Late Payment Policy

Due Dates

Past due envelope sitting on a calendar.

  1. All members are expected to promptly pay their electric bills in order for the Cooperative to meet its financial obligations. The Cooperative will make every effort to ensure that information on all members’ accounts and bills are current and accurate.
  2. All member’s bills will be rendered on a monthly basis and all accounts are due on or before the due date printed on each member’s monthly electric bill. Failure to receive bill will not release the member from their payment obligation to the Cooperative for electric service provided.
  3. The due date shall be 15 days after the member’s electric account was billed. All payments must be received by the Cooperative on or before the due date to be considered paid on time.
  4. Bill due dates that fall on a weekend or holiday will not be considered delinquent until the next regular business workday of the Cooperative.
  5. All members are responsible for the payment of the amounts billed by the Cooperative until such time as the member or his/her/their constituted agent notifies the Cooperative that said service is to be disconnected.
  6. If payment from any member is not received by the due date, the balance will be considered past due and a delinquent fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater, shall be applied to member’s account. The member is responsible for payment of the member’s account regardless of whether the member received a bill or not.

Delinquent Fees

  1. If payment from member is not received by the due date, the balance will be considered past due and a delinquent fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater, shall be applied to member’s account. The member is responsible for payment of the member’s account regardless of whether the member received a bill or not.
  2. If the account remains unpaid when the members’ next bill is mailed, a disconnect date will be printed on said bill and an additional charge of $10 will be added to the account. This shall be the disconnect date published by the cooperative to the member for the disconnection of electric service to their delinquent account. Any accounts not classified as residential will be assessed a delinquent fee of 5% of the electric bill when paid after the published due date.
  3. The disconnect date for delinquent accounts will be 5 days prior to the next month’s billing due date. All delinquent member accounts not paid in full by due date will be notified on their next month’s regular scheduled billing with a Delinquent Notice printed on their electric bill.
  4. Prudent judgment by management will be used to make decisions in regards to disconnecting service in extreme weather conditions, in situations where severe financial or economic loss will occur, or when public health is a concern.
  5. If the member’s delinquent account is not satisfied by the printed disconnect date, the delinquent account will be subject to being disconnected. Before service can be reconnected to a member’s account disconnected for non-payment, the following must be paid by the member to the cooperative:
    • The past due amount of the member’s account
    • The collection fee
    • The reconnections fee
    • Any applicable overtime charge
    • Any other outstanding indebtedness held against the member
  6. Members disconnected for non-payment will be required to secure additional deposits before reconnection of their electric service will be performed.
  7. The cooperative may employee a third party collection agency to handle any of the cooperative’s collections activities. All third party collector(s) of the cooperative will adhere to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1996. The cooperative may assess any and all fees relating to the collections process according to the approved schedule of fees.

Insufficient Funds or Returned Checks

  1. When a member, in the course of paying their electric bill(s), establishes 2 returned checks within a 12 month period, their service will be subject to disconnection and all charges must be paid by either; cash, a certified check and/or money order before the account can be reconnected. In this situation, no checks will be accepted by the Cooperative from that member for a period of 1 year following their latest returned check.
  2. In the event a member’s check is returned to WEC by the member’s financial institution, the member’s check, together with a processing fee ($25), will automatically be electronically presented against the member’s bank account. Notifications or messages written on checks or accompanying material will not secure the member’s rights regarding collection of the member’s payment of processing fee. Additional deposits of up to 2.5 times the average monthly bill for the member may be required for all accounts disconnected for reason of non-payment.

Reconnection of Electric Service

  1. Reconnection fees/charges will be assessed to the member based on regular or after business hours schedule according to Schedule of Fees.
    • Regular Office Hours Fee — $40
    • After Hours Fee — $120
  2. Members disconnected due to non-payment reasons who pay all applicable reconnect charges, deposits, and fees; will have their electric service restored as quickly as possible by the Cooperative.

Payment Extension

  1. Member delinquent dates may be extended by management after review of individual member circumstances.
  2. A member requesting a billing arrangement after their 4th arrangement is granted by the Cooperative within a 12 month rolling calendar time period will be denied.
  3. No billing arrangement will be made for a member’s account if a previous billing arrangement has been broken by the member within a 12 month rolling calendar period.