Cooperativa eléctrica rural de Upshur
Serving East Texans
since 1937.
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Why Account Deposits are Required
URECC is a not-for-profit cooperative formed to purchase and distribute electricity to rural areas not serviced by "Investor-Owned Utilities". Together, all members of the cooperative are responsible for all expenses of the cooperative, and any profits may be returned to the cooperative members.
If an active member does not pay a bill, after moving to another company's service area for example, the remaining members must absorb and pay that outstanding debt as a cooperative. This can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars if preventative steps are not taken.
Deposits are a way to avoid building this debt owed for purchased power by URECC. A member may be required to pay an additional deposit if: "Member has paid late two or more times. Account has been disconnected for non-payment. An account has a payment returned due to insufficient funds." Once again, these deposits are for the security of bill paying members not to face paying for a share of an unpaid bill.
URECC staff, management, and the Board of Directors listen to your input as a member of Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative. URECC Member Services representatives have received many contacts concerning member account deposits. Member feedback has been considered and discussed. As a result, URECC would like to make the following announcement of change in the calculation of deposits.
URECC Member
News Release
Changes in Determining Deposit Amounts
As previously stated in the URECC Member Handbook, the deposit amount would be two (2) times the HIGHEST bill over the previous 12-month period.
Beginning later this month, there will be changes to the deposit policy. URECC deposits from this point forward "shall be equivalent to two (2) times the AVERAGE billing" over a 12-month period. In addition to changing from the HIGHEST bills to the AVERAGE bills. December 2022, January 2023, and February 2023 all saw untypical weather conditions that brought extreme temperatures below the yearly average of previous years. These extreme temperatures caused an above average use of power to heat homes. The higher usage combined with higher-than-normal power costs caused monthly bills to rise. URECC management voted to exclude these months from a member's 12-month billing history when figuring deposit amounts.
These changes were proposed and voted into policy for fairness in expense to members, and will be effective beginning April 15, 2023, as previously stated in the updated URECC Member Handbook.
