I need to update my account information 

To fully utilize our automated outage reporting telephone system, we need your help to ensure our outage management records are up-to-date. To do that, Lake Country Power needs the following information from you:

• A primary telephone number that uniquely associates your service location on our system (the phone number serves as our "trigger" to identify your service location when you enter it into our automated outage response system - it does not have to be the telephone number listed for the address).

Please review the bottom portion of your monthly electric bill to verify the accuracy of your telephone or cell number, and also your service address, that is printed on your bill is the correct number we should use to identify your service location on our system. This number is your identification number to use when you contact us about power outages. If this number is incorrect, please fill out this online form.

If you have an inactive account with Lake Country Power, meaning you moved out of Lake Country Power’s service area, please use the form below to provide your new address so we may contact you for future capital credit retirements. 

After you've completed each field, click the "send" button so it's directed to a Lake Country Power call center representative who will update your records as you've requested. If the form doesn't work for you, please notify our call center with your updated information by calling 1-800-421-9959. Or you can write the change on the lower back side of your electric bill and mail with your payment. 

 * Primary phone or cell number for each account number. (Please record the coordinating phone number with the proper account number across from each appropriate box.)

Red Flags Rule: Protecting you from identity theft 

All utility companies are now required to establish identity theft prevention programs in order to comply with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Red Flags” rule. A red flag is a pattern, practice or activity that indicates the possible existence of identity theft. 

All utilities are required to take additional steps in order to verify identity. Whether you apply for new service or transfer your service into another name with Lake Country Power, we will run a verification and credit check to confirm the validity of your identity and establish a deposit amount. We will ask you several key personal questions before discussing any information on the phone. These questions will be personal account information and one will include a secure password.

The end result is that the new Red Flags Rule will now require more of members and the cooperative, due to the criminal activity linked to stealing the identity of others. Although the extra precautions may seem inconvenient, the intent is to help protect our members and do our part to help prevent identity theft from happening. 

For background information about Red Flags Rules, please read 'Red Flags Rules' for Identity Theft on the Way; Feds push for better fraud and theft prevention.

The Red Flags Rule – A cause for concern?

A special message from Rick Lemonds, general manager for Lake Country Power

I want to thank Lake Country Power members who’ve provided information based on the new Red Flags Rule. The requirements have us working hard to safeguard your personal and account information under guidelines developed by the Federal Trade Commission.

The goal of the Red Flags Rule is to minimize the chances for fraud and identity theft of individual account information. The irony, of course, is that we need to ask co-op members for personal and specific information to do that.

The reason for personalizing your account information is that it makes it harder for scammers to access your account records by calling in and claiming to be “you!”

To members who are understandably concerned with Lake Country Power asking for sensitive information: I apologize if we’ve not made the methods of the Red Flags Rule clear enough. The process can be confusing and I assure you that you are not alone in your concern.

To clarify, please remember that for existing members, it is entirely your choice whether or not you choose to share your personal information with us. If you choose not too, it won’t affect restoration of service when outages occur, it won’t affect the reliability of your electric service and it won’t affect our automatic meter reading service. All new accounts will have the necessary information built into the application process.

If you do call to talk about your account, your bill or your usage in the future, we offer options so you don’t have to supply personal information in the mail. These options include initiating a call to us to provide the information, or stopping by a service center, and providing a picture I.D. 

By doing this, we’ll be able to validate your identity over the phone if you (or your spouse) call in the future looking for account or usage data. In addition, our online account information will be set up with appropriate passwords to safeguard access to your account information as well.

Finally, be wary of fake phone calls that ask for personal information. Never provide it over-the-phone if someone calls you asking for it. Lake Country Power won’t call asking for it. The information that we have requested is up to you to provide. This way, when you initiate the call, you can be sure you have Lake Country Power on the line.

While no business or government can absolutely guarantee the prevention of Identity Theft, the Red Flags Rule has been established to guard against identity theft and we are implementing the requirements in the most efficient manner possible. Lake Country Power, like other utilities and financial institutions, is working hard, and is duty bound, to implement these methods on behalf of our members. We ask for your continued patience and support.

Rick Lemonds is general manager of Lake Country Power, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative that serves more than 41,000 members in parts of eight counties throughout northern Minnesota.

Special reminder: 
Remember to call before you dig. Call Minnesota’s Gopher State One Call at 1-800-252-1166 or visit www.gopherstateonecall.org.