Current News
Disconnections Resume December 1
After 20 months of waived late fees and no disconnection of service for nonpayment, Benton REA will resume electric and internet disconnections on December 1. Anyone with a past-due balance is encouraged to contact Benton REA before November 30 to set up a payment arrangement. Only during November, those who make arrangements have up to…
Drive-In Annual Meeting Fills Red Mountain Event Center
On the rainy morning of September 18, Benton REA hosted a drive-in annual meeting for the first time in the co-op’s 84 years. “As a cooperative, we’re required to hold an annual meeting of the Benton REA members,” says General Manager Mike Bradshaw. “While planning the meeting, the number of COVID-19 patients being admitted to…
New Payment Kiosks at Harvest Foods and Yoke’s Fresh Market
Pay with cash, card or check during store hours Benton REA’s two new payment kiosks are at Lep-Re-Kon Harvest Foods in Prosser and Yoke’s Fresh Market in West Richland. Benton REA and PowerNET bills can be paid at the kiosks using cash, check or card anytime the stores are open. Payments are posted to members’…
Members Give Benton REA An 89 Satisfaction Rating
For the fifth year in a row, Benton REA members gave their electric cooperative an 89 out of 100 rating in the American Customer Satisfaction Index questions included in the annual satisfaction survey. Each year, Benton REA seeks to understand members’ satisfaction with the cooperative to improve customer service, reliability, and the quality of our…
Members Support and Benefit from Power to Care Bill Assistance Program
In September 2020, Benton REA launched the Power to Care bill assistance program. One year later, the program is still helping members get through the pandemic together. Donating to the fund Each month, 449 members of the co-op choose to round up their electric bill to the nearest dollar, or to donate $1, $5 or…
Drive In to the Annual Meeting
Benton REA invites all members to drive in for the 84th Annual Membership Meeting on September 18 at 10:30 a.m. Join us for a modified version of your annual meeting without leaving your vehicle. Drive to the Red Mountain Event Center (8280 W. Van Giesen St.) in West Richland. You’ll get a boxed lunch and…
Benton REA Pays Back $1.75 Million to Members
Benton REA will pay back more than $1.75 million in ownership credits this summer. This amount is shared among more than 17,400 active and inactive members. People and businesses that receive electricity from Benton REA are members and owners of the cooperative. All utilities have margins, but only electric cooperatives like Benton REA allocate and…
Mail-in Ballots Due September 9 for Trustee Districts 7, 8
Benton REA is governed by eight trustees who each represent a district of members. These trustees are elected by you—Benton REA members—to serve three-year terms. Members who live in districts 7 and 8 will receive a ballot in August for the 2021 trustee election. Each membership receives one vote. Members may submit their vote by…
2021 Kids’ Electrical Safety Poster Contest
Posters are due August 19 for this year’s Electrical Safety Poster Contest. All elementary-age children whose parents or guardians are Benton REA members with active electric accounts are eligible. Prizes will be distributed at the Benton REA Annual Meeting on September 18 in West Richland. The following prizes will be awarded for each age category:…
Benton REA Donates $15K to Local Food Banks
Fifteen thousand dollars is helping feed local families thanks to Benton REA and matching funds from CoBank, one of the utility’s lenders. Benton REA received a $7,500 matching grant from the CoBank Sharing Success program. Together, the $15,000 donation will help families through three organizations within the Benton REA member service area. Nine thousand dollars…