Home » Cooperative » Service Rules & Regulations » G. Delinquent, Collection, Disconnection

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G. Delinquent, Collection, Disconnection

1. Members are billed on or about the 27th of each month. Payment is due by the 15th of the month.  If payment is not made by the time the next bill is processed which is around the 25th, a late payment fee will be charged to the unpaid balance.  When the bill is sent on the 27th there is a predetermined date after which the service will be disconnected for non-payment.  There will be a minimum of five (5) working days notice given prior to disconnection.  A disconnect trip will be made no earlier than the stated disconnect date.  Payment of the total bill plus assessed fees must be made to avoid disconnect.  To avoid the collection/disconnect procedures the payment must be in the office by the due date on the statement. 
2. The Cooperative will work with members who are willing and able to make arrangements agreeable to the Cooperative to schedule payments for past due amounts.  
   1. Agreements must be made with the Cooperative's Billing Department prior to due date.
   2. Agreements are not to exceed three months.  The General Manager/CEO must approve any agreement term in excess of three months.
   3. The Cooperative may disconnect any service without prior notice when agreements made to avoid disconnect are not met by the member.
3. Cooperative field personnel are not responsible to meet with the member to attempt collecting past due amounts prior to disconnecting service.
4. No payment agreement will be accepted by field personnel.
5. At the Cooperative's option a load-limiting device may be installed in lieu of disconnecting the service.  Any associated disconnecting fees will apply to the load-limiting device.
6. Whenever electric service has been disconnected for non-payment of a bill, the service will be reconnected only after the member has taken necessary corrective actions and made payment of all fees and charges, including any applicable reconnect fees and deposits to guarantee payment of service.  The Cooperative will not connect the delinquent disconnected account after normal office hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CT); and has eight (8) business/office hours after the bill is paid to reconnect the account.
7. When a non-sufficient fund (NSF) check is received to avoid disconnect, the service may be disconnected without further notice.  Cash payment may be required based on past history of NSF checks.
8. In the event the member disputes the amount of a bill, the member may, to prevent disconnection for non-payment, pay the disputed bill under protest to the Cooperative.  The Cooperative shall refund to the member any part of such payment made under protest found by the Cooperative to be incorrect or by a court to be excessive.
9. The Cooperative will not disconnect service to a member for failure of the member to pay for service rendered to a previous occupant of the premises.  
10. The Cooperative may disconnect service to a member who takes over responsibility for paying the bill of an existing service after a previous member was disconnected for non-payment and amounts are still owed.  When a member has a delinquent bill on an inactive account, that amount may be transferred to his active account (or) any payments received will be applied to the inactive account first.
11. In the event the member is disconnected for non-payment, and the account is not reconnected within three (3) months, the account will be considered an idle service.  After three (3) months have passed, the Idle Service and Line Retirement procedure will be initiated.

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