Frequently Asked Questions

A cooperative is a business that belongs to the people who use the goods and services it provides. A Member-owned cooperative is a not-for-profit organization that returns its annual operating capital, less operating expenses, back to the Members (capital credits). Each Member-Owner shares equal control of the cooperative and Trustees are elected among themselves to represent the co-op as a whole.

In order to apply for service, you must come into a Member Services Office and bring with you: your Social Security identification, a government issued photo I.D., and funds for connection fees and any deposits that may be required or go HERE. It is important to know the exact address that service is being requested for. If possible, write down the 8 digit serial number off the existing electric meter. Following these steps will save you time and effort in the application process.

• Membership Fee -$5.00
• Deposit Amt-2x’s average billing for location ($250 min.)
• Connection Fee-$25.00 (existing service) -$50.00 (new-metered service)

Each month the read dates are scheduled as follows and may vary within a five day window:

Cycle 2 – the 2nd
Cycle 3 – the 9th
Cycle 4 – the 16th
Cycle 1 – the 24th

When you apply for new service you will be required to put down a refundable deposit prior to connection of service. The deposit is two times the average bill (using the last 12 months) at that specific location.  The minimum deposit is $250.

After 5 consecutive years of on-time payments, your initial deposit will be refunded to your account. If you move before the end of the 5 years and are no longer going to be a Talquin Member, the deposit and membership fee will be applied to your final bill. If your final bill is less than the amount of your initial deposit, the remaining amount will be sent to you in the form of a check to the most recent address on file for your account.

If your name has changed, you will have to come into a Member Service Office to have the changes made on your account. You can bring either your old and new Social Security card or your old and new driver’s license. If you would like to add another person to your account, you must both come into a Member Service Office with valid identification and a new account reflecting the changes will be created.

Talquin Member Service Offices accept non-cash tender such as checks, credit cards, and money orders. Cash payments may be made at the following locations, some of which may charge a small convenience fee: Ace Cash Express, Big Top Supermarket, Mike’s Qwik Cash, and all Walmart locations.

Please allow two to three days for transactions to be processed and credited to your Talquin account if payment is made at any of the above locations. Payments made at Talquin Member Service Offices before close of business, will continue to be credited the same day.
(Payments received after 5 pm Eastern Time on the due date will be assessed a late fee.)

TEC trims and removes trees in order to maintain Member safety and service reliability. Trees must be trimmed to prevent contact between power lines and tree limbs because they create a constant threat of tree related power outages. Limbs that hang over power lines are trimmed so they do not fall on the power lines during inclement weather and cause outages or damage. If a tree is too close to a power line it could possibly come in contact with the line thus giving electricity a path to the ground which can cause a potentially serious fire, safety hazards, and power outages.

The Member should make a request for TEC to assess the need to trim limbs, or cut dead or diseased trees that could damage this line. There are also circumstances that would necessitate the need for a TEC crew to remove the service drop in order for the Member to have someone else to cut the tree or trees. This is usually based on the liability of damaging a structure in order to remove a tree or undue amount of clean up.

Members should make their request known to any Member Service Office, Please make sure to provide a day time phone number.

Report via Mobile App: Download the Talquin mobile app on your iOS or Android device and report outages and receive updates.  All with the click of a button!

Report via Text: Text #OUTAGE to 85700 to report electric outages. If not registered, go here now.

Report via Phone: Automated System: 1-866-899-4832
Live Operator: 1-888-802-1832

Report via Website: You may also report an outage online.

If you are aware of an inoperative or malfunctioning outdoor light on Talquin Electric Cooperative’s lines, please call TEC or email us at so that the outdoor light can be repaired. When reporting a problem, TEC must have the following information so that we can make the repair and contact you if there should be any questions:

Identify and describe the light location with such specificity that it can be identified, such as street name, nearest street crossing or other landmarks.

Describe the nature of the malfunction or failure of illumination of the outdoor light.

Provide contact information such as the name, address, email address, or phone number of the person reporting the inoperative or malfunctioning outdoor light so that they can be contacted.

Members may vote for all districts in the Cooperative that are up for election.

Talquin Electric Cooperative is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected at all times. We collect information from you when you register on our website or complete a form. When registering on our site, as appropriate, you will be asked to enter personal identifiable information, such as your email address, account number and statement id. Talquin’s sole purpose for collecting this information is to provide you with online access to your utility account(s). Talquin does not sell, trade or otherwise transfer to third parties any of your personal identifiable information, with the exception of those trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential

All payments made are considered final when they are posted to an account. Any refund request must be made by either the Member or the card owner. The request can be made in person at any Talquin Member Service Office or via phone at (850) 627-7651. A refund will be issued to the card owner’s card if payment was made via credit/debit card. All payment refunds will be reversed from the utility account. The Member will be responsible for any balance remaining on the utility account after a refund is processed. The account will be eligible for disconnect for non-payment or collection proceedings per the rules of the Cooperative.

Yes, Talquin does offer thorough residential and commercial energy analysis at no cost to its Members. Due to the detailed and complex nature of the process, this service is available by appointment only. Please call (850) 627-7651 to schedule an analysis.

The WPCA is a rate component on your monthly utility bill that is figured in proportion to the number of kWh hours used and can be computed by multiplying the amount charged or credited by the number of kilowatt hours used. For example, if the amount charged is .02420, and 1000 kWh was used during the billing period, the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment would be a charge of $24.20. WPCA is used to pay our Wholesale Power Supplier, Seminole Electric, for the costs they incur in order to generate and transmit power to our members. The WPCA rate can be affected by variables such as costs of supplies used by the supplier and usage demand peaks.

In most cases, unusually high bills are a result of seasonal changes in energy uses or problems with appliances. It is rare to have a meter running faster than actual power usage. However, if you feel that your meter is not correct, contact a Member Service Representative at one of our offices. They will analyze your energy usage history, especially during the same time last year, and offer guidelines for energy efficiency.

In order to continue to provide The Trading Post in every issue of The Current, we ask Members to adhere to the guidelines listed below when submitting an ad. If an ad does not meet the criteria, it will not be published. There is no cost to place an ad in The Trading Post.

• Members may submit one ad every three months (four times a year)
• Ads must be twenty-five words or less
• Must be typed or printed legibly in ink
• No registered businesses may run an ad
• No changes after ad submission
• Deadlines are the first day of the month preceding the month of publication (For example, December 1st is the deadline for
  the January edition.)
• Members must provide name, phone number, and account number.

Mail ads to: “The Current”, Talquin Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 1679, Quincy, FL 32353-1679 or e-mail to tradingpost@talquinelectric.com.

We offer Levelized Billing which offers Members the opportunity to pay the average of 13-month’s usages. The average is recalculated each month using the current usage plus the previous 12-months; therefore, the monthly billing amounts may vary slightly. Go HERE to find out more.