You won’t find it listed alongside the partridges, turtle doves, golden rings, maids-a-milking or lords-a-leaping suggested as gifts in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
But as far as truly perfect gifts go, the Cloverland Electric Cooperative has an option designed to bring the gift of light to its members far beyond the holiday season.
The not-for-profit, member-owned utility located in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula is once again offering bill credits members can purchase that work like a gift card. The credits can be applied to any Cloverland electric bill. Although it’s a program available year round, the holiday season offers members the opportunity to share the gift with loved ones or to direct the gift anonymously to households in need. It’s a popular program that provides a truly essential gift at a time when many people need it.
“It started in 2020 when we first offered bill credits that worked like a gift card for any Cloverland member,” said Allie Brawley, Director of Communications & Member Relations with Cloverland Electric Cooperative. “The Cloverland gift credits are offered year round but are especially applicable in the holiday season and going into winter as a true gift of light. It’s a way for our members to light up our communities with warmth and generosity.”
Cloverland Electric Cooperative was built by the communities it serves to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable energy to its cooperative members. The co-op services approximately 34,000 members with 43,000 meters across 4,000 miles of line through five rural counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Cloverland maintains local control of Sault Ste. Marie’s historic hydroelectric power plant, which contributes to generating 40-50 percent of the co-op’s power with renewable energy. As an electric cooperative, Cloverland is locally owned and operated while remaining a part of something bigger. Across the country, electric cooperatives work together to restore power during major outages, develop new technologies, and build infrastructure that benefits the broader populace.
With temperatures dropping and winter’s full fury on the horizon, gift cards offer a flexible and thoughtful way to ensure fellow members can keep up with their electrical bills. In the past, members have purchased gift credits for specific friends or family members and they have also given gifts anonymously to a member in need.
“Cloverland Electric is proud to be a part of the local community and we care about our members,” said Brawley. “We’re always looking for new ways to help our members conserve energy, save money, and take advantage of the technology that’s changing the way we live and work. Gift cards are available in any denomination and we are happy to be able to continue the program for members.”
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To purchase gift cards visit Cloverland Electric Cooperative’s Dafter office or call 1-800-562-4953.