Updated 06/2021.

The Cooperative will test the accuracy of a meter at no cost to the consumer upon request by a consumer.  A second test may be requested by the consumer within twelve months following the first test.  If the second test demonstrates an accurate meter, the consumer shall bear the cost of the second test including labor, transportation and any other Cooperative cost associated with the test.  Thereafter, the consumer may be required to bear the full cost of any subsequent tests of this meter if requested at less than thirty-six (36) month intervals if no error is found.  A report giving the results of such tests shall be made available to the consumer and a complete record of the same shall be kept by the Cooperative in accordance with these Rules and Regulations.

The Cooperative will offer an alternative fixed budget billing plan after twelve months of service.  The fixed budget amount will be calculated annually by taking the average of the last twelve months.  Also, there will be a catchup month at the end of each twelve-month cycle.  The catchup month will calculate amount due to get account receivable balance to zero.

  1. The member shall notify the Cooperative at least three (3) working days in advance of the day disconnection of electric service is desired. The member shall remain responsible for all service used and the billings therefore until service is disconnected pursuant to such notice. Upon request by a member of the Cooperative to disconnect service, the Cooperative shall disconnect the service within three (3) working days of the requested disconnection date. The member shall not be liable for any service rendered to such address or location after the expiration of three (3) such days.
  2. The Cooperative may disconnect electric service without request by the member of the service and without prior notice:
    1. if a condition dangerous or hazardous to life, physical safety or property exists; or
    2. upon order by any court or other duly authorized public authority; or
    3. if fraudulent or unauthorized use of electricity is detected and the Cooperative has reasonable grounds to believe the affected member is responsible for such use (e.g., broken seal, broken glass, etc.); or
    4. if the Cooperative’s regulating or measuring equipment has been tampered with and the Cooperative has reasonable grounds to believe that the affected member is responsible for such tampering; or
    5. if the member has installed generation or fuel cells without proper double throw switches or similar Cooperative approved switching mechanisms to isolate the homeowner system and to protect against electric current being back-fed to the Cooperative’s distribution system.

    In all other instances the Cooperative, upon providing the non-prepay member with proper notice (as defined in subsection (E) of this rule) may disconnect service subject to the provisions of these service rules and regulations.
    In the event the Cooperative determines there is evidence that fraudulent or unauthorized use of electricity, meter tampering, or theft has occurred, a service fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100) to investigate the meter tampering/electrical theft must be paid the Cooperative before service will be reconnected, plus reconnect fees, and satisfactory payment arrangements must be made with the Cooperative for the unmetered electricity usage.

  3. For non-prepay residential electric service members, except as otherwise provided in subsections (A) and (B) of this rule, the Cooperative will postpone the disconnection of service for up to ten (10) days if, prior to the disconnect date specified in the disconnect notice, the member provides the Cooperative with a medical statement from a licensed physician or public health official which states that disconnection would be a serious and immediate threat to the health or safety of a designated person in the household of the member and specifies the type or form of life support system being used for which electricity is required. The postponement of disconnection shall be continued for one additional ten (10) day period upon the provision of an additional such medical statement.

    The Cooperative may not disconnect electric service to the non-prepay member:

    1. upon his/her failure to pay for services to a previous unrelated occupant of the premises to be served; or
    2. if the member shows cause for his inability to pay the full amount due (financial hardship shall constitute cause), and the member:
      1. agrees to pay the remainder of the outstanding bill within three (3) months; and
      2. agrees to pay all undisputed future bills for service as they become due; and
      3. has not breached any similar agreement with the utility made pursuant to this section within the past twelve (12) months

      Provided, however, the Cooperative may add to the outstanding bill a late payment charge not to exceed the amount set pursuant to these rules and regulations. Provided further, that the terms of the agreement shall be put in writing by the Cooperative and be signed by the member and by a representative of the Cooperative.

