Service By The Numbers

WHEN SAM HOUSTON ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE WAS CREATED IN 1939, every Co-op member could fit into one small room. In the mid-1960s, there were just 15,000 meters. How did we grow to 73,000 meters since then? By adhering to our core values: Accountability, Innovation, Integrity, and Commitment to Community.

METERS PER COUNTY

Sam Houston Electric Cooperative’s more than 73,000 meters stretch across parts of 10 East Texas counties.

County Meters

Angelina 1,590

Hardin 3,238

Jasper 41

Liberty 9,897

Montgomery 11,264

Polk 22,816

San Jacinto 12,861

Trinity 1,962

Tyler 6,040

Walker 3,345

Total 73,054

WHERE DO YOUR ELECTRICITY DOLLARS GO?

We were founded because of the challenges of powering rural America. It took ingenuity and careful planning to bring power to our members’ homes. Although our system has grown from a handful of founding members to more than 54,000, we’re serving more with less. In fact, we diligently serve our membership with fewer employees than just 30 years ago. As a not-for-profit business, every penny from your bill is put to use.

When compared to other commodities, electricity remains a great value. Over the past 10 years, the price of gasoline has shot up 10.9 percent on average each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cost of a loaf of white bread has increased 4.2 percent, and a dozen eggs has increased 6.5 percent per year. The cost of electricity, on the other hand, has increased just 3.7 percent.

The people who work at Sam Houston EC call the communities they serve home, too. We live here. Our members are our friends and neighbors. With those connections comes pride in the service we deliver and a sense of duty to do our best. Today and tomorrow, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative is here for you.

We have fewer meters per mile than other utilities, so we must operate very efficiently. The average investor-owned utility has 34 meters per mile, and the average municipality has 48 meters per mile.

There are nearly 170,000 power poles dotted along Sam Houston Electric Cooperative’s power lines. Each one is inspected every 10 years on average and repaired or replaced, if needed.

Sam Houston Electric Cooperative maintains roughly 5,554 miles of power lines. How far is that, exactly? The Cooperative’s power lines could stretch from Houston, Texas, to Rome, Italy.