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Vegetation Management Home Reliability Vegetation Management Digital Metering A major way your co-op works to achieve greater reliability is by being intentional with our tree-trimming efforts. Although we are a smaller co-op, Prince George Electric Co-op's transmission and distribution span more than 1,300 miles. That's about half the width of the United States - much of which is covered in rural woodlands. While we are fortunate to have so many trees that offer beauty, shade, and a habitat for a variety of birds and wildlife, trees have long been a major contributing factor to power outages in areas with overhead utility lines. Hence, around this time of year, the co-op steps up its efforts to ensure greater system reliability by clearing rights of way. As part of this effort, contractors will work to control and remove vegetation that could cause power disruptions. The co-op uses a combination of spraying and trimming techniques to perform right-of-way maintenance on its transmission and distribution system. To keep equipment free of undesired weeds and plants that may hinder our system's operational efficiency, co-op crews also treat certain areas with a chemical spray. This spray provides a cost-effective, environmentally safe, and longer-lasting means for managing trees and woody underbrush. This chemical spray is not harmful to humans or animals. While we strive to balance maintaining beautiful surroundings and keeping power lines clear, we also know our proactive vegetation management benefits co-op members in very tangible ways: Safety: First and foremost, we care about our members and put their safety and that of our line technicians above all else. Overgrown vegetation and trees pose a risk to power lines. Clearing brush near power lines helps prevent hazards from turning into possible dangers for families and our line technicians. For example, if trees are touching power lines in our member-owners' yards, they can pose grave dangers to families. If children can access those trees, they can potentially climb into a danger zone. electricity can arc, or jump, from a power line to a nearby conductor like a tree. A proactive approach also reduces the chance of fallen branches or trees during severe weather events that make it more complicated and dangerous for line technicians to restore power. Reliability: A major benefit of a smart vegetation management program is reliability. Strategic tree trimming reduces the frequency of downed lines causing power outages. Generally, healthy trees don't fall on power lines, and clear lines don't cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear and are key to ensuring that you have power each time to go to flip your light switch. Affordability: As you know, electric cooperatives are not-for-profit and that means we strive to keep our costs in check to keep rates affordable. This effort also extends to our approach to vegetation management. If trees grow too close to power lines, the potential for expensive repairs also increases. Effective tree trimming and other vegetation management efforts keep costs down for everyone. PGEC works hard to maintain its rights of way so that we can continue to provide you with the most reliable service possible. If you notice a tree near an overhead line on our system that may need to be trimmed, please contact the office at (804) 834-2424.