    3.  If a non-prepay member or user is unable to pay a bill, which is unusually large due to a prior incorrect reading of the meter, incorrect application of the rate schedule, incorrect connection or functioning of the meter, prior estimates where no actual reading was taken for over two months, stopped or slow meters, or any human or mechanical error of the Cooperative, and the member:
      1. pays a reasonable portion of the bill, not to exceed an amount equal to the member ’s average bill for the six (6) bills immediately preceding the bill in question;
      2. agrees to pay the remainder within a reasonable period of time; and
      3. agrees to pay all undisputed future bills for service as they become due;

      Provided, however, that the Cooperative may not add to the outstanding bill any late fee. Provided, further, that the above terms of agreement shall be put in writing by the Cooperative and signed by the member and a representative of the Cooperative.

  4. Except for prepay members, the Cooperative will disconnect service between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. prevailing local time, except that disconnections pursuant to subsections (A) and (B) of this rule are not subject to this limitation.  Except for prepay members, the Cooperative will not disconnect service for nonpayment on any day, or beyond twelve noon (12:00 noon) of the day immediately preceding any day, on which the Cooperative’s office is not open to the public.
  5. Except as otherwise provided herein, electric service to any non-prepay residential electric service member shall not be disconnected for a violation of any service rule or regulation of the Cooperative or for the non-payment of a bill, except after notice to such member based upon the following procedure:
    1. The disconnect notice may be included on the member’s next monthly billing.

    The notice should be in language which is clear, concise, and easily understandable to a layman and shall state the telephone number of the Cooperative’s office which the member may call during regular business hours in order to question the proposed disconnection or seek information concerning his/her rights.

