If you do not pay the full amount due on your billing statement, a Late Payment Fee charge will appear on your next month’s bill.
If your final bill from Palmetto Electric indicates a credit balance, you should receive the refund check within the next billing cycle. If you received your final bill electronically and have not updated your mailing address and telephone number, please contact our office immediately, so we can send your refund check and any future Capital Credit checks you may be entitled to receive.
Bills are not considered past due until the next bill posts. If you are unable to pay the bill amount before the next bill posts, please contact Palmetto Electric to discuss payment arrangements.
Before we see how much electricity costs, we have to understand how it’s measured. When you buy gas they charge you by the gallon. When you buy electricity you are charged the kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you use 1000 watts for 1 hour, that’s a kilowatt-hour. To change watts to kilowatts, divide wattage by 1000. An electric meter measures both the kilowatts and the time in hours the electricity is being used. The final billing unit is the product of the two measures and this is called a “kilowatt-hour” (kWh).An example to measure electricity for a 100-watt light bulb that is on for 10 hours: 100 watts ÷ 1000 = 0.10 kilowatts .10 kilowatts × 10 hours = 1 kilowatt hour or 1 kWh
If an account is disconnected for non-payment, the past due balance, plus a reconnect fee must be paid before the service will be reconnected. For reconnection on weekends and after normal business hours, an additional fee will be charged. Palmetto Electric Cooperative reserves the right to require deposits if the member’s account is in arrears or if their credit record necessitates.
If an Advance Pay account is disconnected for non-payment, the amount due on the account + a $20 credit will be required to have the metered reconnected. The meter will automatically reconnect once the payment has been applied to the account. For more information, visit Advance Pay.
The Franchise Fee charge on your bill is a Utility Franchise Agreement between a municipality and a respective utility, Palmetto Electric Cooperative. The Franchise Fee, charged by the municipality, allows a utility to operate within a municipality. The funds are collected by the respective municipality indicated on your bill.
The facility charge is designed to recover Palmetto’s fixed costs which are costs Palmetto incurs regardless of an individual member’s electric consumption. They are the costs of having a member connected to the system even if the member does not consume any electric power during the month. The fixed costs this charge is designed to recover are costs (i.e. interest, property taxes, depreciation, maintenance, etc.) associated with the substations, distribution lines, transformers, service wires, and meters that physically connects the member to the electric distribution system, along with meter reading, billing, customer service and accounting costs.
The Trip Charge is applied to your account if a collection related trip is made to your residence/business.
When a bill amount is higher than usual, naturally it arouses your curiosity. Electrical costs will vary with seasonal use — more electricity is used during the summer and winter than in the fall and spring. Increased electrical usage will fluctuate due to air conditioners, fans, dehumidifiers, hot water heating, home heating, and home entertaining during the holidays. Weather plays an important role in your monthly bill. Seasonal heating or cooling your home as well as snow, sun, wind and other weather related factors affect your billing costs. Have your heating and cooling systems periodically checked by a certified technician to ensure they are properly working. Malfunctioning systems can cause noticeable changes to your electric bill. We use a cycle system to efficiently read meters throughout our territory about the same date each month. After we read your meter we bill your account a few days later. This schedule allows us to deal with severe weather or unforeseen events that may affect our meter reading. With the possibility of fluctuating read dates, it is best to choose a payment date about a week later than your normal bill date. If the energy usage is greater than normal, check your bills for days of service.