FAQs

Start by completely filling out our online application. Then, call (903) 846-2311 and ask to speak to a Member Service Representative.

Conventional billing gives you a bill for usage over the course of 1 month. A credit check is required and you may be subject to a deposit.

Pre-pay is daily billing with electronic alerts and reminders via texts and email. No deposit is required but a 12-month contract is required. For more information and to download a Prepay Contract visit our Payment & Billing Options page.

All new members are required to have a “soft” credit check to determine credit risk and to validate their personal information. This is done through Online Utility Exchange in partner with Experian.  The credit check gives a green light or a red light. A red light will require a deposit based on Member Policy #10.

See our Deposits page for more information.

All residential bills have 3 basic components:

1. A minimum Customer Service Charge, which is $22.50 per month, applicable to each meter.
2. Our Tariffs or Rate (measured in kWh or kilowatt-hours, the industry standard for measuring the amount of energy that passes through your meter and into your home. If you had ten 100-watt lightbulbs burning for one hour that would require 1 kWh of energy) The Winter Rate is $.05184 per kWh for the months of January and February. The Summer Rate is $.06484 per kWh for the months of March through December. See our Rates & Fees section for more details.
3. A Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF). A charge for each kWh purchased that may vary from month to month based on the wholesale cost of power.

Your bill may also include a charge for Security Lights. Each Security Light has a basic charge and an associated PCRF based on the number of kWh each light consumes. Rates for the various types of Security Lights are available in our Rates & Fees section.

See a detailed breakdown of your bill by visiting our Understanding Your Bill page.

The PCRF or Power Cost Recover Factor is simply the cost difference of what the cooperative has in our established rate to pay for the cost of power and the current cost that the cooperative has to pay for wholesale power.

Our current residential rates (set in 1993) allow for $ .03501 per kWh. If wholesale power costs are about $ .085 per kWh, then the difference is roughly 5 cents per kWh, and that difference is passed on to the member as a $ .0500 per kWh PCRF.

Power costs are always a pass through charge, the member is charged the same rate as the cost charged the Cooperative.

Having more than one meter gives you options.

• You have the option of Invoice Billing, putting all the meters on a single bill, which allows payment by using the invoice number.
• You have the option of Individual Billing per meter, which may require separate payments depending on which payment method you choose.

The option of Multiple meters can result in a balance on one meter and a credit on another that does not automatically offset. Should this occur, contact the office by calling (903) 846-2311.

Visit the Create New User section of our user portal and complete the required information to create your online account. Read the prompts on screen to finish the setup. Once you understand the information, select “Continue” button to step through all the parts of the form. Be sure to fill out all of the required information and when you are finished, hit submit. You are done!

At this point, you can download our mobile app to use on your favorite devices or continue to use the desktop version!

Our bills are generated by a 3^rd party and mailed to you. They have a large facility producing tens of thousands of bills daily. The USPS has employees in their facility to get the bills in the system as soon as they are generated. We have no control over the timing of mail delivery and strongly suggest electronic billing.

You can enjoy electronic billing while still choosing to pay by any of our numerous methods. Just because you “e-bill” doesn’t mean you have to “e-pay”. However, the same timing issue still exists with payments placed in the mail. Penalties are applied for all payments received later than the due date. Our policy is taken directly from the Public Utility Commission of Texas which allows 16 days before a bill can be considered late.

Bills are a function of usage and usage varies depending on your home and your habits. No two homes are exactly alike and even if similar are not operated the same.

Ambient temperature overwhelmingly is the driver for usage and therefore the amount of your bill. The hotter and colder it is outside the more all HVAC units have to work to maintain the desired temperature setting on your thermostat. This is why winter & summer bills are the highest and spring & fall bills are the lowest.

Levelized Billing is a great tool to avoid the ups and downs of monthly billing. Learn more about it on our Payment & Billing Options page.

Levelized billing allows each member to get the most consistent monthly bill. Levelized bills are calculated using a rolling 12-month average. It does require the member to be on a bank draft.

Learn more information about Levelized Billing on our Payment & Billing Options page.

Extensions are available contingent on length of service and payment records. They are available monthly so long as the extension is kept exactly as it was agreed upon.

Deferred Payment Plans are also available contingent on the member’s payment history with the Cooperative.

Both of these options require you to contact a Member Services Representative and are described in Member Policy 19 (PDF).