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COVID-19 / Coronavirus

COVID-19 / Coronavirus

We are committed to ensuring you have reliable power during this time of uncertainty.  As many organizations throughout the state, we are following the guidelines outlined by the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health.

Below, we have outlined many of the steps that we are taking to ensure the safety of our employees and you, our members.

CEO Message

President and CEO Mike Henke
December 2020

December 2020 Highline Newsletter

Ask a Question:
With the latest COVID-19 restrictions in place, how is PEC helping members if their power goes out or they have difficulty paying their bill?

Answer:
We have a plan in place and have taken proactive measures to keep staff and members safe.  To ensure this, the lobby at our headquarters continues to be closed to the public and we are limiting who may enter the building.  If you need to drop off a payment, you can do so at the drop box located by the flagpole.  If you need to speak to a member services representative, you can call 800-214-2694.

We keep our staff healthy and safe so they can continue to serve members and ensure power is restored as quickly and safely as possible.  If you experience an outage, you can report it in three ways:

  • Report automatically or talk to a member services representative at 800-214-2694.
  • Text your outage through our outage texting service.
  • Report the outage through SmartHub through the online portal or the app.

We continue to work with members by arranging payment plans and offering assistance during this unprecedented time.  Many energy assistance resources are available.  To learn more, visit our Energy Assistance page on the website or call 800-214-2694 anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We are following the guidelines outlined by the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health and are committed to ensuring you have reliable power during this time of uncertainty.

April 15, 2020

I can’t believe how much life has changed in such a short time!  One day we were preparing for our Annual Meeting, scheduling construction work, and going on with business as usual and within a matter of days everything changed. One thing that has remained the same, our focus on how to best serve our members.

 

In a short matter of time we: altered the Annual Meeting to allow the director election process to conclude on time while complying with cooperative bylaws and social distancing guidelines; implemented mitigation strategies to ensure the health of our workforce; and have been making adjustments to some of our policies and processes to help our members through this difficult time.

 

During this time of uncertainty, please be assured we will: 1) continue to provide power; 2) be available to serve you; and 3) not disconnect service if you are struggling to pay your bill.

As an electric utility, we have the responsibility to ensure we continue to provide safe and reliable electricity. Therefore, you will continue to see our employees out working in the field and responding to outages as quickly and as safely as possible. They are practicing social distancing by only having one person in a vehicle at a time and are parking vehicles at alternate locations so they can avoid entering our buildings as much as they can.

 

While our front lobby is closed, and our office staff are working remotely, please be assured that we remain available to serve you and are fully capable of responding to member needs.  This includes but is not limited to receiving and responding to phone calls and e-mails during normal business hours, processing member payments, answering account questions, and responding to power outages.

 

Please also know that staff and the Board are exploring ways we can help members through this uncertain time. One of our first steps was to suspend the disconnection of power for non-payment.  We just ask that you call us if you are experiencing circumstances related to COVID-19 that are affecting your ability to pay your bill.  We can discuss payment options and possible utility assistance programs, so you don’t fall too far behind.

 

We are also exploring our ability to adjust our rate change timeline.  For the past few months we’ve been talking about our five-year rate plan and were planning to share it at the Annual Meeting.  Given today’s circumstances, we are reconsidering the timeline and will keep you posted once final decisions are made.

 

As I stated earlier, our focus is on how to best serve our members and right now that is ensuring reliable power, a healthy workforce, and balancing the financial needs of our members with the financial health of the Cooperative to ensure we continue to provide the high level of service you have come to expect.

 

 

I encourage you to visit our website for the latest information or if you have any questions please email info@memberservices.com or call (800) 214-2694. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to navigate these uncertain times.

 

Stay healthy!

 

Mike

March 31, 2020

As we all adjust to the new realities brought on by COVID-19, I want you to know People’s Energy is dedicated to living up to the trust placed in us to deliver safe and reliable electricity.  During this time of uncertainty, please be assured we will: 1) continue to provide power; 2) be available to serve you; and 3) not disconnect service at this time if you are struggling to pay your bill.

