This article is from the October issue of the Kansas Country Living magazine.

Fall is a busy time, and October is a particularly eventful month with school, community and sports activities in full swing. It’s also when all cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month. 

When I say Prairie Land Electric celebrates Co-op Month, it really means we are celebrating you! After all, our co-op wouldn’t exist without you, our consumer-members. 

Our core business purpose is to serve as your electricity provider, but the larger mission of the co-op is to help make our corner of the world a better place. Concern for Community is one of Seven Cooperative Principles that all co-ops share. 

Similar to how our wires run through our service territory, our concern for community flows through all of our decisions — because being a co-op means being a responsible partner and good neighbor. 

Prairie Land Electric works to help our community thrive through initiatives led by our employees and a local board that’s comprised of neighbors who live right here in our community. Because we’re local, we understand our community’s unique needs and strive to help meet them. We’re proud to support local youth through our Youth Tour and scholarship programs.

The word “cooperative” is close to “cooperation,” meaning people working together toward a common goal — mutually benefitting one another and the larger community. That’s the essence of the cooperative spirit. Our employees and member-elected board members are invested in the community in which they live and serve. 

Above all, as a co-op we put our members’ priorities first. As your trusted energy partner, we know that saving energy and money is important to you. We want to empower you to manage energy use at home. If you haven’t already, I encourage you take a moment and download our app, SmartHub. Through the app, you can conveniently monitor and manage your energy use. And we’re of course here to help, so give us a call if you have questions about your energy bills.

Prairie Land Electric is continuously examining ways to operate more efficiently while continuing to provide the highest level of friendly, reliable service you expect and deserve. After all, we’re your local co-op. We were built by the members we serve.