Frequently Asked Questions Welcome to PGEC's FAQs. If you have a question about your cooperative or our services, please contact us. Please note that from time to time, other questions will be added to this list. General Questions Where does our electricity come from? PGEC is a member of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC). PGEC purchases a majority of its wholesale electricity from ODEC. Does PGEC serve my location? If you're moving to the area, or moving homes within the area, you may wonder if PGEC serves your new location. Boundary lines are drawn and regulated by the State Corporation Commission, meaning electric providers such as PGEC have defined areas to provide service. It's common to have multiple providers serving a single road, based on how the lines are drawn. Please contact the cooperative at (804) 834-2424 if you are unsure about your location. Meter Questions What is a kilowatt-hour? A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of electrical energy equal to the energy delivered by the flow of one kilowatt (1,000 watts) of electrical power for one hour. For example, a 100-watt bulb burning for 10 hours will use one kilowatt-hour of energy. The amount of electricity you use is measured by your meter. Your meter measures kilowatt-hours continuously the same way your car's odometer measures miles and is read in the same fashion, from left to right. How do you know how much electricity I'm using? Can I track my electricity usage between meter reads? Since Prince George Electric Cooperative uses digital meters, simply take the current reading and subtract the usage information contained on your last bill. This will indicate how much energy you have used. Is my meter reading accurate? Members frequently assume there must be something wrong with their electric meter if they receive a larger-than-expected bill. The fact is, electric meters are very reliable devices. Before a meter is installed, we test the meter for accuracy. Upon request, PGEC will test a member's meter for accuracy for a nominal fee. Billing & Service Questions How do I change my address for contact information? Call (804) 834-2424 during business hours or email info@pgec.coop to provide your previous and new information. Include a telephone number so we can verify the information with you. How do I connect my service? The following information & forms must be received before an account can be established in your name: Membership Application & Responsibility Statement $5.00 Membership Fee, $30.00 Activation Fee, and applicable Security Deposit OR acceptable credit reference from previous utility. Proof of Ownership, Deed or Rental Contract Photo ID such as a driver's license. Desired date of connection, Monday - Friday, non-holidays. Documents can be faxed to (804) 834-8217 or emailed to info@pgec.coop . Please call (804) 834-2424 to verify docs have been received. How do I disconnect my service? Call the office (804) 834-2424 during business hours to schedule your disconnect for Monday - Friday. We will need a forwarding address for you to ensure any future Capital Credit refund checks reach you without delay. What are some causes of higher-than-normal bills? Many factors can cause your electric bills to vary. Most commonly they include weather and changes in habits or lifestyles. If you receive a bill that is higher than normal, the first thing to look for is how many days of service were included in that billing period. Find the average daily cost for service on the lower portion of your bill. Compare that number to previous bills for the past few months. If it's significantly different, stop to think if you have added a major appliance or altered your lifestyle in some way that would account for the increased usage. In hotter weather, there can be increased usage due to air conditioning or even window fans. Hotter weather also leads to higher humidity so some dehumidifiers may run more often and for long periods of time. In colder weather, electric consumption can be increased by the use of central heating equipment or space heaters. Typically during the colder parts of the year, it gets dark earlier and people stay inside more. This leads to more use of lights, televisions, radios, and other electronic equipment. Changes in habits or lifestyles can also lead to varying electric bills. During the holidays, your family may cook more. You may have overnight guests. Cooking and guests can lead to more use of water (and hot water). If you have a well and/or electric water heater, this will lead to more electric usage. Another major change may be the addition of a new family member. Bringing a bay into a home usually adds to more laundry being washed, higher desired room temperatures, and more lighting at night. Vacation & Seasonal Use Questions Won't my furnace use less electricity when I'm away if I set my thermostat lower? If the temperature drops while you are away, your furnace or electric heat will still run to maintain the temperature set on your thermostat. Setting the thermostat lower may save you money, but this might not always be the case. Be careful not to set the thermostat so low that the potential for freezing could occur in your home. Can I eliminate electricity usage when my house is vacant? If you are determined to use no electricity during your vacation, turn off the main breaker in your home. But remember, when you do this, the automatic appliances and lighting will stop. Your refrigerator and freezer will defrost, your water heater will not have hot water ready for use upon your return, and your home may experience freezing problems or be very cold when you return. Will my electric hot water heater use electricity when I'm away? If you have an electric water heater, it will use less electricity when you are away than if you were home using hot water. If an electric water heater is left energized during your vacation, it will continue to maintain the tank temperature, even if you're not using hot water. Heat is lost through the insulation and copper pipes that come out of the top. If you're going to be away for more than a few days, you might want to consider turning your water heater off at the panel box. Energy Saving Questions Are thermostat timers helpful will saving energy? If you have a mechanical thermostat, it would be beneficial to install a programmable thermostat and then you can program it to come on. Is there an advantage to shutting off rooms in the house that are not being used? If you are using a heat pump as your source of heat, no. Heat pumps are designed to operate more efficiently with an open house effect because of the balancing and cold air returns of the system. Can leaking faucets or toilets affect my electric bill? Yes, the leaking faucets or toilets cause consumption by the water heater and the well pump. Should I unplug toasters, lamps, coffee makers, radios, etc. to save energy? No, there's not enough load in these appliances and devices to carry phantom load. Learn more about phantom power here .

In addition to being the fastest internet available, there are many other advantages to switching to fiber within your home or business including but not limited to the following: More Bandwidth Fiber optics possess more bandwidth than regular copper wires. This means fiber is able to carry more information at greater speeds than your average internet provider. Go the Distance Fiber optic connections have the ability to travel greater distances without breaking--making fiber optics ideal for rural areas. Increasing Value With fast internet comes an increase in home and neighborhood value. Weather Proof Fiber optic cables are also more weatherproof than traditional wires and are resistant to lightning, which means little to no downtime for your fiber optic internet connection. Adaptable As technology continues to progress, fiber optic cables stay the same, making them future-proof. These cables are also durable and do not corrode like copper ones. For more information about RURALBAND, click here .

Member Services > Non-Residential Services > Non Residential Service Existing Electric Service: Non-residential accounts include small businesses and large commercial accounts. The Non-Residential Membership/Service Application and Responsibility Statement provided below must be completed, signed and sent to our office along with the other items on the appropriate business entity checklist. Realty companies will either complete the Non-Residential Membership/Service Application & Responsibility Statement or Realtor Application for Membership/Temporary Service Request & Responsibility Statement based on their business model. Corporate Checklist Not-for-Profit Checklist Partnership, LLC, Sole Proprietorship Checklist Realtor Application for Membership/Service & Responsibility Statement Non-Residential Application for Membership/Service & Responsibility Statement New Construction: New Service Information (For new construction - location has never had electric service) Site Plan with meter base location marked if there is no well and septic for this area Copy of the recorded deed (legal description of the property including Deed Book and Page or instrument number) Plat (showing property lines) Completed Application for Membership New Construction Checklist Non-Residential Application for Membership/Service & Responsibility Statement Release of Liability Utility Easement Release of Elec Capacity (Load Capacity) Security Deposit: If found to be necessary, the security deposit amount will be the equivalent of your estimated maximum liability for two consecutive months' usage. If the security deposit exceeds $40, you may request up to three monthly installments. The deposit will be refunded to you one year after the full deposit has been paid if your account is residential, and two years after the full deposit has been paid if your account is commercial; provided you have paid your account in a timely manner. The Cooperative will pay interest on security deposits held longer than ninety days at a rate determined by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Disconnecting Service: If you are requesting service to be disconnected, please contact the member services department with your request. The cooperative will disconnect the service within a reasonable time after receipt of your request. Failure to notify the cooperative of your request to terminate service keeps you responsible for all services until a disconnect notice is received. PGEC will issue you a final bill for services up to the date of disconnection less any outstanding security deposits. Please keep the cooperative informed of your future addresses to ensure any future Capital Credit refund checks reach you without delay. Please contact the member services department by telephone at 804-834-2424.

