General Rules

Bills will be rendered regularly and will show the essential facts upon which the bill is based. The bill will include the following information:

1. Name, address, and account number of the member;
2. The beginning and ending meter readings;
3. The date of the meter readings.
4. The number of days in the billing period.
5. The quantity of kWh consumed;
6. The applicable rate schedule designation;
7. The net amount of all payments and credits made during the billing period
8. Any previous balance;
9. The date the bill was mailed;
10. The date the bill is due.
11. A list of all charges and credits, including: Deposit installments; Deposit refunds; Automatic adjustments; Member or minimum charges;
12. Taxes by kind;
13. Charges for non-utility merchandise, service, or equipment;
14. If the meter is not accessible and the usage is estimated, this fact will appear on the bill.
15. Any abbreviations for terms that explain billing will be identified.
16. A statement that the member may contact the utility about any problem with billing or service, or for a delayed payment agreement. This statement will include the address and telephone number where members can call the cooperative without charge.

The Cooperative uses the AMI meter system. AMI stands for Advanced Metering Infrastructure. To record your meter reading for your own use, simply copy the numbers from the meter register. If access to a meter is not available to our meter system, standard estimation is based on the consumption for the same time at that location the year before. If no figures are available for the current member at that location for the previous year, the average usage for that member class is used to estimate the bill.

Where applicable, the automatic adjustment charges are Energy Cost Adjustment and Cost of Debt Adjustment. These adjustments are explained in detail in the Summary of Rates.

A bill rendered by mail shall not be mailed later than the date indicated on the bill. The due date of the bill will be 22 calendar days after the date the bill is mailed. Service may be suspended after a written notice has been given to the member in the form of a "Shut-Off" notice. If the Cooperative mails this notice, the member has 5 days, which begins 3 calendar days after the date the notice is placed in the U.S. mail.

When service has been suspended, the Cooperative will reconnect service as soon as the reason for the suspension has been resolved. If the reason was unlawful use of service, the Cooperative may suspend service without prior written notice. The Cooperative may, before reconnecting service, require a reasonable payment of estimated service rendered and a deposit equal to the estimated bill for 6 average billing periods plus the cost of potential damage to Cooperative equipment, or may refuse to reconnect service until ordered by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. If the reason for suspension is failure to pay a delinquent bill, the service will not be reconnected until the total amount of the bills, reconnection fees, and the required deposit amount have been paid.

Under certain conditions, a deposit may be required from new applicants to guarantee payment for the service. If required, the deposit may be paid in 2 equal installments, 1 prior to receiving service and the other with the first bill. In place of a deposit, the Cooperative will accept the written guaranty of a qualified third party who is a residential member of the Cooperative or an acceptable Letter of Credit for at least the most previous 12-month period from the applicant's last electric supplier.

The amount of a deposit will not exceed 2 average bills. (A deposit for a landlord may not exceed the estimated bill for 3 average billing periods.) The Cooperative shall pay simple interest on deposits at a rate set annually by the Arkansas Public Service Commission, and shall be credited to the member's account annually.

For existing members, a deposit may be required (or increased) if any of the following conditions have occurred during the preceding 12 months:

1. Service is suspended for failure to pay.
2. The member failed to pay a bill before the close of business on the shut-off date within the last 12 months;
3. The member gave the utility 2 or more checks, which were returned unpaid for reasons other than bank error in the last 12 months;
4. The member did not pay bills by the close of business on the due date 2 times in a row or any 3 times in the last 12 months;
5. During the last 24 months, the member misrepresented his identity or other facts relevant to the conditions under which the member obtained or continued Cooperative service;
6. The member used the service without authorization, tampered with Cooperative equipment, or inflicted damage to Cooperative equipment during the last 2 years;
7. The member used more services than the estimate on which the Cooperative based the deposit. The Cooperative may not charge any additional deposit under this section after the first 12 months of service unless the member moves the service to a new location or expands the business or scope of operation at the original location.
8. In accordance with the United States Bankruptcy Code, U.S.C.A. Title 11 S 366, the Cooperative may require a member to furnish adequate assurance of payment in the form of a deposit or other security. This deposit may be in addition to all other deposits posted with the Cooperative before bankruptcy filing.

When the Cooperative charges a new or additional deposit, the total amount on deposit at any time shall not be more than the total of the member's 2 highest bills during the last 12 months.

