The story of rural electrification has its beginning in Manhattan in 1882, more than half a century before President Roosevelt signed the legislation creating REA. That year, Thomas A. Edison constructed the first central station electric system. It wasn't long afterward that life in the cities and metropolitan areas was indelibly changed by the widespread use of electricity.

But the vast majority of farmers and families living outside of the cities in the rural areas didn't get to experience this wonderful lifestyle conversion. Power companies in the cities could not afford to start building miles of electric lines to serve just a handful of customers. And the rural farmers couldn't afford to pay to have the lines run to them. So even as late as the mid-1930's only one in ten rural homes had electric service.

In 1929, the stock market crash plunged the U.S. into an economic depression unlike any in history. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal administration enacted several programs to help ease the economic woes of this country, one of which was a program to relieve unemployment-the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, approved on April 8, 1935. One of the eight categories of projects eligible for funding under this act was rural electrification.

President Roosevelt signed an order on May 11, 1935 creating the Rural Electrification Administration. Morris Cooke was appointed as the first administrator of REA later that month. The primary function of REA was to provide loans to power companies so they could extend their lines into the rural areas. However, only a very few power companies took advantage of these funds.

In 1936 the Rural Electrification Act was signed. This established the Rural Electrification Administration as a lending agency for 10 years and made nonprofit organizations such as cooperatives the main target for receiving the funding.

Today there are about a thousand rural electric cooperatives in the U.S., and more than 99% of America's farms have electric service.

• Part II: The Birth of SKRECC
• Part III: Leaders
• Part IV: East Kentucky Power

Billing Options

You are welcome to mail your payment in, bring your payment in, or drop it off at one of our drive-thru windows, but we also have some other options when it comes to paying your electric bill.

Pay With Your Credit Card

You can now pay your electric bill with your credit card. We accept MasterCard and VISA.

Direct Pay

Direct Pay is a service that makes paying your electric bill easy and worry-free. Each month, the amount of your electric bill is automatically deducted from your checking or savings account. You'll still get a monthly statement showing the bill amount, kilowatt-hours used, weather data, and all the other information you get now.

Levelized billing

Levelized billing is a good way to even out the cost of high heating and cooling bills so no single month will reflect a considerable change in your electric bill.

Levelized billing is based on the average number of kilowatt-hours you have used in the past 12 months. This means that the payment amount will be only slightly different each month.

The key points to remember about levelized billing are:

The amount you pay is based on your most current 12 months of actual electric usage.
Your payments will be only slightly different each month.
Your account can be set up on levelized billing at any time.
There will never be a settlement month.

Pay At Your Local Bank

We know it's hard to get everywhere you need to go during a lunch hour, after work, or when you're running behind. We also know that most people visit their bank on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Now you can pay your electric bill at that same time, perhaps saving you a trip across town.
The only rules and restrictions are these:

1. Your bank must be participating in this program (see list below).
2. You can only pay a current bill.
3. You must have your statement with you

South Kentucky RECC has awarded People Fund grants to six, worthy community organizations. The People Fund was started in 2004 at the request of members who wanted to financially help meet community needs not met by other agencies or resources.

South Kentucky RECC Reminds Members Heating Assistance Available

South Kentucky RECC reminds its members that November 1 begins the application process for the first segment, or subsidy component, of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – the federal government’s provision, started in 1974, for helping American’s at risk of losing wintertime heat. Applications are taken in order of the last name of the head of the household.

South Kentucky RECC 17th Annual Golf Scramble Earns $18,000 to Benefit Rogers Scholars

South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation recently held a golf scramble to benefit the Rogers Scholars Program.

Local Student Wins State Scholarship

South Kentucky RECC is pleased to announce that Holly Estes, of Eubank, has been awarded a $1,000.00 Kentucky Women in Rural Electrification (WIRE) scholarship.

South Kentucky RECC Power Supplier Seeks Approval of Kentucky PSC for Solar Project

South Kentucky RECC is pleased to announce that its wholesale power provider, East Kentucky Power Cooperative, has filed a request with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) to construct an 8.5-megawatt solar project in Clark County.

South Kentucky RECC Introduces New Director Serving District 7

With approximately 12.16% of the South Kentucky RECC membership participating in the voting process, members have chosen a new director to represent them in District 7. Brent Tackett will begin serving his new duties in June.

Text Outages to South Kentucky RECC
South Kentucky RECC strives to provide professional and prompt service, particularly when the weather wreaks havoc and the power goes out. SKRECC knows that members also like to be able to conduct business at their convenience and at their fingertips.

South Kentucky RECC Introduces New Appliance Programs
South Kentucky RECC is offering two new programs to help put more dollars in members’ pockets. SKRECC recently received approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission to offer a $50 incentive to recycle old, energy-inefficient refrigerators and freezers.