As an electric utility, we have been directed by the President of the United States to continue our normal work to ensure safe and reliable electricity. The recently issued Coronavirus Guidance for America states, “if you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.” Rest assured your electric service will not be disrupted due to any pandemic related directive.

While our front lobby is closed, and office staff are working remotely, please be assured that we remain available to serve you and are fully capable of responding to member needs.  This includes but is not limited to receiving and responding to phone calls and e-mails during normal business hours, processing member payments, answering account questions, and responding to power outages.

If you’re home more during the day, you may have noticed our field employees working in your community.  In order to abide by social distancing guidelines, we are doing our best to distance employees from each other, members, and vendors to limit the possible spread of COVID-19.  For example, we are avoiding having more than one employee in a vehicle at a time.  Also, any member or vendor contact that can wait until a later date is being postponed. 

Lastly, if you are experiencing circumstances related to COVID-19 that are affecting your ability to pay your bill, please know People’s Energy will not disconnect your power at this time. That said, we ask that you call and discuss payment options and possible utility assistance programs to avoid falling too far behind.

Our focus here is on doing our part to keep your life as normal as possible through this situation and beyond. The cooperative way of doing business has brought us this far, and the cooperative way will help us through this crisis.

I encourage you to visit our website for the latest information or if you have any questions please email memberservices@peoplesrec.com or call (800) 214-2694. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to navigate these uncertain times.

Stay healthy, stay home, and we will get through this together…the cooperative way!

March 17, 2020

As the world faces enormous challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we know there is widespread concern about public safety and business disruptions. I want you to know that People's Energy Cooperative is fully engaged on your behalf during this difficult time. We have put into place a mitigation strategy to help prevent the spread of the virus and are executing our business continuity plan to ensure we continue to best serve our members. Our plan includes engagement with policy makers on the state and federal level.

Because we provide a critical service, we are taking this matter very seriously and want to ensure that our staff stays healthy in order to best serve you, especially in the event outages occur. Therefore, effective at 4:00 p.m. on March 17, our front lobby was closed to the public until further notice. Our purpose in doing this is to help prevent any potential exposure to our employees.

Like all organizations, People's Energy Cooperative was forced to modify upcoming events including our 83rd Annual Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 24. The meeting will now be held in two parts. The sole purpose of the first part was to conclude board elections. Election results are posted on the front page of our website, along with our Facebook and Twitter pages.  Part two will involve all other agenda items normally part of the Annual Meeting and will be held on a date and time yet to be determined. Members will receive their $10 bill credit for attending part two of the meeting. 

As always, I appreciate your confidence and support. We are proud to assist our members as we work together to overcome this public health crisis.

 

Account Management During COVID-19

We are encouraging everyone to stay as up to date on their payments as possible, however we understand that there may be circumstances now impacting your ability to pay due to COVID-19.  We are working with members by arranging special payment plans.  We also waived late fees for several months to help support members during this pandemic.  While this is one way we can help reduce stress and provide local families and businesses with certainty during this uncertain time, we want to remind members that disconnect suspensions were not bill waivers.  Members will still be responsible for the entire amount due on their account.

We will be reevaluating the situation regularly, so it is important that any member who may find themselves in this position stay in contact with our Member Services Department to work out a payment plan.  If members can make a payment, even if not in full, please do so, as it will aid in keeping your account balance to a manageable amount in the long run.  Please click below to know your payment options.

Payment Options

Energy Assistance

The MN Dept. of Commerce made changes to the 2019-2020 Energy Assistance Program year, in affect from April 1 until the end of the program year (October 14, 2020):

  • THE DEADLINE for households to apply for EAP benefits was changed to July 1, 2020.
  • HOUSEHOLDS APPLYING through July 1, 2020 only needed to provide one-month worth of income information.  This also applied to denied households who sign a new signature page with a signature date of April 1, through July 1, 2020.
  • NEW APPLICANTS were no longer required to submit a Verification of Income and Expense (VIE) form if they claim inadequate or no income.
  • CRISIS MAXIMUM was increased from $600 to $1,200 for all agencies that work with the Energy Assistance Program. 