  6. The employee of the cooperative designated to perform the actual disconnection of service in the field shall have in his/her possession information sufficient to enable the employee to inform the member or other responsible person the reason for disconnection, including the amount of any delinquent bill of the member, and shall request the member for any available verification that the outstanding bill has been satisfied or is currently in dispute pursuant to review. Upon the presentation of such credible evidence, service shall not be disconnected.
  7. The REMC will not reconnect such service until the REMC has been reimbursed for the estimated amount of energy rendered and the cost incurred by the REMC to correct the tampering or diversion.  At the discretion of the REMC, local law enforcement agencies may notified about meter tampering or willful diversion of electric energy to avoid measurement and payment of such energy.
  8. The Cooperative may charge a reconnection charge, as approved by the Cooperative’s Board from time to time.
  1. The Cooperative will publish and distribute, to all applicants for service and to all current members, a pamphlet or other informational material containing the Cooperative’s Bylaws and a summary of the these rules and regulations.  These documents will also be available on the CWREMC website.
  1. Cooperative’s Responsibility. Upon a receipt of a complete application for service from the member, and subject to the member’s performance of its obligations under this Rule, the Cooperative will construct, own, operate and maintain the necessary electrical facilities for rendering service to the member’s meter in the case of underground services, or weatherhead in the case of overhead services.
  2. Member’s Responsibility. The member shall provide the meter base and all wiring on the member’s side of the meter subject to such reasonable specifications and inspections as might be prescribed by the Cooperative. For overhead installations, the member must provide the conduit and wire that runs from the meter base to the weatherhead. For underground installations, the Cooperative will provide enough cable to reach the meter base.
    However, the member must provide the meter base and the conduit from the meter base to the bottom of the trench and the meter base itself. The Cooperative may require the applicant to submit to the Cooperative sufficient designs and/or plans for the member’s facilities before proceeding. If the Cooperative provides the designs and/or plans the Cooperative may require the applicant to reimburse the Cooperative. The Cooperative shall have no responsibility for facilities installed by the member.
  3. Extensions of Secondary Distribution Facilities. The Cooperative shall, upon proper applications for service from overhead and/or underground distribution facilities, provide at no cost to the member the Secondary Service Line, which shall include: (i) secondary meter; (ii) up to 250 feet of wire to the transformer; (iii) lift poles, if necessary; and (iv) 15 kVA transformer.
  4. Extensions of Primary Distribution Facilities. The Cooperative shall, upon proper applications for service from overhead and/ or underground distribution facilities, provide necessary primary distribution facilities for rendering adequate service, without charge for such facilities, when the estimated revenue to be realized by the Cooperative from permanent and continuing members on such extension for a period of two and one half (2 1/2) years (“Estimated Revenue”) is at least equal to the estimated cost of such extension of primary distribution facilities.
    1. For purposes of this Rule, the Estimated Revenue for a line extension to a new permanently occupied residence shall be equal to $1,200.00.
    2. The Estimated Revenue for a line extension for any other member shall be the member’s total estimated retail electric charges minus the portion of the estimated retail electric charges that are designed to recover generation and transmission Related Costs, as determined by the Cooperative. The Cooperative shall use its most recently approved cost of service study to calculate the Estimated Revenue.
  5. Extension of Services for Residential Subdivisions.  The developer should make arrangements for permanent facilities to be installed after the county plan commission or other comparable authority in the Cooperative’s service territory approves a subdivision.  The Cooperative shall charge the developer an estimated cost per lot to serve the subdivision or partial subdivision as referenced in this rule.  The estimated cost will be calculated annually based on the actual cost of service.  Such calculations will be provided to the prospective developer.  The developer shall pay the Cooperative:
    1. One-half the cost after the request for permanent facilities is made and before the Cooperative will install these facilities.
    2. The remaining one-half within seventeen (17) business days of the postmark on the bill rendered by the Cooperative when said facilities are completed.
  6. Extensions Exceeding Cost Limitations. If the estimated cost of the extension required to furnish adequate service is greater than the Estimated Revenue, such an extension shall be made by the Cooperative under the following conditions:
    1. Upon proper applications for such extension and execution of a Line Extension Agreement provided in Section (G) below and adequate provision for payment to the Cooperative by such applicants of the estimated cost of such extension that exceeds the Estimated Revenue, the Cooperative shall proceed with such extension, or
    2. If in the sole opinion of the Cooperative: (a) the prospective revenue to be received from the proposed line extension is so speculative or meager as to make it doubtful whether the revenue from the extension would ever pay a fair return on the investment involved in such extension; or (b) the proposed line extension is for a real estate development with slight or no immediate demand for service; or (c) the proposed line extension requires extensive equipment with slight or irregular service, then the Cooperative may require the applicant to pay the full cost of the line extension.
    3. Additional Members.  For each member, exclusive of the initial applicants considered in the making of an extension, that has connected to such an extension within the period of six (6) years from the completion of such extension, the Cooperative shall refund to such initial applicants an amount determined pursuant to this rule (“the Refund”). In no event shall the total of all Refunds exceed the aforesaid contribution in aid of construction paid by such initial applicant(s).
      1. If the additional member(s) has no line extension costs, the Refund shall be equal to the Estimated Revenue for the additional member(s) (not to exceed the original contribution in aid of construction).
      2. If the additional members(s) has line extension costs, the Refund shall be equal to the Estimated Revenue for the additional member(s) less the cost of the line extension (not to exceed the original contribution in aid of construction).
  7. Information.
    1. All estimates of costs as required in (B) above shall be determined by the Cooperative in its sole discretion.
    2. In the event that the applicant is required by (C) above to make any payment, the Cooperative will, upon request, make available to the applicant:
      1. the information used to establish the basis for the applicable amount; and
      2. the information used to establish the basis for the Estimated Revenue.
  8. Contract for Service. The Cooperative shall not be required to make an extension as provided in this rule unless the members to be initially served by such extension upon its installation have entered into a Line Extension Agreement, which may require the member to provide a satisfactory guaranty to the Cooperative of the performance of the member’s obligations thereunder, including but not limited to a letter of credit or other security instrument.
  9. Variations from Rule. This rule shall not be construed as prohibiting the Cooperative from making extensions without charge where the cost of the same is greater than provided in (B) above.

If a member requests for his/her convenience or by his/her actions requires that utility facilities be redesigned, reengineered, relocated, removed, modified or reinstalled, the Cooperative may require the member to make payment to it of the full cost of performing such service.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).  Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.  Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form.  To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992.  Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1)    mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2)    fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3)    email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.