Unclaimed Capital Credits

During my first few months here at UDWI, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and talking to so many of our

members. As I’ve listened to your questions, I’ve come to realize that capital credits and the cooperative’s

process for distributing those credits are common concerns for our members.

In the co-op world, all monies collected from members for electric usage are calculated at the end of year, and

anything left over after operating costs, loan payments, and other expenses is called a margin. Most commonly,

this money must be invested back into the cooperative to pay for infrastructure, line repairs, or even

equipment and training. But, if the co-op is in a financially sound position the margins are “retired” and

are disbursed to the members in the form of capital credits.

It is up to each cooperative’s Board of Directors to make the decision of whether and when the co-op is able to

pay capital credits, and UDWI, like many other cooperatives in the state, made the move to begin

dispersing capital credits within the past few years.

In 2012, the UDWI Board of Directors made the decision to “retire the margins” and begin dispersing

capital credits for the first time. Since then, more than 54,000 capital credit checks have been sent out

to our members totaling over $1.7 million. The amount of a capital credit is calculated by looking at the

margin available for distribution year by year, and then dividing it among members based on how much

the individual member paid for electrical service, thus a member who paid more for service in a given

year will receive more than a member who paid less.

It is important to note that UDWI bylaws require that the co-op issue capital credits to the oldest years

first, and work its way toward the current year. We are currently distributing capital credits for the years

of 1959-1960. We want our members to understand that our staff will make every effort to reach out to

eligible members; however, often times the last known address is decades old--as you can imagine,

this presents many challenges.

We want to thank you for your patience as we work through this long process. We are committed

to getting the funds to our members as efficiently as possible. You can find a list of those eligible

for capital credits by clicking on the link below.

                                                                                                                   Doug Childs, CEO

How do I claim a check?

See below for the Unclaimed Capital Credits Checks list from 1952 to 1960.  If you or a family member is listed, please contact our office at (800) 489-7362 or (812) 384-4446 to speak with a capital credits clerk.

Click here for complete listing