- If I am constructing a building for my new business, when do I apply for service?
- How is temporary service established?
- Who provides the pole for temporary service?
- Who provides the meter for temporary service?
- Why do I have to become a member?
- What is the membership application?
- Why do I have to pay a $5 membership fee? How do I pay the fee?
- What is a margin refund?
- Why does the membership application address easement rights?
- Why do I have to pay a deposit?
- If I need to change the name on my business account, will I have to pay an additional membership fee and deposit?
- When do I get my deposit back?
- Why do I have to pay a connection fee when electric service has already been established at my business location?
- How do Jackson EMC's rates compare to other electric utilities?
- How are business electric rates figured?
- When will I receive my bill?
- How do I pay my bill?
- What happens if I don't pay my company's bill and power is disconnected?
- What can I do if I think my power bill is too high?
- What do I do if my power goes out?
- Do I need to provide protection for motors at my facility that run on a three-phase power supply?
- Is it important for me to incorporate single phasing protection into my building's electrical system?
Establishing New Service
If I am constructing a building for my new business, when do I apply for service? You should apply for service as soon as you have your county or city approved building plans. That way, temporary service can be connected and construction can proceed without any delays.
How is temporary service established?
Business customers or their contractors can call or drop by one of our local offices to set up temporary service, or apply online. One of our Customer Service Representatives will be happy to help.
Who provides the pole for temporary service?
The pole is provided by the customer or the customer's general contractor. A Jackson EMC staking technician will work with you or your contractor to ensure the pole is placed appropriately for either overhead or underground service.
Who provides the meter for temporary service?
Jackson EMC will provide and install the meter for your temporary service; however, you or your contractor must purchase the meter base for your temporary service. Meter bases are available from your local Jackson EMC offices in Neese, Jefferson, Oakwood and Lawrenceville.
Membership
Why do I have to become a member?
As part of the rural electrification movement, Jackson EMC was chartered as a not-for-profit cooperative that can provide electricity only to those individuals and companies that are members.
What is the membership application?
You may obtain a Jackson EMC membership application from one of our local offices by stopping by to initiate service; from your Commercial & Industrial Marketing Representative; or through the mail by requesting service over the phone or by emailing info@jacksonemc.com. The membership application is a formal request to join the cooperative. It should be completed by a representative of your business, returned to Jackson EMC and kept on file by the cooperative. An application for service may not be required where a specific customer contract is on file.
Why do I have to pay a $5 membership fee? How do I pay the fee?
The fee entitles you to become a member of the cooperative, with the right to participate and be eligible for margin refunds. The cost of membership hasn't increased since we began providing service in 1939. You don't have to generate a check for your membership fee - we will include it on your first month's bill.
What is a margin refund?
Because we are a non-profit organization that operates on behalf of our members, money left over after all of the company's expenses are paid is returned to our members on a systematic basis. These are called "margin refunds." Jackson EMC's Board of Directors, made up of business professionals from the communities we serve, allocates the distribution of margin refunds each year.
Why does the membership application address easement rights?
Members of the cooperative are expected to work with the company to enable us to install, maintain or remove service lines, meters, switches and other equipment required to provide your electrical service. A specific easement may be required in some circumstances.
Deposits and Connection Fees
Why do I have to pay a deposit? Jackson EMC reserves the right to require deposits for business customers, based on the cooperative's financial exposure and it's assessment of the customer's ability to pay their electric bill. Deposits may be required according to Section 103 of the cooperative's Bylaws.
You will be required to pay a deposit equal to twice your business' estimated monthly electric bill, but not less than $200. In some cases, a business may file a Surety Bond or an Agreement of Surety to secure their debt for electric service in lieu of paying a cash deposit.
If I need to change the name on my business account, will I have to pay an additional membership fee and deposit?
If we must establish a new account under a new name and Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number, you will need to provide documentation. We will require a new $5 membership fee and $20 connection fee, which will be added to your new account's first month's bill. In addition, a deposit may be required, depending on the credit rating for the new account.
When do I get my deposit back?
Provided a good payment record has been maintained during the previous 12 months, any deposit you have made will be returned to you as a credit on your bill after you have had service with the cooperative for two years. Should your business close in less than two years, your deposit will be applied to your final bill. If a refund is due to you, we will mail you a check, so please make sure we have a forwarding address for the business.
If your business has filed bankruptcy and Jackson EMC has required a deposit on the new account, the deposit will not be refunded until the account is closed.
Why do I have to pay a connection fee when electric service has already been established at my business location?
The $20 connection fee covers the costs of setting up your account and sending a meter reader to your business to record a beginning reading for billing purposes.
Billing And Disconnection
How do Jackson EMC's rates compare to other electric utilities? Due to strategic power supply agreements and conservative management, Jackson EMC's rates are among the lowest in the country - well below the national average. In addition to lower rates, we also believe you will notice a difference in the quality of personal service we provide our members.
