Contact Tri-County REC

Member services

1-800-242-0833

Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Local line: 570-549-3211.

Power outage (24/7)

1-800-242-0833

After-hours calls route automatically to the on-call dispatcher. Major storms: text or use the SmartHub outage map.

Downed wire / life-threatening

911

Call 911 first if anyone is hurt or a wire is on the ground, then Tri-County REC at 1-800-242-0833.

Mansfield headquarters

22 North Main Street, Mansfield, PA 16933

Lobby is open weekdays for in-person payments, new-service applications and member-services questions. Drop box available 24/7.

Co-op fact sheet

Type
Rural electric cooperative (REC)
Ownership
Member-owned, not-for-profit
Members
~16,500 accounts
Counties served
14 in north-central PA
Territory note
Largest geographic footprint of any PA co-op
Retail choice?
No (co-ops are exempt)
Rate-setting
Member-elected board of directors
Wholesale supplier
Allegheny Electric Cooperative

What you can do here

  • 1

    Become a member or transfer service

    Call 1-800-242-0833 or visit the Mansfield office. New members sign a membership application and pay the one-time membership fee.

  • 2

    Pay your bill

    In person at the Mansfield lobby, by phone, mail, the SmartHub portal or app, auto-draft, or the drop box. Cash, check or money order accepted at the office.

  • 3

    Vote in the annual board election

    Each member-account has one vote. The elected board sets the cooperative's rates, capital plan and capital-credit retirement policy.

Tri-County REC member portal

About Tri-County REC in Mansfield and Tioga County

Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative was incorporated in 1936 under the federal Rural Electrification Act to bring electricity to the dispersed farms and timberland communities of the northern tier. Today it is one of 14 rural electric distribution cooperatives in Pennsylvania, organized under the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA), and a member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

Tri-County REC serves roughly 16,500 member-accounts across 14 counties in north-central Pennsylvania (Bradford, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga and neighbors), making it the largest geographic service territory of any PA co-op. The 22 North Main Street office in Mansfield is the cooperative's headquarters and main member-services counter; field crews work out of additional outposts to keep storm-response times reasonable in such a sprawling system.

Because Tri-County REC is a not-for-profit cooperative, any margin left over at year-end is allocated back to members as capital credits, in proportion to how much each member paid in electricity bills that year. The board periodically retires older capital credits, returning that cash to current or former members. This is a structural difference from any investor-owned utility, which exists to return a profit to outside shareholders.

Why co-op members do not shop suppliers

Pennsylvania's 1996 retail-choice law applies to investor-owned utilities only. Rural electric cooperatives were exempted on the principle that the members already own and govern their distribution company, so there is no shareholder margin to compete away.

Investor-owned utility (IOU)

PPL, FirstEnergy (Penn / West Penn / Penelec / Met-Ed), PECO, Duquesne Light

  • Owned by NYSE shareholders
  • PA PUC regulates rates and service
  • Retail choice: shop any licensed EGS or stay on PTC
  • Wires utility is also the outage contact

Cooperative (REC)

Tri-County REC, REA Energy, Claverack, United, 10 others in PA

  • Owned by member-customers (one account, one vote)
  • Rates set by member-elected board, PUC for safety only
  • No retail choice: cooperative is both the wires and the supply
  • Margins returned as capital credits, not dividends

Why it matters

As a co-op member you do not shop suppliers, but you vote for the people who set your rate. Co-op residential rates in PA have averaged roughly 10 to 15 percent lower than nearby investor-owned utility territories in 2024 to 2026 EIA Form 861 data, primarily because there is no shareholder return baked into the tariff. The trade-off is no third-party offers and no retail-choice marketing.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form 861 utility-level retail sales of electricity; Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association (PREA).

How to pay your Tri-County REC bill

Auto-draft (free)

Recurring bank draft set up through SmartHub. No card fees.

SmartHub online or app

One-off web or mobile payment by bank account or card. Free to enroll.

By phone

Call 1-800-242-0833 to pay by bank draft or card.

In person or drop box

At the 22 N Main Street lobby (cash, check, money order) during business hours, or the drop box 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch to a cheaper supplier as a Tri-County REC member?
No. Pennsylvania's 1996 Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act applies to investor-owned utilities only. Rural electric cooperatives like Tri-County REC are exempt and own both the wires and the supply. As a member you do not have third-party suppliers to shop, but you do vote in the annual board election that sets your rates.
Where does Tri-County REC buy its electricity?
Wholesale power comes from Allegheny Electric Cooperative (Allegheny), the generation and transmission cooperative jointly owned by PA's 13 distribution co-ops plus New Jersey's Sussex REC. Allegheny owns a stake in the Susquehanna nuclear station and hydro and solar resources, and buys additional power from the PJM Interconnection wholesale market.
Who do I call for a downed power line in Tri-County REC territory?
Call Tri-County REC 24/7 at 1-800-242-0833. If a wire is on the ground or anyone is hurt, dial 911 first. Never approach a downed line; assume it is energized even if it looks dead.
What are capital credits?
Because Tri-County REC is not-for-profit, any margin left over at year-end is allocated back to members in proportion to how much each one paid in bills that year. The board periodically retires older capital credits, mailing the cash back to current and former members. Keep your forwarding address current with the cooperative even after you move; otherwise the check has nowhere to go.
Is help available if I cannot pay my bill?
Yes. Call Tri-County REC at 1-800-242-0833 to discuss a deferred payment arrangement. Cooperative members can also apply for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and Dollar Energy Fund hardship grants, the same programs IOU customers use. Reach out before disconnection; the cooperative has more flexibility when contacted early.
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