-
Billing a Member & Due Date: An electric bill is mailed to each member on or around the 8th of the month and will be due 20 days after billing.
-
Delinquent Notice: If your payment is not received by the due date printed on your bill, a Past Due Reminder Notice will be sent with a 1.5% late fee applied.
-
Disconnect Date: If the bill is still delinquent after 12 days of the printed due date on the Past Due Reminder Notice, your account may be subject to disconnection for non-payment.
-
Disconnection for Nonpayment: Prior to a member being disconnected after all of the above has happened, our staff makes at least one attempt to call you by phone at the main number on your account that you provided to Prairie Energy. After at least one attempt to contact the member by phone, if there is still no response we will then provide the member with a posting (disconnection notice) on the member's premises 24 hours to disconnection. There are restrictions Prairie Energy must follow in addition to what has been described. Please see the Customer Rights & Responsibilities to Avoid Shutoff of Electric Service for Nonpayment.
-
Facility Charge – This recurring monthly fee is charged to every member, regardless of the amount of energy used. It helps offset the cost of maintaining electric service at a location and covers maintenance of poles, wires, transformers, meters, right-of-way, administration, preparation and mailing of bills, and other expenses associated with providing electric service.
-
Deposits – The total deposit for any residential or commercial member-consumer at a location which has previously received service will be equal to the average monthly billing for that location in the previous 12-month period, or $100, whichever is greater. The deposit for any residential member-consumer for a location which has not previously received service, will be $150 for standard service or $300 for service which includes an electric heat meter.
-
The deposit for any commercial member-consumer for a location which has not previously received service, or for an industrial customer, will be the customer’s projected one-month usage for the location to be served as determined by the utility, or as may be reasonably required by the utility in cases involving service for short periods or special occasions.
-
A deposit fee for either type of location may be waived by furnishing Prairie Energy Cooperative with a written credit reference from your previous power supplier showing 12 consecutive on-time payments. Once Prairie Energy Cooperative receives 12 consecutive on-time payments, your deposit will be applied as a credit to your account.
-
-
Budget Billing: Budget billing permits the member to spread total service costs evenly over 12 months. You can enroll any month, provided there is no unpaid balance. You must have received service from us for a period of 12 months as the monthly budget bill amount is determined by estimating 110% of electric usage and dividing by 12. Contact our office at 1-800-728-0013, or sign up with SmartHub.
-
Trip Charge – If you fail to respond to a phone notification, a Prairie Energy employee will post a 24 Hour Notice of Disconnection on your premise. A $40 trip charge will be added to your delinquent amount.
-
Reconnect Fees – Reconnection fee for a service that has been disconnected for non-payment will be $75 (plus tax) if reconnection is made during regular office hours, which are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
-
Returned Checks – A $30 returned-check charge will be assessed for any checks that are not honored due to “insufficient funds.” If the cooperative receives two NSF checks within 6 months, the member is put on cash only status for 1 year.
-
Late Payment Charge – A 1.5% penalty will apply if payment is received after the due date printed on the bill.
-
Payment Extension - Members can request payment extensions by contacting the office, or online via SmartHub.
-
Moving/Address Change – When moving, you are responsible for the electric usage until the Cooperative is contacted and arrangements have been made. Please provide us with address changes/forwarding address so we can send you the final bill. We ask that you keep a current address on file with us to assure that we may retire your patronage and mail capital credits to you in future years. Call our office at 800-728-0013.
