Membership

Each new applicant for residential utility service or general utility service shall:

• Pay a deposit, or
• Give consent for the Cooperative to run a credit check
• Avoid the deposit by signing up for Prepaid Billing!

How New Member Deposits Are Determined

The Cooperative will determine the creditworthiness of an applicant or consumer in an equitable and nondiscriminatory method and shall determine the creditworthiness solely upon the credit risk of the applicant or consumer.

• If a deposit is required, the amount of the deposit may range from a minimum of $70 to a maximum of ⅙ of the projected annual billing for the account
• If a deposit is greater than $70, the Cooperative may allow it to be split over the next 2 to 3 bills
• Service will be connected upon receipt of the first payment.

If no deposit is required at the time of initial membership but the applicant becomes delinquent on any amount within 6 months after service begins:

• The Cooperative may require payment of a deposit within 10 days
• Failure to pay any portion of the deposit will result in disconnection, with 5 days notice, until the deposit and any outstanding delinquency are paid

No deposit is required for applicants who:

• Have been a member of the Cooperative in the past 12 months
• Have a satisfactory payment history
• Have no outstanding delinquency owed to the Cooperative

The Cooperative may require a current member to make a deposit if:

• The member has been delinquent for 2 consecutive months or any 3 months within the preceding 12 month period
• The member is delinquent for at least 60 days on any amount due the Cooperative
• The member fails to establish that they are credit-worthy
• Service has been disconnected pursuant to the rules for non-payment

How Current Member Deposits Are Determined

• The deposit shall be $70 or ⅙ of the estimated annual billings, whichever is greater
• If the member owes a deposit, it will be shown on the next monthly bill
• If the deposit exceeds $70 it may be split over the next 2 to 3 bills
• Service will be connected upon receipt of the first payment.
• Failure to pay any portion of the deposit will result in disconnection, with 5 days notice, until the deposit and any outstanding delinquency are paid

Rebutting a Deposit

• If the Cooperative denies or disconnects service or requires a deposit as a condition of providing service, it will advise the applicant of the facts upon which it based its decision
• The applicant will be provided with an opportunity to rebut such facts and show other facts demonstrating their credit-worthiness

• If the applicant has been a member of the Cooperative in the past 12 months and has a satisfactory payment history, the applicant shall not be required to make a deposit if there is no outstanding delinquency owed the Cooperative
• If the applicant ended their electric service with Jasper County REMC over 12 months ago, please follow the New Member Deposit requirements

• If an applicant is requesting a new service at a location with no billing history and a deposit is required, then the deposit shall be from a minimum of $70 up to $200
• When a new service location has been established for 12 months, the deposit shall be adjusted based upon ⅙ of the annual billing for the location

• Deposits held more than 12 months shall earn interest from date of deposit at a rate of 1.5% simple annual interest
• The deposit shall not earn interest after the date the deposit is credited to the customer

• Avoid the deposit by signing up for Prepaid Billing!
• For more information, visit our Payment Options page