As a Member-Owner of S.I.E.C., you tell us how much you owe!

Because we're a "cooperative", we operate a little differently than larger investor-owned and municipal utilities. We work hard to keep our costs to you, our owners, as low as possible, yet offer reliable electrical service. One of the ways we do this is asking you to record your own meter reading each month, compute the amount you owe from a rate schedule you receive from us, and send both your reading and payment to us by the 10th of each month. Although this step sounds complicated to those new to our area, it is quite simple:

  1. Reading MeterRead your electric meter(s) on the first day of each month.
  2. Enter the meter reading(s), rounded to the nearest 10, on your stub(s) for your records and on the stub(s) to be returned with your payment.
  3. Subtract the previous month's meter reading(s) from this current month's reading(s) to compute the number of kWh used.
  4. Figure the amount due from your rate schedule (also available on-line, if needed).
  5. Send or bring in your reading(s) and payment to the Cooperative by the 10th of each month to avoid a 5% late payment fee. If you pay by mail, please send a check or money order. For your convenience, the Cooperative also accepts credit card payment from Visa or MasterCard. Additionally, EFT or bank drafting can be set up for you by contacting us. You can also compute and pay your bill online by selecting the proper menu item on the left. Please be sure and read the Info page first.

We Have optional Payment Plans!

If you have locations that aren't convenient for you to read each month, we can offer you a solution! Under our prepayment plans, we will estimate what your electrical usage would be for the next 12 months, you pay for that much up-front and forget about your meter readings until you receive a card from us saying it's time once more to read your meter. At that time, you'll read your meter, return it to us, we'll figure your bill for you, computing whether our estimate was over or under, crediting or adding that balance to the estimate for the next prepayment period. Again, such payments may be made by MasterCard, Visa or EFT as noted above!

If you would like to know how much your monthly electric bill is going to be, we can offer you a 12 month budget plan whereby you pay the same amount for 11 months and on the 12th month, you catch-up to actual, plus or minus. You will still report your monthly meter reading to us on a monthly basis and include it with your monthly, fixed budget payment. On the 12th month, we'll give you credit for the next 12-month estimate if you're ahead, or we'll settle up this balance and then compute your new monthly budget payment for the next period. At anytime, you can ask to leave our budget plan receiving any applicable credit or paying any applicable balance.

That's right, you don't have to read your meter each month or take the time to send us a payment each month! Some members are just too busy and want alternatives. With our "EFT" plan, similar to our "budget" plan, we estimate your usage for a 12 month period and with your permission, we draft 1/12th of that amount from your checking account each month. You don't have to read the meter or send a payment! At the end of the period, we'll read the meter and inform you what the monthly draft amount will be for the next period! It's as simple as it sounds!

How Do Our Rates Compare?

We think they compare very favorably! Keep in mind we're a small potato compared to some of those large "investor-owned utilities" (IOUs), but we think that is what makes us better! You can come into our office, meet with our CEO and Management Staff directly. Just so you can decide for yourself, here are some of the rates, briefly stated, the majority of our member-owners are on:

Farm and Home Service:

Available for all residential and farm uses on single phase, 60 cycle service at secondary voltages. Subject to established rules and regulations of the seller. Monthly rate consists of a customer charge of $27.25 plus 13.51 cents per KWh for the first 500 KWh and 8.12 cents per KWh for all KWh over 500. Any applicable state and local taxes are added, of course.

All Electric Residential Service:

Available for all residential uses when the primary heat source is electric and the service is single phase, 60 cycle service at secondary voltages. Subject to established rules and regulations of the seller and the special conditions of this schedule. Monthly rate consists of a customer charge of $27.25 plus 13.51 cents per kWh for the first 500 kWh, 8.12 cents per kWh for the next 1,000 kWh and 7.76 cents for all kWh over 1,500. Any applicable state and local taxes are added, of course.

Commercial Service, 50 KW or Less:

Available to all commercial and small power, farm and home using single phase or three phase service and the kW demand is less than 50 kW. Subject to established rules and regulations of the seller. Monthly rate consists of a customer charge of $59.20 plus 13.98 cents per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh, 9.12 cents per kWh for the next 2,000 kWh and 7.87 cents per kWh for all kWh over 3,000. Any applicable state and local taxes are added, of course.

Large Power Service:

Available to all members for all types of usage located on or near our three phase lines. Subject to established rules and regulations of the seller. Monthly rate consists of $12.10 demand charge per kW of billing demand plus energy charges of 4.97 cents per kWh for the first 100 hours per kW, 3.96 cents per kWh for the next 100 hours per kW and 3.60 cents per kWh for all over 200 hours per kW. The billing demand shall be the maximum kilowatt demand established by the member for any 15 minute period during the month. Additional fuel cost adjustment equal to adjustment received by us per kWh from supplier. Any applicable state and local taxes are added, of course.

SECURITY LIGHTING:

Our security lighting can depend on what is required to be provided by the Cooperative, but if you have a security light installed on an existing Cooperative electric pole, the monthly rental charge is $9.80 for a 175 watt light.

You share in our success - Capital Credits!

As part owner of your cooperative, you share in our economic well being! Because we're a not-for-profit cooperative, if any revenue remains after yearly costs have been subtracted, it is ultimately returned to our member-owners through the "capital credit" system. Remaining revenue is called "margins" and over a period of years, these equity funds take the place of borrowed capital. Capital credits are allocated in proportion to the amount of electricity purchased and represent a member's share of equity in ownership of S.I.E.C.. As the financial condition of the Cooperative permits, these capital credits are refunded to members. By allowing the Cooperative to use these funds for a 20 to 25 year period, we are able to prolong borrowing of funds from our bankers and save you money on the interest we would have to pay them. Upon the unfortunate death of a member and at the request of the executor, capital credits, on a discounted basis, can be paid to the deceased estate. Capital credits will be paid to the member's last known mailing address so it is important that you keep S.I.E.C. informed of any address changes, even if you completely leave our electric services. Although you may not be a member today, you will still have capital credits coming from previous years!

To-date, the Cooperative has refunded over $4,153,135 in capital credits!

We are once again retiring capital credits to estates. If you think you may be qualified or have questions, please give us a call or send us an email.