What is a "cooperative" and how does it differ from other electric utilities?

Cooperatives have been around for hundreds of years and are still being formed today. Cooperatives are entities of many different types formed by those who use its services. In our case, the rural residents of our service area in 1938 needed electricity and those who were providing it in area towns had no desire to bear the expense of providing it to the rural areas. They preferred the more densely populated areas that towns and cities offered - they yielded much quicker returns on their investments! The "cooperative" way requires one to join by taking out a membership (a one-time $5 membership for life), saying you will follow the by-laws and policies of the Cooperative. This membership fee is not refundable and as such, would allow you to return and receive service at a future date should you return to the service area. Because we are a cooperative, our rates reflect actual operating costs and any funds in excess of those operating costs are returned to all members who purchased electricity from us during that year. In most utilities, only those stockholders or investors get any profits made by the organization but with us, you, as a member-owner of SIEC, get your pro-rata share of the total profit in the form of a capital credit. For more info on capital credits, see our "Billing, Rates & Payments" page on our website.

What will it cost me to get electric service from you?

The answer to that question can depend on the type and size of service you are requesting. If you are seeking electricity at a location where none has previously existed, i.e. no poles, meters, transformers, etc. are present, you need to talk with our engineering department and they will gladly meet with you to determine your service needs. In most cases of normal residential service, all that is required is a membership and a meter deposit, or in some cases, our operating policies allow a satisfactory equivalent to be given. Meter deposits vary from $100 to $500, depending upon the results given from the credit rating agency we use. We need to know where you are moving to and if an existing but inactive meter is already there, the meter number, as printed on the meter face, will tell us the exact service location. If no meter is there, be sure and get the exact 911 mailing address and even the names of nearby neighbors can help. For electrical service other than residential, other policies can apply and our engineering department will gladly inform you of those that may apply to your type of service.

As executor of my parents' estate, can I collect their capital credits now?

Yes, the Cooperative is happy to again offer this service to our members. Please send an email asking for details or feel free to call our office and ask for them.

Do you take payments by phone?

You can "Pay-By-Telephone" by calling 1-800-331-0915 (if you want to "Pay-By-Telephone", you need to call the office first to let us enroll you), or you can call and make your payment by giving us your MasterCard or Visa card number and your meter reading. Of course, you can also pay on-line by going to our "On-Line Bill Payment" page on our website.

Can I pay my SouthWater bill at your office?

You sure can! We're proud to be associated with SouthWater and welcome your payments here. We'll see that they get to SouthWater's personnel so they can be credited to your account. Also, personnel are available here to answer your SouthWater questions. For more information on SouthWater, see our SouthWater link on our website. Unfortunately, we cannot accept payment for SouthWater via our website.

Is there anywhere I can pay my electric bill besides Dongola?

At this time, our Dongola office is the only staffed office we have. If you want to personally pay your bill or plan to pay in cash, you will need to come to the Dongola office to pay it or leave your payment in our "drop box" located next to the main entrance to the office. If you are paying by check or money order, you can mail your payments, of course. Additionally, you can pay your bill by credit card, either by coming into the office or by telephone. We also offer the option authorizing us to make withdrawals from your bank account (drafting or "EFT"). See our information under "Billing, Rates & Payments" for more details. Also, we are able to accept payments by credit card or EFT over this website by going to the above noted page link, allowing the member the ability to compute and/or view their current bill and billing history.

Why do I have to pay my bill by the 10th of the month - that's not convenient for me?

The Cooperative established years ago the 10th of the month as the date they need your monthly payment so they in turn can pay those bills they owe to their vendors. Should the 10th fall on a weekend or a holiday, the next business day will be considered the 10th for late-payment fee purposes, except when done on our website - the 10th still applies for on-line payment purposes. As you know, most bills from many suppliers seem to use the 10th as the due date. In order to allow the Cooperative to meet its own cash flow, the 10th was established as the date payments from our members need to be made. If a payment is received after that date, a late-payment fee of 5% is added to offset any additional costs the Cooperative may have in meeting its own obligations. Many of our members may not realize that electricity, unlike many other commodities, such as gasoline for your vehicle or implement or even a loaf of bread, has already been consumed before you are required to pay for it. Because it has been used, the Cooperative is then responsible for its payment to our own power supplier, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative of Marion, Illinois. We do offer several options to help you in making monthly payments: a monthly budget plan where your monthly amount is always the same for 11 of the 12 months; a 12 month plan where you only read your meter and only pay your account once for the period; and credit cards as noted previously. Call us for more details!

Why do I have to pay an additional meter deposit and why do I have to pay a $50 "trip fee"?

