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Though Victory Electric is a self-regulated electric utility, we participate in the special Kansas Corporation Commission Cold Weather Rule disconnect procedures for residential members during the time period November 15 through March 15. The guidelines set out below were established to protect not only you, the electric member, but also your member-owned cooperative.
Residential cooperative members unable to pay their electric service bills during the cold weather period may qualify, provided they fulfill certain good faith requirements when attempting to pay.
Some members believe once the Cold Weather Rule is in effect, electric bills can be ignored and the cooperative will not disconnect service––this is not true. The cooperative can and will disconnect for non-payment if certain criteria are not met. Victory Electric reserves the right to disconnect between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday when the temperature is at or above 35 degrees Fahrenheit. In no event during cold weather rule will the cooperative disconnect a service if the temperature is forecasted by the local National Weather Service to fall below 35 degrees Fahrenheit within 24-hours following the time of disconnection.
The Cold Weather Rule does not apply to PowerMyWay accounts. If the account balance is $0.01 or below during inclement weather, the account will be disconnected regardless of Cold Weather Rule.
Cold Weather Rule payment arrangements are only available from Nov 15 to March 15, for a maximum of 11 months, and end no later than October’s bill due date. When a member initially establishes a Cold Weather Rule payment arrangement, a payment is required for 1/6 of total amount owed. The remaining balance is divided into the remainder of installment months available. As the Cold Weather Rule period progresses, the number of installment months available for a member to spread out the outstanding balance with payment arrangement decreases.
Each payment arrangement installment is due each month along with the current months total balance on the current bill’s due date. Paying either the current bill or payment arrangement late constitutes a broken payment arrangement, and makes the account subject for disconnection when the temperature is forecasted to be 35 degrees Fahrenheit or above in the 24 hours following the time of disconnection.
Any outstanding balance remaining not set up on a payment arrangement by March 15 is required to be paid-in-full by March 16 to avoid disconnection. In the event the account is disconnected for nonpayment, any past due balance plus the reconnection fee must be paid-in-full to restore power.
Any check or payment used establish a payment arrangement returned to Victory Electric for non-sufficient funds (NSF) is considered a default on the payment arrangement. The member is responsible for immediately paying the NSF penalty and reissuing the funds to Victory Electric, by cash, credit card, or money order, to avoid possible disconnection.
Please be mindful Victory Electric is very strict with implementing the Cold Weather Rule requirements and payment arrangement guidelines, and we encourage members to make every effort to comply to avoid broken payment arrangements and/or disconnection. Two or more broken payment arrangements will initiate a deposit or a modification of a deposit.