Open an Account and Connect Service

Welcome to Victory Electric! We’re excited you’re about to become a member of the local member-owned (you!), not-for-profit electric cooperative. You’ve come to the right place to learn more about connecting service and managing your account. Explore the various topics on this website to find information to help you get the most out of your membership.

Signing up for Service–Before You Begin
To begin your new account, please choose the option that best describes the account you would like to create–an existing location or new construction.

Easy accessibility to the meter at your service is required in order for our employees to do their job safely and efficiently. If you have a guard dog, or access to your service is through a locked gate, please make sure any dogs or pets are locked up and the gate is unlocked.

The cooperative may refuse service for any of the following reasons:

  1. A dangerous condition exists on the member’s premises. If the cooperative is aware of dangerous or life-threatening conditions existing on a member’s premises, the cooperative may refuse to connect electric service until the danger is eliminated. (i.e. bad breakers, burned meter can, exposed wired coming out of meter loop or weather head)
  2. A member fails to provide credit information, security deposit or guarantee, or has a previous undisputed and unpaid account.
  3. A member misrepresents his or her identity for the purpose of obtaining utility service.
  4. A member refuses to grant cooperative personnel access to electric equipment on the member’s premises for the purpose of inspection, repair, meter maintenance or replacement.

For new members of Victory Electric moving into an existing home with an electric meter/infrastructure present, creating an account with Victory Electric is simple. In order to establish electric service, we prefer that the member comes into the office and speaks with a member service representative in person for security reasons but understand this is not always possible. If you are unable to come in person, please email us the information listed below to msr@victoryelectric.net and a member service representative will assist you via email.

  1. Copy of your contract or lease agreement
  2. Valid state-issued photo ID
  3. Phone number, email and place of employment
  4. Social Security Number for a soft credit check
  5. You can provide a letter of credit, or depending on your utility credit rating, you may be required to pay a deposit. ¼ of deposit is due upon connection. There is no membership fee to set up an account and join the cooperative.
  6. Complete a Member Application

In addition to the items listed above, members opening a commercial or industrial account also need a federal ID number (EIN) and the name of the primary contact person for the account.

New accounts may be opened by visiting our office at 3230 North 14th Avenue, in Dodge City during office hours–Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Service connections are not performed on weekends or holidays. Three-phase meters require cooperative personnel to manually connect service. We will always do our best to promptly and efficiently respond to connect service; however, we cannot guarantee same day service, so please plan accordingly.

Please take the time to review our Program Services Guide, which can be thought of like an owner’s manual for your cooperative membership. This document contains valuable information about your new electric energy provider and the services we provide.

Building a new home can be a stressful process, and we hope to make the process as easy as possible. By building in our service territory, we hope you will enjoy being a part of an electric cooperative owned by you.

To extend infrastructure to a new service location (new construction site) that has not previously been metered, your request will flow through a new construction workflow process.

  1. Call our offices at 620-227-2139 as soon as possible. Be prepared to give us the 911 address for your new location (can be obtained from planning and zoning at city hall or county administration), a daytime phone number where you can easily be contacted, and the name and address of the closest neighbor if known.
  2. At that time, you will speak with a staking technician if available. If one is not available, you will receive a call to discuss the requirements of the new service. Using the location provided and job requirements discussed, our staking/engineering department will determine what infrastructure is needed to serve the new location and prepare a job estimate.
  3. When the member approves the estimate and gives the go ahead to move forward, we will create a new service application/contract listing the appropriate rate tariff, deposit, and the CIAC* amount. Once the contract is completed, signed and all deposits and money is paid by the member, the job is handed back to the engineering and operations departments.
  4. A staking technician will further assess your job, determine the best placement for the meter socket, perform a One Call (marking any underground utility or facilities), stake the job, and prepare a construction work order. Lineman will then build the required infrastructure.
  5. Once construction is complete and the homeowner’s electrician installs a meter can, weatherhead or other needed equipment, the service is inspected by a city inspector (if applicable) a Victory Electric meter technician will install the meter.
  6. The billing department now has all the necessary information needed to create your new account.
  7. This process can take several weeks from start to finish, so please make sure to call us as soon as possible to start the process.
  8. Please note: Approximately 2-3 months after construction is complete, our accounting department will close out the work order containing all materials used and time associated with the job. At that time, if it is determined the estimate amount varied from the actual cost of the project, the member will either be issued a credit or billed for the difference.

