Powell Valley Electric Cooperative
RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

The Schedule of Rules and Regulations is a part of all contracts for receiving electric service from PVEC and applies to all service received from PVEC, whether the service is based upon contract, agreement, signed application, or otherwise. PVEC will provide information regarding rates, service practice policies, and guidelines to customers via the website – www.pve.coop and information including brochures and print media will also be available in our offices. A customer will also receive such information upon application for electrical service, and at any time upon request. All retail rate actions initiated by PVEC will be communicated to the public via the website – www.pve.coop and through the PVEC magazine.

  1. APPLICATION FOR SERVICE. Each prospective customer desiring electric service will be required to provide an acceptable form of identification, to sign PVEC’s standard application for service contract, potentially establish a deposit and pay the service connection charge and membership fee. Service will not be supplied by PVEC to any applicant (A) who is then indebted to PVEC or (B) who, at the time of application, is an adult member of the household of a former customer who is indebted to PVEC or (C) who was an adult member of the household of a former customer when said indebtedness was incurred and who was either a spouse of said customer or otherwise shared contractual liability for the indebtedness incurred, except upon payment of such indebtedness.
  1. DEPOSITS. Deposits will be required of all existing and prospective customers, unless a deposit waiver requirement is met. Existing locations deposit requirement is equal to two (2) times the average monthly bill.  New locations have a set deposit requirement based on two (2) times the average monthly historical use for similar facilities within the class. Engineering estimates may be used as needed.  All cash deposits will earn interest at the rate earned on PVEC’s primary bank account.  Energy deposits may be refunded after twelve (12) consecutive months in which all payments were successfully made by the due date.  PVEC shall have the right of recoupment and / or to off-set deposits against any account of the customer. Annually, upon written request of the customer or at the discretion of the cooperative, the deposit balance and earned interest, may be reviewed by the customer and re-evaluated by PVEC based on the most recent usage.  Additional information relating to deposits can be found in Policy # 100-2C.
  1. BILLING.  Bills will be rendered monthly and shall be paid within fifteen (15) days from the bill date. Failure to receive the bill will not release customer from payment obligation. If not paid by the due date, a late payment penalty of 1 ½% will be added to the amount due.  If not paid by the disconnect date noted on the bill, PVEC may discontinue service to the customer.  Should the final date for payment of the bill fall on Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, the due date will be extended to the following business day.  Additional information relating to billing can be found in Policy # 100-2D.
  1.  DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE BY PVEC.  PVEC may refuse to connect or may discontinue service for the violation of any of its rules and regulations, or for violation of any of the provisions of the schedule of rates and charges, or of the application of customer or contract with customer. PVEC may discontinue service to customer for the theft of electricity or the appearance of electricity theft devices on the premises of customer. Service will be discontinued to customers with past due accounts. (Payment in full or approved payment arrangements will be required along with a reconnection fee and an additional deposit may be required before service will be restored). The discontinuance of service by PVEC for any causes stated in the rules and regulations does not release the customer from its obligation to PVEC for the payment of minimum bills as specified in contracts or any other amounts due PVEC.If payment is not received by the disconnect date noted on the bill, PVEC will call the customer to advise them of their disconnect status and to discuss the available rights and remedies to dispute the bill with PVEC.PVEC evaluates weather conditions daily at www.weather.com for the System’s service territory. In the event the forecasted temperature is not expected to exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (all customers) or is expected to exceed 99 degrees F (residential customers only) on that date, PVEC will postpone the disconnection of service of customers scheduled for such disconnection due to non-payment. Where disconnection is postponed due to an extreme weather condition, the postponement will not extend beyond the extreme weather condition.Upon approval of PVEC’s Serious Medical Condition Certification Form, disconnection of service will be postponed for 30 days from the original scheduled disconnection date to allow customer time to make payment or alternative shelter arrangements. The medical necessity form must be completed by a medical doctor or licensed nurse practitioner certifying that the disconnection of electric service would create a life-threatening medical situation for the customer or other permanent resident of the customer’s household. The completed form must be approved by PVEC to be valid. A life threatening medical condition does not relieve a customer of the obligation to pay for electric service, including any late fees incurred or other applicable charges. PVEC will only grant this postponement for termination of service one (1) time in a twelve month period. If full payment of the past due amount, including all late fees, is not received by the end of the 30 day postponement period, electric service will be disconnected without further notice.Additional information relating to termination of electric service can be found in Policy # 100-2E.
  1. RECONNECTION AND CONNECTION CHARGES. PVEC may require customers to pay an applicable service charge for transfer of service, connection of new and existing services, and reconnection of service due to non-payment. PVEC will also require a collection fee to be charged whenever a trip is made to collect an account.  Fee amounts may vary and are available at our office or on our website at www.pve.coop
  1. RETURNED PAYMENT (NSF) CHARGES. Any customer payment later returned as “insufficient funds” by the customer’s bank shall be assessed an additional returned fee and possible trip fee charge.
  1. CUSTOMER ENERGY USE DATA. Upon request by the customer, PVEC will make available a customer’s energy consumption data for the prior twelve (12) months’ period.
  1. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT BY CUSTOMER. Customers who have fulfilled their contract terms and wish to discontinue service must give at least three (3) days’ notice, written or verbal to that effect, unless contract specified otherwise. Notice to discontinue service prior to expiration of contract term will not relieve customer from any minimum or guaranteed payment under any contract or rate.
  1. SERVICE CHARGES FOR TEMPORARY SERVICE.  Customers requiring electric service on a temporary basis may be required by PVEC to pay all costs for connection and disconnection incidental to the supplying and removing of service. This rule applies to circuses, carnivals, fairs, temporary construction, etc.
