This week we’ve heard from several utility customers interested in switching to Southwestern Electric Cooperative. We're grateful for your interest and understand the concerns driving your calls. Rising energy expenses are affecting all utilities, largely due to higher power generation, transmission and distribution costs.

As a member-owned electric cooperative, our service area is defined by state and federal regulations. In Illinois, deregulation laws prevent us from serving locations outside our designated territory—even if you're just across the street.

Since Southwestern Electric isn’t an Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES), we’re legally prohibited from selling electricity to anyone who isn’t a member of our cooperative.

We appreciate the trust you’ve placed in us by reaching out, and we encourage you to stay informed and engaged with your current power provider. If you’re looking for ways to manage your energy use or lower your bill, we offer tips and tools for everyone—regardless of your power provider. You’ll find them in the Energy & Efficiency column of The Southwestern magazine and on our social media channels.

As a member-owned cooperative, our mission is to provide reliable, affordable service to the members we’re authorized to serve. If you’re moving to our area and you have questions about electric service, please call us at 800-637-8667. We’ll be happy to hear from you.

Thank you for your interest in Southwestern Electric Cooperative!