Budget Billing

Members can now sign up for Budget Billing any time of the year. Click here to enroll!

Auto Pay

Nearly 2,000 members are participating in Auto Pay. Did you know it is also possible to have Auto-pay with levelized billing which keeps bills consistent? Here's how to join them!

Any member whose billing address changes should contact the cooperative as soon as possible to avoid mail returns. The billing policies incorporated by the board of directors are on file at the office. If you would like a copy of these policies, please contact the office at 218-444-2540 or 800-955-6083.

Membership & deposit

Federal law and the cooperative’s bylaws require all consumers be members of the cooperative. The membership fee is $50 and must be paid prior to receiving electrical service. All new consumers to the cooperative’s service area must provide a satisfactory credit reference of at least 12 months from a previous utility or they will be charged a $100 deposit ($250 minimum for commercial accounts) in addition to the membership fee.

Interest on the deposit is paid to you each year by a credit to your electric account. If you keep your bill current for one full year, the deposit will be credited to your account. If you discontinue service, the membership and deposit will be applied to your final bill and any excess will be refunded to you. Your membership and deposit fees will not be applied to your past-due bill (should you incur one) as long as you continue to be a member of the cooperative.

Billing procedures

When you first take over an electric account, please contact the cooperative to confirm the date the transfer took place and to update your records at the office. This will create an effective date from which you will pay for the electric use. Similarly, if you change locations within the cooperative’s service area, please inform the office of the date of your move and the meter reading to avoid being charged for electric use at both your old and new locations.

The amount of your monthly bill is determined by a meter reading, which is recorded at the office through an automated reading device installed in the meter. You have until the due date, as indicated on the bill, to make payment. If your bill is paid or postmarked after the due date, a $5 penalty will be added to the amount owed. In addition, a 1.5 percent late charge is applied to all balances over 30 days. Members whose account is more than 30 days past due will receive a late notice and may be subject to disconnection or a collection trip for which there is a $30 charge.

Disconnection

The member is required to contact the cooperative by the due date if they are unable to pay the bill. The cooperative will work with the member to develop a payment plan to meet his or her individual needs.

Should your electrical account become disconnected, for nonpayment and no payment arrangements have been made, you will be charged $30 for the disconnection trip and $100 to become reconnected. These fees will be added to the balance that is presently owed. An additional security deposit may also be required. This additional deposit, together with any existing deposit, will be no higher than two months’ average bill. Any delinquently disconnected account that wants to be reconnected after normal business hours will pay an additional fee of $100 in addition to the other fees.

During the cold weather months, Oct. 15 through April 15, the cooperative will follow the Cold Weather Law guidelines prior to disconnecting a service for nonpayment. The cooperative chooses to use power limiters prior to disconnecting the electrical service during the winter months. The power limiter provides the member with full electrical power for one-half hour and then shuts the electrical power off for one-half hour. This cycle repeats until the member pays to have the power limiter removed. Should a power limiter be installed, the member will be charged a fee of $30 to install the power limiter and $100 to remove. The member will pay an additional fee of $100 for after-hours removal of power limiters.