Do you live in the Counties area but have never heard of The Counties Energy Trust? Let’s get you up to speed on the who, what, why!
Not many people know that Counties Energy, your local electricity network company is 100% locally owned, with shares held by the Counties Energy Consumer Trust (that’s us!) on behalf of the community.The trust is made up of 5 individuals who not only call the Franklin district home but are elected by the public every 2 years and it’s ELECTION YEAR!
What does the trust do, you’re asking? A trustee’s role is to oversee Counties Energy who provide a critical service to our community, ensuring we have a safe and reliable electricity network, including building and maintaining it, while future-proofing it for growth.
The trustees represent the 49,000 (approx..) consumers like yourself, who are directly connected to the network. Did you know the annual discount you receive around December is from the trust? – last year the discount was approx. $13.3m which can only be achieved with 100% trust ownership!
Do you want to be a trustee?! Why not give it a go..
This year we will be farewelling two of our brilliant Trustees and that gives two consumers a chance to fill these positions! We will be seeking nominations from Counties Energy consumers to stand in the 2025 elections and have a go. Nominations open 6 May, closing 17 June with election day taking place 9 August 2025.
Do you have what it takes or know of someone who would be an excellent Trustee? There is no time to lose, start reading up on what you need to know to get the ball rolling. You’ll want to start with downloading our candidate information handbook!
The first step to becoming a trustee is nominating yourself. To do this you need to meet the criteria and then ensure you complete the nomination paperwork. It feels a bit time consuming and it is and for good reasons. The trust represents the community, 100% of the shares in Counties Energy Limited are held by the Trust for the benefit of the Company’s consumers (that’s you if you’re based in Counties) who are connected to it’s electricity lines network, so it’s key passionate people are elected to be your voice.
To be eligible to nominate yourself for trustee elections, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be 18 years or older to stand in elections
- be a consumer of electricity within the Counties Energy Trust district
- reside, and be recorded on the Parliamentary Roll as resident within the Counties Energy Trust district
- have two (2) people support your nomination, who are also consumers of electricity within the Counties Energy Trust district
Next step – the paperwork. The nomination paperwork can take time, so don’t leave it until the last minute. You will need to ensure you complete the paperwork and that it’s received by election services before the cut off! Including paying a $200 nomination deposit to election services who will also spot check that the two people seconding your nomination are a) consumers of Counties Energy network and b) have their name on the energy bill attached to the ICP that falls within the Counties Energy network.
Top TIP: The candidate profile statement and picture is optional but this is what voters will see – so think of it as a mini bio on who you are and why you think you’d be a great trustee! And remember to smile in your picture!!
If you’re serious about having a go, this part of the process will be over in a jiffy and you can focus on getting your name out there in the community in time for voting!