Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's):

WHAT IS A COOPERATIVE?

Cooperatives are owned by the people they serve. That's why those who receive electric service from a cooperative are called members, not customers. Members maintain democratic control, which means they elect fellow members to represent them on the cooperative's Board of Directors. 

CAPITAL CREDITS

Since we are a non-profit cooperative, any margin above operating cost is refunded back to our members as capital credits. As member/owners, consumers are entitled to share in all margins earned by your cooperative. The accumulation of capital credits represents the member's equity, or measure of their share of the ownership of the cooperative. When the financial condition of the co-op is adequate to meet all normal and emergency needs, the Board of Directors may approve the return of a portion of these capital credits. 

HOW DO I PAY MY ELECTRIC BILL?

Payments can be made at any of our 3 office locations: Henderson, Carthage or Lakeport. You may pay your bill by mailing it so it will reach our office in a timely fashion. For your convenience we also have drop boxes available at all locations. We offer payments by bank draft, thru your SmartHub app, pre-pay, by credit card thru Secure Pay by calling 855-945-3520 or you can choose to GO GREEN with paperless billing to keep rates from increasing to cover the cost of printing invoices, envelopes, and postage rates that keep increasing. (Note: Pre-pay requires a processing fee)

WHAT IS A PCRF AND WHY DOES IT FLUCTUATE EACH MONTH?

PCRF is simply an acronym for Power Cost Recovery Factor. The PCRF is always on your electric bill and is recalculated every month. The PCRF is NOT included in your base rate. All electric utility bills include a PCRF that reflects the rise and fall in the cost of generating wholesale power - more specifically, the changes in the cost of the raw fuel required to run the generating plant. 

REPORTING AN OUTAGE

The fastest way to report an outage is on your mobile device with your SmartHub app. Simply click on "power outage" and your information goes directly to the dispatcher. Otherwise, to report an outage, call 855-945-3520. It is very important that the contact phone number on your account is current so the outage system will be able to locate your account. 

WHAT IS CALL BEFORE YOU DIG - TEXAS 811?

811 is the national call-before-you-dig phone number. Anyone who plans to dig should call 811. 

Texas law requires you (or your contractor) to contact 811 two business days (excluding weekends and holidays) before you dig, even if you're working in your own backyard. 

811 is a FREE service to you! The service is funded by the utility owners to ensure the lines and the people working and living near them are safe. Damaged utility lines caused by digging without having underground utility lines marked comes at a cost. 

Damaging an underground utility line does more than interrupt utility service; it risks your safety, as well as the safety of your family and your neighbors. 

SMARTHUB

SmartHub is a mobile and web application that allows you to view account information, monitor and analyze your electric usage, report power outages and make payments in a secure environment, all from your mobile device or computer. 

SmartHub Features Include:

• Access and manage your electric account with your current online username and password or create a new online account
• Pay your bill and monitor your usage from the website or from your Apple or Android device with the FREE SmartHub app
• Add notifications that you would like to receive by email or text message
• Compare daily, monthly and yearly usage with the analysis tool

HOW IS MY METER READ?

Almost all of our meters have been upgraded to two-way communicating "advanced meters"  that send your data directly to the cooperative's office. This sytem gives us the data we need to pinpoint problems, find and fix outages, and better distribute electric power during bad weather. 

HOW DO I SET UP NEW SERVICE?

Unless you are an existing member, you must complete a membership application and provide a valid photo ID. We offer traditional accounts which bill once a month after a reading is taken on your meter. Pre-pay accounts are read and bill daily, taking the amount used off of the credit on your account. Traditional accounts require a deposit, membership fee, and a connect fee, while pre-pay accounts require a membership fee, a credit to be established on your account and a possible connect fee. Deposits can be waived if you provide a Letter of Credit from another electric company reflecting two years of service with no more than one late payment within the last year. You will need to contact one of our offices in order to begin the process of starting service. If there is an existing meter at the location, please provide the meter number when applying for service.