Friday, February 27, 2026
We know the cost of electric service matters. Electric bills affect real households, real budgets, and real decisions. That’s why we want to explain what’s changing, why it’s happening now, and what we’re doing to protect you from higher costs in the long run.
Overall rates in Arkansas will increase by 2.03 percent, effective June 1, to cover a 5 percent increase by Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation. Overall Oklahoma rates will increase by 1.33 percent, effective April 1, to cover a 2.5 percent increase by KAMO Power.
A detailed breakdown of the new Arkansas rates can be seen here. For Oklahoma members, the increase will be included in the power cost adjustment.
For households with average residential usage, these increases will translate to roughly $1.86 more per month in Oklahoma and $2.84 per month in Arkansas.
While Ozarks can't control the price of wholesale power, we are responsible for how we manage costs, plan ahead, and keep service reliable.
We are actively working to limit the impact of rising costs by:
Reducing expenses we can control by securing competitive pricing from suppliers and contractors, managing overhead and extending the useful life of equipment
Improving system reliability to prevent outages and speed up response times with technology including grid automation, fiber optic connectivity and transmission upgrades
Exploring innovations that could lower long-term operating costs, such as advanced technology, local partnerships and new rate options
For example, last year we changed our warehouse and inventory management vendor. That decision alone is projected to save approximately 2 percent on construction materials for the foreseeable future.
Ozarks is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative. We don’t answer to shareholders. When revenues exceed expenses, those funds are returned to members as capital credits.
We also want to be transparent about the long term. While rising costs across the electric industry mean that future rate adjustments are likely over the next several years, our focus is on reducing how much rates need to change, not simply passing costs through to our members.
In the meantime, we encourage you to take advantage of tools that can help you manage your energy use today, such as energy efficiency programs, rebates, flexible billing options, and energy-use insights that show where your electricity is being used and where savings may be possible. You can learn more about these programs at ozarksecc.com, or call us at 1-800-521-6144.
We don’t take your trust for granted. Our responsibility is not just to provide power, but to communicate clearly, plan responsibly, and make decisions with our members’ best interests at the center.