The Board of Directors has set a meter deposit policy for the Cooperative to follow. It is based, in part, upon the review of annual "charge-offs" of uncollectible accounts. Due to electricity actually being used before it is paid for, it is very possible for someone to leave their location with out paying their last electric bill. The meter deposit, in theory, helps to offset this possibility as well as serve as a deterrent to any damages occurring to our metering equipment, similar to a leasing deposit often used by apartment or housing owners. An additional meter deposit is required only if your account is disconnected for non-payment of your electric account. If you want to be reconnected, you will be required to pay an additional meter deposit of at least $100, as your account is now a concern for future payments. The additional meter deposit helps to ensure the Cooperative, and ultimately the members, will not be left with a bill a member has failed to pay. The meter deposits are all kept in the member's name and will be refunded to them following 24 consecutive months of payments with no more than two (2) late payments during the period. If 24 consecutive months cannot be met, the deposit will continue to be held until the period is met or until the member should decide to leave the Cooperative's service, at which time the deposit will be refunded after any final amounts are paid. The $50 trip fee is required only if the Cooperative's notices for payment and/or meter readings are not met and a serviceman must be dispatched to call upon the member. In such cases, the serviceman is taken from his normal duties to make a call upon the member and the $50 helps to offset the cost of the labor and vehicle expense. Once more, it is to protect the majority of our members who routinely pay their bill each month and should not be required to pay the expenses caused by those who do not.

Does SIEC offer an incentive or rebate if I install a new heating/cooling system in my home?

Yes!! The Cooperative will issue a rebate to a Member who installs an approved geothermal heat pump system. A rebate is also available to a Member that installs an "add-on" heat pump to a fossil fuel (gas or oil) heating system. Contact the Member Services Department for details.

If at anytime you have any questions concerning your electric account or your cooperative, please do not hesitate to call our office located right here in our service territory - we still answer the phone in person! Do you have a question or comment? If so, please email them to us!

Terms and Definitions:

Alternating Current (AC) - This is the type of current found in homes, businesses, etc.  AC means the electricity can flow back and forth, reversing in direction.  The speed or number of times per second it changes its direction is known as its "frequency".  If the change is made at the rate of 60 times a second, it is said to have 60 "cycles" per second.

 Ampere (Amp) - This is the term given to measure the rate at which an electric current flows through the wire at a resistance of 1 ohm when a potential of 1 volt is applied across the resistance. 

Breaker or Circuit Breaker - This term implies an electrical device located on an electric circuit that can "break" the circuit or open it at that particular location.  Breakers are found on the Coop's lines as well as in the member home, only a substantial difference in sizing and construction differs.  The Coop's breakers are found along the lines or in the substations, and the members are generally found in the main fuse box or occasionally in sub-fuse boxes that are in-line somewhere along a given circuit.  Breakers have the ability to be "reset" and used again.  Breakers come in all sizes, depending upon the load and equipment.  See "Fuses" below. 

Direct Current (DC) - This is the type of current generally found in batteries and is no longer common for home use.  As opposed to AC, DC flows continuously in one direction. 

Demand - In electricity, this refers to the amount of kilowatts a particular member or "load" requires.  There are several types of demands, such as peak, coincident, non-coincident, off-peak, etc..  

              Coincident Demand refers to the combined demand or load upon the system when it peaks, often referred to as "System Peak".  When the system peaks out, everyone's load at that time makes up its coincident demand.

             Non-coincident Demand is the demand on the system at times other than coincidence or "peak".  A customers non-coincidence demand is their demand at a time other than coincidence. 

              Peak Demand is the load a customer puts upon the system at his highest usage or demand for electricity.  Peak  demand is often used in conjunction with "Coincident" demand, but may also be referred to as his "peak" during any given period.

            Off-peak Demand is the term used to describe a load's demand on the system at times other than "peak". 

Fuses - This is the devices installed on the Coops lines when there is a need to be able to isolate a line in the event a fault should appear on the line - we want to be able to isolate it but still keep the rest of the customers not on that particular line in service.  The Coop often uses "fuses" on taps across private right of way or up a long lane to a few customers.  Fuses in the home are found in many older homes, usually in the "fuse box" itself, and are activated when a fault appears on a circuit in the home.  All fuses are good for one time only.  Once blown, they must be replaced with a new fuse.  Fuses come in all different sizes, depending upon the rating of the load and the equipment. 

Horsepower (Hp) - Like the term "kilowatt" defined below, the term "horsepower" also denotes a unit of power.  Hp indicates the rate at which energy is used or delivered - one horsepower is the equivalent of .746 kilowatts, i.e., a 10 horsepower rating has an equivalent rating of 7.46 kilowatts (10x.746), meaning  that this motor will use 7.46 kilowatt-hours per hour at full load.