How are business electric rates figured?
Most businesses are on the General Service Rate, which provides a per kilowatt hour charge for monthly service based on the amount of energy used and peak electrical demand, along with a service charge and Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment.
Large businesses and manufacturers with a new facility and a connected load of more than 900 kilowatts have a one-time choice to select their power supplier, as provided by Georgia's 1973 Territorial Act. These customers may have rates that individualize certain costs, such as wholesale power costs, delivery expense and allocated costs of providing the service (e.g. facilities, administration, etc.). Large businesses may also qualify for special rates, including load management, large power service, large general service, etc.
When will I receive my bill?
Members' electric bills are mailed out over an average period of 28-32 days, in cycles tied to the meter reading route on which your business is located. These billing cycles determine the date your bill is mailed and due.
What happens if I don't pay my company's bill and power is disconnected?
Although Jackson EMC makes every effort to work with our members on bill payment issues, service can be disconnected for non-payment. Accounts in danger of disconnection will show a delinquent notice in the blue highlighted area at the bottom of your monthly bill. The notice gives a date by which payment must be made. Service will be disconnected one day after this date if payment is not made. You will receive a courtesy call advising you of the disconnection if we have your correct phone number on record.
In order to have your service reconnected, you must request reconnection by phone or in person at a Jackson EMC office. This request must be made prior to 5 p.m. for the reconnection to be made on the same day. You will be required to pay a reset fee that is normally $35 ($70 for weekends (emergency only) or holidays between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.), as well as a disconnection fee of $25 and any other fees that may apply, such as a returned check fee ($25) and a late fee ($30, or 1% of the bill- whichever is greater). In addition, you must pay the past due amount on your account. These payments must be made at a Jackson EMC office, either during business hours or through the night deposit box.
Members whose service has been disconnected for nonpayment will be required to provide a deposit of up to two times their average monthly bill, or take out a Surety Bond prior to reconnection, if an adequate deposit has not already been made.
What can I do if I think my power bill is too high?
If you feel your monthly bill is too high, please contact your Commercial & Industrial Marketing Representatives at your local Jackson EMC office for assistance. They will be happy to discuss your bill and arrange an energy audit if needed.
If you feel your meter is not recording your electric use accurately, please call your nearest Jackson EMC office. You will be asked to pay a meter test fee, to be applied to the cost of the test, and your meter will be tested. If testing shows the meter's accuracy is outside the acceptable range, your meter test fee will be refunded and your electric bill adjusted accordingly.
What do I do if my power goes out? While our goal is to provide you with uninterrupted electric service, weather-related outages and accidents will occur from time-to-time. Should your power go out, first have a qualified maintenance person check your breaker box. If the breaker box checks out, the quickest and most efficient way to notify us of your outage is to call your local Jackson EMC office and use our Automated Outage Reporting System, or use the procedure provided by your Commercial & Industrial Marketing Representative:
- Have on hand your account name, address and phone number;
- Provide any information you think will help us locate and repair the problem;
- Once you have called, we are aware of the situation and are working on it.
- We call you when repairs are completed to make sure your power is restored.
In the meantime, tune in to your local radio stations for any updates on outage situations. Whenever power outages affect a significant number of our members, or the repair will take an extended period of time, Jackson EMC provides information to radio stations so that they can help us get the information to you.
In case of widespread outages due to ice storms, tornados or other natural disasters, you will find emergency restoration information at the Storm Center. We will also provide information for notices on local radio stations.
Do I need to provide protection for motors at my facility that run on a three-phase power supply?
While we take great care to guard the direction of phase rotation and continuity of three-phase current, accidental or temporary shifts to single-phase current may occur. If you have motors or other equipment that require a constant, unchanged three-phase power supply, we strongly recommend that you install a three-phase monitor to protect that equipment. This monitor will detect a shift to single-phase current and function like a circuit breaker to prevent your equipment from being damaged. Jackson EMC cannot guarantee against accidental or temporary change of phase.
Is it important for me to incorporate single phasing protection into my building's electrical system?
It is extremely important. Many business customers use 3-phase power to run a variety of equipment. Occasionally a tree limb or other foreign objects can come in contact with one phase of the utility company's lines. This can cause our protection devices to shut down that phase until the object is removed. This loss of one phase of the incoming power can cause damage to motors and other equipment using 3-phase power. Customers can incorporate protection devices in their building systems that can prevent damage from occurring. This protection is reasonably priced when you consider the consequences and costs of replacing damaged equipment.
If you have a question or need more information from us, please don't hesitate to contact a commercial/industrial representative.
Apply for Service | Media Center | Storm Center | Careers | Search | Contact Us | Home
Copyright © 1998-2008, Jackson Electric Membership Corporation | Legal and Privacy Notices