Your Rights as a Member
- RATE AND SERVICE INFORMATION
- METER TESTING
- OUTSTANDING BILLS
- TERMINATION OF SERVICE
Your electric service may be discontinued after proper notice for the following reasons:
- Failure to pay an outstanding bill when due.
- Failure to pay a delinquent account or meet the terms of a deferred payment plan.
- Violation of the Cooperative's rules for the use of service in such a manner that interferes with the service of others or the operation of nonstandard equipment, provided that the Cooperative will make every attempt to notify you of the problem and allow you to remedy the situation.
- Failure to comply with the Cooperative's deposit and guarantee requirements.
- The Cooperative may disconnect service without notice where a dangerous condition exists and such disconnection shall remain in effect so long as the condition exists. Disconnection without notice may also be made when service is connected without authority by a person who has not made application for service or who has reconnected service without authority following termination of service for nonpayment. In instances of tampering with the Cooperative's meter or equipment, bypassing same, or other instances of diversion service may be terminated immediately.
The Cooperative will either mail or personally deliver a written notice of termination at least eight (8) days prior to the date of disconnection. Disconnection will only occur on those days when cooperative personnel are available to receive payment to prevent disconnection. If you are seriously ill or will become more seriously ill as a result of termination of service you may have your physician call or contact the Cooperative within sixteen (16) days of the issuance of the bill concerning your condition. The physician must provide a confirmation letter to the Cooperative within twenty-six (26) days of the issuance of the bill and the Cooperative will then refrain from termination of service for sixty-three (63) days from the issuance of the bill unless a lesser period is agreed upon. If you make a request to avoid termination under this provision, you must enter into a deferred payment arrangement.
- SERVICE AND BILLING DISPUTES
- SERVICE RECONNECTION
- ALTERNATE PAYMENT PLANS
- COOPERATIVE OFFICES AND BUSINESS HOURS
- METER READING
- DEPOSIT POLICY
- FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
- NONDISCRIMINATION
- SPECIAL SERVICES
You may, either by phone or by personal visit to the Cooperative's business office located at the main headquarters building, 3309 North Main, Cleburne, Texas 76033, or any of the Cooperative's other six offices (see address & contact information in Section 8 below), request copies of any portion of the Cooperative's rate and service tariffs. A nominal reproduction charge will be made for each copy and postage will be added if the copies are mailed. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
You may request a test of your electric meter if you believe that the meter is not accurately reflecting your actual electric consumption. This test will be made at no charge to you provided that the meter has not been tested during the previous four years. In the event that you request a test more often than four years and the meter is not defective, you will be required to pay a charge of not more than $15.00 for the test.
Under the tariff(s) of this Cooperative, your account becomes delinquent after sixteen days from the date of the bill.
If you disagree with the Cooperative regarding any aspect of the Cooperative's service, you may request a supervisory review. If you make such a request you have five (5) days to participate in the review before the Cooperative may terminate service if the dispute is one in which the issues may result in such termination, provided that notice has been given under standard disconnection procedures. Request for a supervisory review must be made at least five (5) days prior to date of disconnection. During the pendency of such appeal or other resolution of the dispute, you may avoid termination of service by paying the average of your monthly bill for the past twelve (12) months as determined by the Cooperative. In the event the dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) days, you must keep all subsequent bills current and must pay the entire billing.
If the service is interrupted for any reasons listed under Section IV of the information sheet, you may reestablish service when all outstanding and delinquent bills are paid and when a reconnection fee and a deposit or other evidence of payment guarantee is provided to the Cooperative.
As a member of the Cooperative, you have a right to request alternate payment plans.
