Photo credit: Jean Bilodeaux
BILLING PROCEDURES
SVEC reads meters and mails bills once per month. The meters are generally read about the same date, between the 17th and 26th of the each month. The bills are deposited in the mail on the last working day of the month.
Based on your meter reading, your bill is calculated, printed, and mailed to the address you have given us. Should there be any error in this address, please contact us.
Bills are due and payable upon presentation-defined as "deposited in the mail". FAILURE TO RECEIVE YOUR BILL DOES NOT RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR OBLIGATION TO PAY. If you should fail to receive your bill at the normal time, please contact our office; our representative will arrange for a duplicate bill to be sent, or advise you of a satisfactory alternative.
WHERE TO PAY YOUR BILL
Payments may be made by mail, using the self-addressed envelope, which is enclosed with your monthly bill, at the Alturas office, or at the payment depository (no cash) located at the front gate of the Alturas office. For Members living in Surprise Valley there is a drop payment box at the Senior Citizens Building in Cedarville. Lakeview members may drop off their payment at the front gate of the Lakeview office. And in Adin, there is a drop payment box at the Adin Community Park. Please return the payment stub with your payment to ensure your account is credited properly.
You may also pay your bill by bank card at our Alturas office or by phone using your bank card.
ESTIMATED BILLING PROCEDURES
SVEC makes every effort to read your meter monthly. However, there may be occasions, primarily due to bad weather, locked gates, or unfriendly animals, when it becomes impossible for us to obtain a reading.
When an estimated bill becomes necessary, it is based upon your history of usage, if available, and it will be stated on the bill that usage for that period has been estimated.
Variations from your actual usage during the estimated month will self-adjust the next time we obtain the actual reading.
PRORATED BILLS
At times your bill may need to be prorated (calculated for a portion of the billing period or calculated at two different rates for the same billing month). In these instances the usage will be calculated at the appropriate rates for each billing period.
An example of a time a bill would be prorated is when there is a customer change at the account. Customers that are in the account will receive a prorated bill for the portion of the month the account was in their name.
WHY YOUR ELECTRIC BILL VARIES MONTHLY
Your electric bill may vary due to:
- Fluctuations in weather conditions.
- Changes in your consumption pattern-holiday cooking and baking, as well as houseguests increasing the number of showers and amount of laundry, will result in increased kWh usage.
- The number of days in the billing cycle - each monthly bill normally covers 30 days; however, holidays weekends, and the number of days in the month may cause the number of days to fluctuate.
See reverse side of bill for energy conservation tips.
CONNECTING AND DISONNECTING
If you are moving to another address within the SVEC service territory, please contact us as soon as possible and tell us the date you wish to have the service disconnected at your present address and the date you want the service at your new address. (These need not be the same date.)
OUR PHONE NUMBER IS (530) 233-3511
SVEC can generally provide next-day service if arrangements are made before 2 p.m. However, to assure that your service is connected when you need it, it is desirable that you make arrangements several days ahead.
FOR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES - where you need a service connected or disconnected outside our normal business hours - we can accommodate you; however, there will be a service charge.
ASSISTANCE WITH ENERGY BILLS
At times Members need assistance paying their energy bill. SVEC does not have a program to assist with these payments. We will however, make payment arrangements and work with any Member to clear their bill as long as the arrangements are kept. Please call our office at 530/233-3511 if you need to make payment arrangements.The following agencies may provide assistance with payments on energy bills. Please contact these agencies to determine if you are eligible for their assistance.
TEACH Modoc County residents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530/233-3111
Modoc County Social Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .530/233-6501
Lassen Economic Development Corp. Energy Programs, Weatherization. . . .530/256-3531
Lassen County Health & Social Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530/251-8128
Lake County Public Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .541/947-6045
Lake County Senior Citizens Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541/947-4966