  1. POINTS OF DELIVERY. The point of delivery is the point, as designated by PVEC, on customer’s premises where electric power is to be delivered.  All wiring and equipment beyond this point of delivery shall be provided and maintained by customer at no expense or responsibility of PVEC.
  1. CUSTOMER’S WIRING – STANDARDS. All electrical wiring of customer must conform to PVEC’s requirements and comply with standards set forth by the National Electric Safety Code, the National Electrical Code, and any applicable state, county, or local codes.  The National Code is the minimum acceptable standard, but may be exceeded by more stringent state and local codes.
  1. INSPECTIONS. PVEC will provide electric service, subject to state or local exceptions, after satisfactory inspection has been performed by an authorized representative of the State of Tennessee or by an authorized representative for the applicable county in the state of Virginia. (Note: VA counties have inspection exclusions for farm related facilities).  Application must be made by a licensed electrician or by homeowners doing their own work.  However, such inspections or failure to inspect or reject shall not render PVEC liable or responsible for any loss incurred or from property damages resulting from defects in the installation, wiring, or appliances, or from violation of PVEC or other governmental rules, or from accidents which may occur upon customer’s premises.
  1. ELECTRIC LINE EXTENSIONS TO NEW CUSTOMER INSTALLATIONS. Customers requesting extensions of PVEC’s existing facilities may be required to pay a fee or enter into a contractual agreement in accordance with PVEC’s current line extension policy. Customers desiring underground service versus overhead must bear the excess cost incident thereto.  PVEC’s engineering department will provide more information upon request.
  1. CUSTOMERS RESPONSIBILITY FOR PVEC’S PROPERTY. All meters, service connections, and other equipment furnished by PVEC shall be, and remain, the property of PVEC.  Customer shall provide a space for and exercise proper care to protect the property of PVEC on its premises (including access thereto), and, in the event of loss or damage to PVEC’s property or persons arising from neglect of customer to care for same, the customer shall indemnify PVEC or any other person against death, injury, loss or damage resulting there from, including but not limited to PVEC’s cost of repairing, replacing or relocating any such facilities and its loss, if any, of revenues resulting from the failure or defective functioning of its metering equipment.
  1. RIGHT OF ACCESS. PVEC’s identified employees and contractors shall have access to customer’s premises as necessary for the purpose of performing vegetation management, reading meters, testing, repairing, removing or exchanging any or all equipment belonging to PVEC.  Customer will be responsible for any costs incurred by PVEC for its relocating of any of its facilities made necessary due to customer obstructing the cooperative’s access to its facilities.
  1. VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. In order to maintain safe and reliable electric service, PVEC’s employees and/or PVEC’s contractors shall perform vegetation management on customer’s premises along electric power line right of way by various methods in accordance with PVEC’s current integrated Vegetation Management Plan. Customer is responsible for the trimming of service drops (lines from the transformer to the building).
  1. INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE. PVEC will use reasonable diligence in supplying current, but shall not be liable for breach of contract in the event of, or for loss, injury, or damage to persons or property resulting from, interruptions in service, excessive or inadequate voltage, single-phasing, or otherwise unsatisfactory service, whether or not caused by negligence.In the event of an emergency or other condition causing a shortage in the amount of electricity for PVEC to meet the demand on its system, PVEC may, by an allocation method deemed equitable by PVEC, restrict the amount and time of electricity to be made available for use by Customer.
  1. VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS CAUSED BY CUSTOMER. Electric service must not be used in such a manner as to cause unusual fluctuations or disturbances to PVEC’s system.  PVEC may require customer, at his own expense, to install suitable apparatus which will reasonably limit such fluctuations.
  1. ADDITIONAL LOAD. The service connection, transformers, meters and equipment supplied by PVEC for each customer have definite capacity, and no addition to the equipment or load connected thereto will be allowed except by consent of PVEC.  Failure to give notice of additions or changes in load, and to obtain PVEC’s consent for same, shall render customer liable for any damage to any of PVEC’s lines or equipment caused by the additional or changed installation.
  1. STANDBY AND RESALE POWER. All purchased electric service (other than emergency or standby service) used on the premises of customer shall be supplied exclusively by PVEC, and customer shall not, directly or indirectly, sell, sublet, assign or otherwise dispose of the electric service or any part thereof.
  1. NOTICE OF TROUBLE. Customer shall notify PVEC immediately should the service be unsatisfactory for any reason, or should there be any defects, trouble or accidents affecting the supply of electricity.  Such notice, if verbal should be confirmed in writing.
  1. NON-STANDARD SERVICE. Customer shall pay the cost of any special installation necessary to meet its peculiar requirements for service at other than standard voltages or other extraordinary circumstances.
  1. METER TEST. PVEC will, at its own expense, make periodic tests and inspections of its meters in order to maintain a high standard of accuracy. PVEC will make additional tests or inspections of its meters at the request of customer. If tests made at customer’s request show that the meter is accurate within two percent (2%), slow or fast, no adjustment will be made in customer’s bill, and a testing charge will be paid by customer. In case the test shows meter to be in excess of two percent (2%), fast or slow, the cost of making the test shall be borne by PVEC, and an adjustment shall be made in customer’s bill per PVEC’s current meter testing policy.
  1. SCOPE. This schedule of Rules and Regulations applies to all service rendered by the Cooperative.  Additional information can be found in policies 100-2B and 100-2J.
  1. REVISIONS. These rules and regulations may be revised as necessary.
  1. CONFLICT. In case of conflict between any provisions of the rules and regulations and the rate schedule, the rate schedule shall apply.