All members are not alike, and some members want or need the flexibility when purchasing their power. That’s why your co-op is now offering Advance Pay–an innovative bill payment program designed to meet your needs–and your individual lifestyle.
For members looking to pay for power as they use it, Advance Pay puts you in charge of your electric bill. Advance Pay gives you the power to purchase electricity when you want, weekly or biweekly, in the amounts you choose rather than one monthly payment, allowing you to monitor and control your electric usage daily, weekly, monthly with a select payment plan that works for you and your budget.
How does Advance Pay work?
When you sign up for Advance Pay, you deposit money into your account, similar to a prepaid cellular phone, and as you use electricity, the cost is deducted on a daily basis. You will have a number of ways to access and monitor your account at any time. This enables you to chart your own usage so you can better understand how you are using electricity. This is a helpful way to make your money go further. In fact, monitoring power usage typically reduces consumption on an average of 10 percent. And, there is no security deposit, late charge, disconnect or reconnect fee with Advance Pay.
When you set up your Advance Pay account, you will choose the balance at which you will begin to receive low-balance notifications via a method you choose:
- text message
- e‑mail
- automated calling service
This will give you time to purchase more power before the meter stops.
Advance Pay also helps you help the environment by ending paper billings and costs associated with mailing.
If funds in your account run out, your meter will stop, the power will be automatically disconnected, and you will be notified. However, once your outstanding balance and minimum payment is made, even on weekends and holidays, your service will be reconnected in minutes.
If you are already a YEC member currently on a regular residential rate, you can switch to an Advance Pay account. Any existing security deposit will be credited to your account balance. If you decide that Advance Pay is not for you, we’ll switch you back to a traditional account with an applicable security deposit.
Advance Pay teaches the value of electricity and what uses energy in your home. It also provides absolute control over how much you pay and helps you reduce your energy use. However, participation in Advance Pay is limited to qualified accounts, and the rate is slightly higher than YEC’s traditional rate.
You may make payments, check your account balance, sign up for alerts and reminders, and monitor your energy use through the Member Services Portal.
Related Topics:
Payment Options