For more information about current resources available, please click below.

Energy Assistance Resources

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

With everything going on related to COVID-19, will I lose electricity?

This situation is unique from other business continuity planning, but People's Energy Cooperative has a plan in place.  We have taken proactive measures to keep staff and members safe while continuing to monitor the situation relying on information from the Minnesota Department of Health.  Rest assured, we are committed to delivering safe and reliable energy as we weather this crisis together.

What happens if I lose power?

We are still here to serve you, our members, and we will respond.  Report your outage one of three ways:

  • Call our office by dialing (800) 214-2694 to either report automatically or talk to a member services representative.
  • Text your outage through our outage texting service.
  • Report through SmartHub when you log on to SmartHub through their online portal or on their app.

For more information, visit:

Power Outage Information

What if I need help paying my bill?

During this time, we ask that you contact us to make arrangements to pay your bill.  For additional resources regarding energy assistance, click below.

Energy Assistance Resources

Can People's Energy help my business?

Yes! We offer many resources to businesses in our service territory.  For more information, click below:

Economic Development Information

Also, at the bottom of this page, we have listed a number of resources available to businesses during the COVID-19 Crisis.

What can HomeServe do to help?

Through our partnership with HomeServe, members may be eligible to receive emergency repairs to completed at no cost to them.

To learn more, visit homeservepeople.com and find full eligibility requirements and the application form.

Are you waiving late fees?

For several months, we did waive late fees to support members, however we are no longer doing this.

We are working with members by arranging payment plans.

Cooperative Operations

Restricted Access

Our lobby at our headquarters in Oronoco is closed to the public until further notice.  If you need to drop off a payment, you can do so at the drop box located by the flagpole.  If you need to speak to a Member Services Representative, you can call (800) 214-2694.

Conference Center

We are currently not allowing any outside entities to utilize our Conference Center.  This means we are also not taking any new reservations.

Necessary Meetings at the Office

There still may be a need for necessary business meetings with outside guests.  If this is the case, arrangements will be made to accommodate the meeting with a limited number of people and allow for social distancing.  The amount of time spent in the meeting will also be limited.  Sanitizer and tissues will be available in meeting rooms, and the room surfaces must be wiped down when the meeting is over.

Protecting Employee and Member Health

As an electric utility, we are considered an essential service and therefore continue to serve our members as best we can while following health-related guidelines.  Some cooperative staff have jobs requiring them to interact with member and the public such as those in engineering, line work, and metering.  Therefore, we have the following protocols in place to protect the health of our employees as well as members and the general public.

  • Any member or vendor contact that can wait until a later date will be postponed.
  • Access to cooperative buildings is restricted to employees and necessary contractors.
  • Employees who are able to perform their work from home are doing so to limit exposure.
  • Employees wear gloves if they need to handle items from the public, such as money or paper.
  • PEC requires social distancing measures on all job sites for all parties involved.
  • Line crews are performing general work practices, excluding types of work considered high risk relative to COVID-19.
    • High risk - any time social distancing cannot be recognized while working around non-cooperative employees.
    • One trade on the job site at a time.
  • Lineworkers will remain assigned to the same crew as much as possible eliminating large group exposure.
  • Lineworkers are traveling in separate cooperative vehicles to limit exposure.
  • Cloth FR-rated face coverings are being provided to field personnel.
  • Per state mandate, anyone inside a cooperative building or any employee or contractor working on behalf of the Cooperative must wear a face covering when in an indoor business or indoor public setting.  Employees or contractors working outdoors on behalf of the Cooperative must wear a face covering when it is not possible to maintain social distancing of six feet.
  • Jobs that require an electrician on site will be restricted to priority jobs as listed below (social distancing must be observed):
    • Outage restoral
    • Emergency repair or emergency upgrade
    • Temporary or permanent hook up (case by case basis)
    • Service installs or upgrades related to hospitals, rest homes, schools, county, city, or state.

