CEO October Message

In 1945, Hill County Electric Cooperative (HCE) was built by the rural residents of Hill County to serve local communities, and after 75 years we will continue to keep the power on now and for our future generations.

In celebration of cooperatives, October is National Co-op Month, and electric cooperatives across the country like HCE are proud to “Power On.” Keeping this theme in mind, we recognize the essential role HCE plays in serving our communities with high quality, reliable and safe electric services.

HCE’s top priority is to continue providing reliable, affordable energy to you, the members we serve. Because we are a co-op, our mission is to enrich the lives of our members and serve the long-term interests of our local community—and this mission has never been more critical than in recent months. I keep coming back to the seventh cooperative principle, “concern for community.”

Who would have fathomed in March, that the COVID-19 virus would test our communities and our nation to the extent it has, both medically and politically? The changing circumstances due to the pandemic have created both challenges and opportunities. Over the past several months, we have all been challenged to operate differently. HCE has done so while maintaining safety and being efficient for our members.

Like all of you, HCE has had to make changes to better serve our valued members and to ensure the health and safety of our employees. We closed our office lobby to the public in March, but HCE’s amazing customer service has not changed. Please call our office at 1-877-394-7804 if you have any questions. Payments can be made at Independence Bank, at the drop box at the HCE office in Havre, by phone (1-855-385-9913) or through Smart Hub on HCE’s website, www.hcelectric.com.

Thank you all for 75 great years and please be safe and stay healthy!