a failure in internal systems and management.

We, the undersigned, respectfully ask the board to: 1. Consider absorbing the financial impact of this billing error as a demonstration of the cooperative’s commitment to its members. 2. Provide a clear and public explanation of how this error occurred and the steps being taken to ensure it will not happen again. 3. Allow a forum at the upcoming annual meeting where members can voice their concerns and offer suggestions for improvements in transparency and communication. We trust that the board and management will act in the cooperative spirit to ensure that this situation is handled fairly and in the best interest of the membership. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to a prompt and fair resolution that demonstrates Coast Electric’s commitment to its members. 

Sincerely,

​​​​​Members and effected citizens