DEFERRED PAYMENT PLAN
If you have not been delinquent in paying your bill more than two times during the last twelve (12) months and are unable to pay all of your bill, you are eligible for a deferred payment plan. Such plan requires that you keep all subsequent bills current. You may not be required to pay an amount to exceed one-third of the outstanding bill at the time the plan is entered into. If you do not fulfill the terms of the agreement, your service may be terminated under standard termination procedures. Such breech of the agreement voids your right to a deferred payment plan or renegotiation to avoid termination. The Cooperative is not required to offer this arrangement if you have had service for less than three months. Failure to pay by the agreed date will result in termination of service.
AVERAGE BILLING PLAN
If you desire to pay your bill based on a twelve (12) month average, the Cooperative will, upon request, compute your average billing amount. To begin the plan, all past due balances must be paid in full if in the last year two or more delinquent notices have been issued, a deposit equal to one-sixth of annual billings will be required prior to starting the average billing plan. The average billing amount may be reviewed quarterly and adjusted accordingly to the previous year's usage. At the time of review, credit balances on the consumer's account may be carried forward or refunded. Any shortages must be paid accordingly in regards to the billing procedures as set forth in our tariff.
United Cooperative Services has seven locations to serve our customers:
|
Cleburne Office |
Hood County Office |
Eastern District Office |
|
Stephenville Office |
Possum Kingdom Lake Office |
Meridian Office |
|
Glen Rose Office |
If you would like information regarding the proper method for reading your electric meter, the Cooperative will provide information on request.
A deposit, if required, is limited to one sixth (two months) of your estimated or actual (if available) annual electric bill. Deposits accrue interest and will either be paid to you when the deposit is returned or credited to your account. Interest will be paid on all deposits from date the deposit is received. If the deposit is retained for more than one year, the Cooperative may make a direct payment of the accrued interest to you. Similarly, if you have not been disconnected for nonpayment or delinquent more than two (2) times after twelve (12) consecutive residential billings, the Cooperative will automatically refund the deposit plus accrued interest either as cash or credit to your account, providing your account is current.
Existing members, with no deposit of record, will not be required to pay a deposit for residential service unless you have been delinquent in paying your bill for electric service on more than one occasion in the last twelve (12) months or unless the Cooperative has terminated your service for nonpayment.
Deposit requirements for new applications for service will be contingent upon the outcome of credit risk assessments as reported by cumulative data from qualified credit reporting agencies.
In lieu of a cash deposit, you may present letters of guarantee. Guarantor must be an existing member of the cooperative with excellent pay history. If service is initiated with this method used as security, the letter will be voided and returned after twelve (12) consecutive residential billings if your service has not been disconnected for nonpayment or if you have not been delinquent more than two times. Such voiding is the Cooperative's acknowledgment that you have established satisfactory credit.
The following governmental or social service agencies may be able to assist you if you are having trouble making your payment for electrical service to the Cooperative:
|
Palo Pinto Community Services Corporation Cleburne (817) 556-3752 Stephenville (254) 965-7606 |
Economic Opportunity Advancement Corporation (EOAC) 932 N. Main Waco, TX 76707 (254) 744-8826 (254) 756-0954 |
Tarrant County Human Resources 1200 Circle D, Suite 200 Fort Worth, TX 76119 Tarrant County (817) 531-5620 |
|
Texas Department of Human Resources Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) P.O. Box 13941 Austin, TX 787113941 (512) 475-3800 |
Texas Department of Community Affairs P.O. Box 13941 Austin, TX 78711-3941 (512) 475-3900 |
State Information Office Austin, TX (512) 305-8902 |
|
Harvest House Burleson, TX (817) 295-6252 |
Salvation Army Cleburne, TX (817) 558-1296 |
Hill Country Community Action Association (915) 372-5167 |
United Cooperative Services provides electric service without discrimination to a member's race, nationality, color, religion, sex or marital status.
Credit history shall be applied equally for a reasonable period of time to a spouse or former spouse who shared the service. Credit history maintained by one must be applied equally to the other without modifications and without additional qualifications not required of the other.
The telephone number for the teletypewriter for the deaf at the Public Utility Commission of Texas is (512) 936-7136 TTY - FOR THE DEAF