Capital Credits/Estate Refunds 2023 PGEC Unclaimed Capital Credit Refunds List Capital Credit Refund Inquiry Form At its 2022 meeting, PGEC's Board of Directors voted to return more than $390,000 in capital credits to PGEC members who had service in 2021. The Cooperative also retired $299,000 in accumulated capital credits from its investment in its wholesale electric supplier, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. Understanding Capital Credits Capital Credits are margins credited to members (patrons) of the Cooperative based on their relative purchases from the Cooperative. Your Cooperative, as a customer (member) owned business, does not issue stock as do investor-owned utilities, so Capital Credits are used by the Cooperative as its primary equity base, then paid back to the Membership as financial conditions permit. Capital Credits reflect each Member's ownership in the Cooperative. General Retirement When financial conditions allow, a Capital Credit General Retirement amount will be recommended to the Board of Directors for approval annually. Inactive members will be mailed a check. Active members will receive a bill credit. Note: If you have moved outside of PGEC’s service area, it is extremely important that you continue to provide us with an updated address. This will ensure that you will continue to receive any General Retirement checks that are owed to you. 2021 Unclaimed List 2022 Unclaimed List If your name is on this list, please complete the Capital Credit Refund Inquiry Form . This will allow us to update your contact information and reissue any unclaimed capital credits. Estate Retirement Capital Credits of a deceased member can be Estate Retired at a discount by an Estate Representative. The Estate Representative must complete the following questionnaire to determine the appropriate form and required documents needed to continue the Estate Retirement process. Click the link to be directed to the Capital Credit Questionnaire . Once you have determined the appropriate form, please complete and submit it with the required documents to: Note: There is a 120-day waiting period after the date of death before PGEC can issue an Estate Retirement check. Prince George Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 168 Waverly, VA 23890 Attn: Capital Credit

Our crews are on call and will respond 24 hours a day to restore service as quickly as possible. Call PGEC at 804-834-2424 Remember: Stay Away From Downed Power Lines! During an Outage Outage Preparation During an Outage During an Extended Outage Before You Lose Power Planned Outage Hurricane Resources Lightning Safety Additional Resources Before calling the co-op during a power outage, check to see if others in your area have lost power. This information will help us determine the cause of the outage. If others have lights and you don't, check your home's panel box. A blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker could be at fault. If you've determined that the source of the interruption is outside your home, report your outage at once. Outages can be reported: by phone at 804-834-2424 by text after signing up through Smarthub Have the following information ready before making the call: name in which the account is listed your name and phone number account number the time of the outage any flashes or unusual noises that may help us identify the source of the problem

Our crews are on call and will respond 24 hours a day to restore service as quickly as possible. Call PGEC at 804-834-2424 Remember: Stay Away From Downed Power Lines! Outage Preparation During an Outage During an Extended Outage Before You Lose Power Planned Outage Hurricane Resources Lightning Safety Additional Resources Prepare an outage kit to have on hand before any outages occur. A fully stocked outage kit will be crucial if extended outages occur. Your kit should include: Battery-powered radio Flashlights & fresh batteries Emergency supplies of water Non-perishable, easily-prepared foods Manual, non-electric can & bottle openers Candles, matches/lighters Portable heater (gas or oil) Camping equipment Charged cell phone Cooler Blankets & pillows Cash Medications & personal hygiene products Non-cordless phone First-aid kit Pet supplies Fire extinguisher & smoke alarm Family & emergency contact list Click here for a downloadable, printable Emergency Supply List Before You Lose Power

Leadership Board of Directors Management Team

Energy Solutions Home Energy Calculator Choose EV Interconnection Resource Center Safety Additional Resources

Rate Schedules Bylaws Legislative Issues Terms & Conditions Nondiscrimination Statement

Annual Members' Meeting This year's Annual Members' Meeting was nothing short of amazing! Check out a few moments captured at this year's event by browsing the gallery below.

Our crews are on call and will respond 24 hours a day to restore service as quickly as possible. Call PGEC at 804-834-2424 Remember: Stay Away From Downed Power Lines! During an Extended Outage Outage Preparation During an Outage During an Extended Outage Before You Lose Power Planned Outage Hurricane Resources Lightning Safety Additional Resources Turn off large electric appliances and equipment so that lines are not overloaded when power is restored. Keep the door to your refrigerator or freezer closed. If your door seals are tight, your food will normally be safe for several hours without power. Use caution and be sure to have adequate ventilation when operating generators, lanterns, heaters and fuel-fired cook stoves. If you use a generator, have it installed by a certified electrician. Improperly installed generators may feed energy back into the distribution lines, endangering our linemen and others. Always refuel appliances outside. Do not leave fireplaces and burning candles unattended at night. Restock your emergency supply kit.