When final discontinuation of service is made by the Cooperative, the amount of the deposit, plus accrued interest, will be credited to the member's account. A deposit shall automatically be refunded when a member has, for 12 consecutive months, paid all bills prior to the due date or has rendered no more than 1 check that was dishonored for reasons other than bank error.

All deposits will be in addition to the normal membership requirement of the Cooperative.

If you are unable to pay a bill in full and qualify for a delayed payment agreement, the Cooperative will not suspend service if the following arrangements are made prior to the "Shut-Off" date:

1. You pay a reasonable portion of your bill, and
2. You agree in writing to pay the balance of your bill in reasonable installments; and
3. You agree in writing to pay in full all future bills during the period of the agreement by the due date.

The Cooperative must receive a reasonable portion of the overdue bill as a down payment by the close of business on the 3rd business day after arranging an agreement. The Cooperative may not require more than 1/4 of the overdue bill as the down payment in order to enter into a delayed payment agreement.

The Cooperative shall allow the member to make equal instalment payments for at least 3 months from the date of the down payment. The down payment shall not be considered an instalment payment.

In arranging the delayed payment agreement, the Cooperative will consider the member's ability to pay, the size of the unpaid account, the member's payment history with the Cooperative, and the reason the payment is late.

If a member can substantiate a change in ability to pay resulting from a serious medical condition or the loss of a major source of income, the Cooperative must document its good faith effort to renegotiate a delayed payment agreement 1 time during the period of the agreement. The member loses this right if any term of the delayed payment agreement is not kept. A renegotiated agreement is not a new, delayed payment agreement.

The Cooperative may suspend service without prior written notice, subject to Commission rules, if a member does not keep the terms of a delayed payment agreement or extension agreement.

A member does not give up the right to complain to the Commission by signing a delayed payment agreement or entering an extension agreement.

If the Cooperative bills a member for an amount to correct a previous under-billing, the member is permitted to pay that amount under a delayed payment agreement that provides for repayment over a period equal to the period during which the under-billing occurred. If the under-billing is the fault of the Cooperative, or it is impossible to determine whether the previous under-billing is the fault of the Cooperative or the member, the Cooperative will not impose a finance charge on the delayed payment.

The Cooperative will provide the member with information about government assistance programs. This information will explain other avenues of payment assistance and additional services to aid the member in paying energy-related costs.

The Cooperative will postpone the suspension of service to a residential member for up to 30 days in cases where a "Certified Medical Emergency" exists.

A "Certified Medical Emergency" exists when a member furnishes the Cooperative with a physician's certificate signed by a physician stating that the suspension of service could give rise to a substantial risk of death or gravely impair the health of the member or another permanent household resident.

The certificate must identify the nature of the emergency, the consequences of being without service, and how long the emergency will likely exist. A certificate may be renewed 1 time.

Qualifying residential members who are 65 or older or handicapped members will be given special attention and consideration in regard to their electric service. "Handicapped Person" is any residential member who is certified to the Cooperative as having a severe physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits their ability to pay for electric service. Certification shall be provided by a physician, licensed psychologist, the United States Veterans Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the Arkansas State Hospital, or a licensed mental health center. Special efforts on behalf of qualifying members include:

1. Service will not be suspended in summer when the National Weather Service forecasts a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
2. At least 72 hours before suspending service to an identified elderly or handicapped account, the Cooperative will make 2 attempts at different times of day to contact the member, an adult at the premises, or someone previously designated by the member, either in person or by telephone, to explain that suspension of service is imminent and the steps that can be taken to avoid suspension.

If you feel there may be circumstances under which you would like a consenting person or agency to receive a copy of all "shut-off" notices, you will need to present the Cooperative with the name and address of the third party, along with a signed statement by the third party authorizing us to send them a notice. The third party is not responsible for payment of the bill, but will receive the notice merely to remind the member that the bill is due in order to prevent service from being shut off.

Certain landlord/tenants will receive special consideration regarding the suspension of electric service for non-payment. "Landlord" here means the owner, agent, manager, or lesser of premises who receives lease, rent, or other payments which include amounts for electric service. A "tenant" is the person occupying these premises.

Tenants whose landlord is responsible for paying for electric service rendered at the tenant's residence are entitled to the following considerations:

1. Electric service will not be suspended until the tenant has been notified.
2. There will be a delay of at least 30 days before service will be suspended.
3. When feasible, the tenant will be allowed to apply for service in his own name.
4. The Cooperative will not recover from a tenant or condition service to a tenant on the payment of any amounts owed by the landlord.

