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Capital Credits

Every year, YVEA publishes the names of those members who have patronage capital refund checks that have either been returned by the postal service as undeliverable or have remained uncashed for more than 3 years. These monies must be claimed within 30 days after the yearly notice is published. You may claim your funds by calling Yampa Valley Electric Association at (970) 879-1160 or toll free at (888) 873-9832, or email. You will be asked to identify yourself, provide current mailing address and telephone number, and verify the years and/or location of your service with YVEA.

2025 Unclaimed Capital Credits

We strongly encourage you to contact us and update your information so that future funds may be distributed.

Members! Do You Have Unclaimed Capital Credits?

Listed below are the names of those members who have patronage capital refund checks that have either been returned by the postal service as undeliverable or have remained uncashed for more than 3 years. These monies must be claimed within 30 days after this notice. You may claim your funds by calling Yampa Valley Electric Association (970) 879-1160 toll-free (888) 873-9832, or by email. You will be asked to identify yourself, provide your current mailing address and telephone number, and verify the years and/or location of your service with YVEA.

We strongly encourage you to contact us and update your information so that future funds may be distributed.

Unclaimed Capital Credits

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Capital Credit Retirement

The 2023 capital credit retirement process has been completed, thanks to the Board of Directors authorizing the retirement in the amount of $277,905, being retired from the remaining unretired portion of capital credits allocated for the calendar year 2004. This represents 12.05% of retirement of capital credits for 2004. Anyone who was a member in 2004 will receive a capital credit retirement refund through several possible ways.

Active Members

  • Will receive a check if their retirement is over $250 (checks will be mailed from St. Louis, MO in December).
  • Will receive a credit on their electric bill if their retirement is under $250.

Inactive Members

  • Will receive a check once their accumulated capital credit refund reaches $25 (checks will be mailed from St. Louis).

If you should have any questions, please call us at (970) 879-1160 or email us.

Allocation vs. Retirement

Allocation

Every spring, the Board of Directors looks at the prior year and allots any funds remaining after all expenses are paid into a budget item called patronage capital.

  • This designated pool of money is then “allocated” to members, based on the prior year’s electric consumption. In this case, the more power you use, the larger your allocation.
  • The allocation is not a check, but a bookkeeping of the amount of money you have invested in the Co-op’s electric system based on your electric consumption.
  • This allocation amount is notified to members on bills every year.

Retirement

Every year the Board takes a hard look at the operation and decides if a member credit payout or “retirement” is feasible.

  • If they decide to retire member credits, the money is paid out or “retired” from each member’s account, based on their past allocations.
  • The credits members receive are tangible evidence of each member’s investment in the co-op.
  • For any tax questions regarding your member credits, please refer to your tax adviser.

Capital Credit FAQs

What are Capital Credits?

At the end of each year, after all of the cooperative’s bills have been paid and all expenses considered, the amount of money that is left over is called a margin. Margins provide equity for the cooperative and are allocated to the members in proportion to their purchases of electricity during the year. Member credits, otherwise known as capital credits, are your share of the margin. Member credits are allocated annually to each member and are retired in accordance with the cooperative’s bylaws.

If you have questions regarding your member credits, please call (888) 873-9832 our Member Services Department, or to find out more about member credits or YVEA, visit our Contact Us page.

What happens to my credits if I move?

You will still receive your member credit checks from previous years of membership with YVEA. When you close your account with us, we ask for your forwarding address so we can mail your member credit retirement checks to your new address.

Why can’t you simply use this money to reduce your rates?

Our co-op uses these funds as working capital to maintain the existing distribution system and to build new infrastructure without having to borrow any money to do so. This is why we allocate funds, and in later years pay out the member credit funds back to you. It's part of your economic participation in the co-op.

What does it mean to “allocate” capital credits?

Every spring, after the previous year's accounting is finalized, any funds remaining after all expenses are paid (margins) are allocated to members who purchased power in the previous year. These funds are called patronage capital and are later paid out as member credits. Members are typically notified of their allocation on their bills in the spring.

What does it mean to “retire” member credits?

Every year the co-op takes a hard look at our financial situation and determines how much the cooperative can retire, or pay out, in member credits. The credits members receive either by check or bill credit, typically in December, are tangible evidence of each member's investment into the cooperative.

How did you determine the amount of my capital credits retirement?

Every spring, after the previous year's accounting is finalized, any funds remaining after all expenses are paid (margins) are allocated to members who purchased power in the previous year. These funds are called patronage capital, and are based on the prior year's electric use - the more electricity you use, the larger your allocation. Your allocations build up over the years and are later paid out as member credits.

What happens to an account with joint membership upon the death of a family member?

Upon the death of either spouse in a joint membership, the name of the deceased person is removed and the membership is then held solely by the surviving spouse. A joint membership is not eligible for an early discounted estate retirement upon the death of one of its members. The Association does not pay allocated capital credits out of the normal rotation other than to estates of deceased individuals, and we do not pay interest on capital credits allocated and not yet retired. To attain a copy of the Deceased Capital Credit Member Form (PDF).

What is an Affidavit of Transfer?

An individual member or both joint members may assign the undistributed capital credits account in writing only to successors in occupancy of all or part of your premises served by YVEA. Use the Affidavit of Transfer (PDF) form to assign the credits. For more information see the Notice (PDF) pertaining to capital credit equity accounts.