Headquarters and contact
- Street address
- 3906 Broadway St
Mt Vernon, IL 62864 - Office hours
- Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Closed weekends and federal holidays.
- Service area
- Jefferson, Marion, Washington, Clinton and Hamilton counties. Member-owned distribution co-op, no gas service.
Call Tri-County Electric
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Member services1-618-244-5151Billing, new accounts, account changes
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Outages (24/7)1-618-244-5151Same line routes to on-call dispatch outside business hours.
Bring photo ID and a recent utility bill or lease to open a new member account.
Activate or transfer your account
What to have ready
- Full legal name and date of birth;
- New service address (street, apt no., city, ZIP);
- Previous address and account holder details;
- Date you need service to start;
- Phone number and email for outage alerts.
How to open the account
- Call 1-618-244-5151 at least 5 business days before your move;
- Confirm if your address is on the co-op grid (use the IL utility directory if you are not sure);
- Pay any required member deposit and connection fee;
- Schedule the meter activation date;
- Sign the member agreement (delivered by mail or in person).
Pay your bill
Recurring bank-account transfer (ACH). The simplest option, set up by phone or in person.
Mail a check or money order to 3906 Broadway St, Mt Vernon, IL 62864.
Credit or debit card by phone via member services, or through the co-op's online portal.
Cash, check or card at the Mt Vernon office during business hours. Drop-box for after-hours payments.
Why Tri-County members do not pick a supplier
The law
The 1997 Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law opened residential retail competition for ComEd, Ameren Illinois and MidAmerican customers in 2002. Rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric departments were explicitly excluded.
Your supply rate is set by the member-elected board, not by an ICC procurement or by an ARES auction.
What that means in practice
- One bill, one company: Tri-County owns the wires AND the supply;
- Rate changes go through a public member vote, not the ICC;
- No Price-to-Compare, no Uniform Disclosure Statement;
- Capital credits: any margin above cost is allocated back to members;
- If you move to ComEd or Ameren territory, you regain ARES choice.