Midwest Energy has hundreds of unclaimed capital credit checks for members, ranging from $10 to $2,000 or more. The average is roughly $60. You can view a list of members due capital credits here. If you find your name on the list, or are the descendant of a member on the list, contact Midwest Energy at 1-800-222-3121.
- Capital credits are the margins remaining after all expenses are paid. Midwest Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, so you are assigned a portion of the margin based on your use of our services.
- The margin is returned to you over a roughly 20-year cycle; for example, credits being returned in 2023 were earned in 2003. As a cooperative, Midwest Energy uses capital credits (also known as patronage capital) to reduce the need to borrow funds and incur interest expenses.
- Your capital credit statement appears in the comments section of your monthly July or August bill, instead of a separate mailing. This statement includes current year’s earnings, the sum of prior earnings, current disbursements (if any) and prior disbursements.
- Capital credits are returned to current and former customers in the form of a paper check in July or August, mailed to the last known address on file.
- If you are a former Midwest Energy customer and feel you might be owed past capital credits, please call us at 1-800-222-3121. We can determine if you are owed capital credits from previous years and can update your mailing address to ensure you receive payment when those capital credits are retired.
- You cannot cash in capital credits or have them returned immediately. Our policy is to return capital credits to members on a roughly 20-year cycle, with the oldest credits paid out first. An exception is when payments are made to estates of deceased members, though these payments are discounted if an estate requests immediate payment of earned capital credits.
- Capital credits are not issued or traded like shares of stock. They are earned when you use Midwest Energy’s natural gas and electric system. They cannot be sold, donated or transferred. Upon a member’s death, they become part of that member’s estate.