House Current - This refers to the common voltage level found in our member's homes.  Nearly all houses and buildings are wired to allow 220/240 Volt service in them.  This voltage is delivered to the member's home after it goes through our transformer.  Once in the member's fuse box, the load will be distributed over the individual circuits within the home.  Most of those circuits will be at 110/120 Volts, such as for lighting, receptacles, etc..  Some loads, such as electric stoves, window air conditioners, electric furnaces, electric water heaters, etc. require 240 Volt service. 

kV (Kilovolts)  - This term is usually used as opposed to expressing the number of Volts in the thousands.  A 138,000 volt line is usually referred to as a "138kV" line as kilovolt is the equivalent of 1,000 Volts. 

kVa (Kilovolt-Amperes)  - kVa is the result of the kilovolts being multiplied by the amperes, which is also equal to the kilowatts, i.e., kilowatts = kilovolts x amperes at "Unity" (see Power Factor below).  Most line transformers are rated in "kVa", such as a "10 kVa" transformer. 

kW (Kilowatt) - This term is used to measure the ordinary unit of electric power - it is the rate at which "kilowatt-hours" are delivered or used per hour.  If an electric generator has the power capacity of 25,000 kilowatts, this means the generator has the capacity to deliver energy at the maximum rate of "25,000 kilowatt-hours per hour".  As "kilo" means 1,000, the kilowatt is the equivalent of 1,000 Watts.  It should also be noted that 1 kW is the equivalent of 1.34 horsepower.

kWhr (Kilowatt-hours) - This term should not be confused with kW above as kWhr is merely a unit of measurement of electric energy transmitted through the electric wires.  The kWhr is often compared to the "gallon of water" measurement for measuring your water usage.  Although "hour" is included in its name, kWhr is a unit of quantity that really involves no time element, which tends to be misleading. 

Load Factor (LF)  - This term refers to the month's load on a system as compared to its maximum or peak load for that same period.  When a customer creates his maximum demand on the system, he will probably not continue to use  electricity at that same level for the whole month, but will use it at different levels throughout the month.  The extent of his use for the month as compared to his maximum use for that same month is called his "load factor".  Load Factor is computed by dividing his kWhr usage for the month by the product of the month's "peak" or maximum demand for him times the hours for the same period (730 for a month and 8,760 for a year).  Shown more algebraically:

Load Factor = Month's kWhr Usage/(Peak Demand or kWx730 or 8,760) 

Ohm - This is a unit of resistance, representing the amount of resistance which will permit 1 ampere to flow at a potential difference of 1 volt. 

Power Factor (PF) - This term is used to express the relationship between "useless current" and "useful power".  It is very confusing to explain and understand.  Certain types of electrical devises are 100% useful power, such as an electric stove, a light bulb, toaster, etc. - when it's on, all power is being used to heat or light and none is being wasted.  Some other devices, especially induction motors as commonly used today, are not being used at capacity and result in a demand on the system greater than actually being used or put to good use.  The actual work being done by the motor results in a certain kilowatt (kW) demand that is measured by the ordinary meters for measuring such demands.  This motor, however, when "partially"  loaded, makes an additional demand on the electric system which is not measured by the ordinary meter, but such additional demand requires capacity in the electric system just the same as the useful demand requires capacity.  When there is no useless current in evidence, the power factor is said to be in "Unity".  Power Factor is normally used in calculating kilowatts by the expression kW = kVa x PF.  To compute power factor, the expression would be:

PF = kW/kVa or (W/(E x I)).  If an electric motor requires 100 kilowatts of useful power and is operating at 50% power factor, the above formula would yield as follows:  100 kW = kVa x .50 pf.  To solve for kVa, kVa =100/.5 = 200.  In other words, this motor requires 200 kilovolt-amperes (kVa) of capacity in the electric system although it only uses 100 kW of useful power.  The electric system is still having to provide 200 units of capacity in transformers, lines, etc. to serve that motor.  If power factor for that motor could be increased to "unity", the motor would do no more useful work, it would take no more energy to perform this work, but would make a demand of 100 kW on the electric system, and only 100 kW in capacity in the electric system would be required to serve the motor.  If that same 100 kW motor is now working at 70% power factor, the kVa required would be 143, or 100/.7.  An improvement over the 200 previously required.  The higher the power factor of a load, the better it is to serve. 

Volt - This is the unit of electrical pressure, that potential which will cause a current of 1 ampere to flow through a resistance of 1 ohm. 

Watt - This is a term used to represent a unit of power.  It is used to rate appliances, etc. that usually use a relatively small amount of electricity.  A watt is equal to 1/1,000 of a kilowatt, or it takes 1,000 watts to equal 1 kilowatt.  A light bulb rated at 100 watts is the equivalent to 100/1,000 kilowatts or 1/10 of a kilowatt, meaning this bulb will use electric energy at the rate of 1/10 of a kilowatt-hours per hour.  If this bulb is burned steadily for 60 hours, it will have used 6 kWhrs or (60 x 1/10) or (100 x 60)/1000.