COVID-19/Coronavirus Resources

For the latest news and updates on COVID-19/Coronavirus, visit one of these trusted resources: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC Recommended Mitigation Strategies

MN Department of Health

COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP)

At-Home Educational Resources

Electrical Safety Activities

Electrical Safety Crossword

Lineworker Gear Word Search

Electrical Hazards Activity

Shock Hazards Activity

Energy Efficiency Activities

Spring Efficiency Quiz

Energy Savings Word Search

Energy Vampire Activity

Recycling Activity

Summer Efficiency Word Search

More Energy Activities

Equipment Word Scramble

Support Local Business

The COVID-19 crisis has put all of us in uncharted territory.  We are here to support our members, including our small businesses.  Below we have listed local restaurants that we understand are open for business.  Please click on appropriate links to understand how their operations may have changed during this time.

We encourage you to continue patronizing them in whatever way you can.  Please email memberrelations@peoplesrec.com to let us know of any other businesses that should be on this list.

Bearwood Event Barn (Byron)

Burger King (Kasson)

Cabin Coffee (Chatfield)

Cabin Coffee (Plainview)

Country Pleasures Cafe (Kasson)

Dairy Queen (Chatfield)

Dairy Queen (Plainview)

Dairy Queen (Stewartville)

Domino's (Kasson)

Down Under (Stewartville)

Events Sports Bar & Grill (Kasson)

Country Cafe (Eyota)

Greendoor Bar (Eyota)

HealthyStart (Byron)

Jac's Bar & Grill (Chatfield)

JW's Silver Grille (Chatfield)

Kim's Saloon & Grill (Plainview)

Ma's Cafe (Plainview)

O'Neill's (Elgin)

Otto's Bakery (Byron)

Pizza Ranch (Stewartville)

Pondy Restaurant (Lake Zumbro)

Road Trip Bar & Grill (Dover)

Striker's Corner (Stewartville)

Subway (Chatfield)

Subway (Kasson)

Subway (Plainview)

Subway (Stewartville)

Tailgator's (Elgin)

Tarsilla's (Stewartville)

Tilly's (Oronoco)

Trail Creek Coffee Roasters (Kasson)

Economic Relief Resources

Federal CARES Act Summary Information

Foley & Lardner LLP

National Public Radio

Forbes

Small Business Administration Loans

US Chamber of Commerce Loan Guide

Economic Injury Disaster Loan & Loan Advance

Paycheck Protection Program

SBA Loan "How To" Video by Southwest Wisconsin Small Business Development Center 

US Department of Agriculture

Rural Development COVID-19 Response

Farmers.gov - Coronavirus and USDA Service Centers

USDA - Coronavirus 

USDA Farmers to Families Food Box

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Fact Sheet

US Department of Labor

Coronavirus Resources

US Internal Revenue Service

Coronavirus Tax Relief

Minnesota State Resources

Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development – COVID-19 Information for Minnesotans

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation – Emergency Child Care Grant

Minnesota Peacetime Emergency Child Care Grants

Minnesota Small Business Development Centers

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce - COVID-19 Business Toolkit

Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Assistance for Livestock Producers and Processors

Support Small Businesses

Inc. article “7 Ways to Support the Small Businesses in Your Community During the Coronavirus Crisis”

Redevelopment Resources article “What can you do?  Local ED Professional response to COVID-19”

Viroqua, WI Chamber Main Street Facebook Page:  This is just one example of MANY great organizations that are stepping up efforts to support businesses. 

Other Resources

Other Resources

UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center & La Crosse Area Development Corp Webinars

Restore Your Economy.org:  COVID-19 Resources for Economic Development Planning & Recovery

National Conference on State Legislatures:  State Action on COVID-19.  Learn about pending or enacted legislation by state.

Center for Disease Control & Prevention:  Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers

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Contact Us

People's Energy Cooperative

1775 Lake Shady Avenue South
Oronoco, MN  55960

Phone | (800) 214-2694 or (507) 367-7000
Fax | (507) 367-7001

Office Hours
Monday-Friday | 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

©2021 People's Energy Cooperative. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Member Center
    • Account
      • Account Management
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    • Programs & Services
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      • Energy Management Programs
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