The Cooperative requests all landlords who are paying for the electric service for a tenant, and all tenants whose landlord is paying the bill for their electric service, to identify themselves to the Cooperative.

Residential members with a total household income of $12,000 or less per year are eligible to claim an exemption from sales tax on the first 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity used each month. To claim the exemption, the member must file a form supplied by the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration. These forms may be obtained from the Commissioner of Revenues or from the Cooperative's office in person or by mail.

As noted on the official form, all claim forms are "subject to audit, for tax purposes, by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration."

If you plan to be away from home for an extended period, you need to make arrangements for payment before you leave in order to avoid possible suspension of service.

• Different Address: If you will be absent during billing periods, it is advisable to give us an alternate address or a third party where we can send your bill.
• Pre-Payment: If, during your absence, you cannot be reached at a different address, you may make a prepayment. We will estimate your bill based on previous billings, and you may pay in advance for the number of months you plan to be away.
• Bank Draw Draft: The Member may arrange to have bills for service paid through our bank draw draft plan.

Remember, we have no way of knowing you are away unless you notify us.

An Extended Due Date Plan is available to qualifying residential members and is intended to enable the Cooperative to change a member's bill payment due date, at the member's request, to coincide with or follow the member's receipt of a fixed income payment. If normal billing dates fall within the same time frame as their checks, no extension is necessary. Members who qualify under this plan and pay by the new date will not be considered late on their bill payment. Qualifying income sources are as follows:

• Persons receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFCD), or Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD);
• Persons receiving Supplemental Security Income, or
• Persons whose primary source of income is Social Security, Veterans Administration disability, or retirement benefits.

A levelized billing plan is available to members who qualify. Under this levelized billing plan, the member's actual monthly bill will be computed in accordance with the applicable rate schedule, and the member's account will be debited with that amount.

The net amount payable each month will be determined by the Cooperative. The Cooperative will calculate the levelized billing amount based on a twelve-month history of the account if available. When billing history is not representative of anticipated future billings, or there is no history available, the Cooperative may estimate the levelized amount based on the average of the member class.

Billing under the levelized billing plan may be automatically terminated upon suspension of service. Any amounts owed for service billed under this plan shall be due as any other final bill for service. Any amounts overpaid for service billed under this plan shall be refunded to the member.

A member may withdraw from the plan at any time. The member shall have the option of paying the account balance, if any, in full, or, if qualified, under a delayed payment arrangement. The Cooperative may charge a Commission-approved fee if a member withdraws from the plan more than once in 12 months. The amount of the fee is set forth in the Cooperative's schedule of charges related to member activity.

A member can authorize his bank or savings and loan to allow the Cooperative to draw a draft for payment of his electric bill each month.

We are concerned about our members who depend on respirators, dialysis machines, and other life support equipment. This information is important to us because when a storm causes a service outage, our linemen must have immediate access to the information. Service must be restored to these members first and quickly. The Cooperative requests that any members or family members who depend on equipment of this type notify our office as quickly as possible.

A member who wants to stop service must provide the Cooperative with at least 5 days' notice that electric service will no longer be required at the location. The minimum five-day notice begins:

• On the day the member telephones the utility or personally informs the appropriate employee at the local office, or
• 3 days after the member mails the notice to the Cooperative.

If the member has signed a written contract for a term of years under an Agreement for Electric Service with the Cooperative, the member may stop service only under the terms and conditions as set forth in the Agreement for Electric Service.

A member may verify the accuracy of a bill by contacting our business office. Our representatives are trained to handle member inquiries promptly and efficiently.

If you have a complaint, please contact our member service representative and state your problem. If you have a suggestion for resolving the complaint, please state it. Write down the name of the person to whom you talked.

The address and telephone number of the Cooperative office where inquiries may be made are as follows:

• Ouachita Electric Cooperative Corporation
  700 Bradley Ferry Road
  PO Box 877
  Camden, AR 71711-0877
  Local Phone Number: (870) 836-5791
  Toll Free Number: (877) 252-4538

If your complaint is not handled to your satisfaction, you may appeal to the Supervisor of the individual you talked with or the General Manager.

If you are still dissatisfied with the results of your complaint, you may contact the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

The toll-free number is (877) 252-4538.

The address of the commission is:

• PO Box 400
  Little Rock, AR 72203-0400

The Arkansas Public Service Commission requires utilities to provide this information.