* What is contribution in aid of construction (CIAC)? When a member requests to connect an electrical service to Victory Electric’s electrical distribution system where no connection currently exists, we must add equipment to our electric system, i.e. building a new house or a business is adding on to their facility. When this happens, Victory Electric asks the member to contribute financially to adding the additional equipment needed to make this new connection, and this financial contribution is called a ‘contribution in aid of construction’ or CIAC. Part of the cooperative business model is ensuring members contribute equitably to the capital of their cooperative. Victory Electric requests CIAC when a member asks for a change to the electrical system that primarily benefits them and does not specifically benefit other members. Seen from the other members’ vantage point, it would not be fair to spread these costs among all members when the benefit accrues to only one member.

The cooperative’s rules and regulations of service outline the member’s and the cooperative’s relative financial contributions toward meeting the member’s request for additional service.

How much does it cost to start service in my name?
There is no membership or connection fee required for connection of service. A deposit may be required depending on utility credit check. Visit our security deposits and fees page to learn more about deposit guidelines. If you currently have an account or had an account in the past and you owe an unsettled debt to the cooperative, it needs to be paid prior to your account being connected. 

How do you determine my deposit?
Your deposit is based on your payment history, either with Victory Electric or with previous utilities, and the size of the bills at the location where you are connecting service. The maximum deposit will be equivalent to two months' bills. Victory Electric will accept a letter of good credit from your present electric utility in lieu of a deposit or surety bond. Learn more.

When will my deposit be refunded?
Deposits taken from residential members shall either be credited with interest to their utility bills or, if requested, refunded, if the member pays on time for 12 consecutive months and no undisputed bill was unpaid after 30 days beyond due date. If a payment is late, the 12 months starts over, as the months have to be consecutive.

For small commercial deposits, 24 months of consecutive on time payments are required, and the cooperative retains security deposits from large commercial and industrial members until termination of service or change in ownership.

When you close any account, your deposit will be refunded, plus interest, as a credit toward your final bill, or if requested, you can receive a full refund after the final bill is paid. 

How long does it take to have service connected if I am a first time member?
If you are moving to an existing residential service, once we receive all needed paperwork and the deposit, if required, has been paid, your account can be connected immediately. For three-phase meters without remote connection capabilities, it can take up to one business day. If you are connecting a new construction service, more time is necessary. 

Do I need to be there when you connect the service?
No, you are not required to be present. Residential meters are connected remotely. Easy accessibility to the meter at your service is required in order for our employees to do their job safely and efficiently. If you have a guard dog, or access to your service is through a locked gate, please make sure that your dog is locked up and the gate is unlocked.

How is my meter read and connected/disconnected?
We are able to remotely read, connect and disconnect most residential meters from our office. The cooperative reads your meter daily using an automated meter infrastructure (AMI) system. Your automated meter sends your reading electronically via radio frequency to Victory Electric. Commercial meters require a manual process. Learn more.

How can I submit a name change?
We ask for a signed membership form with your new name and a copy of your government issued photo ID reflecting the change. 

How do I add my spouse to my account?
A member can add a spouse or roommate as a secondary contact on the account. When the account-holding member passes, the account can be settled and capital credits paid to the estate or heirs. The secondary contact must open a new account in his/her name to continue service.

How do I remove a name from my account?
The primary account holder (member) can request any change. The secondary account holder may contact the office to request the change, but can ONLY request their name be removed. If the primary account holder wishes to have their name removed, the secondary account holder must sign new membership application to create a new account. If the account holder whose name you would like to remove from the account is deceased, please provide a copy of his or her death certificate. The capital credit estate affidavit form should also be completed so capital credits can be issued to the estate or heir of the deceased. 

Why is it important to update my contact information?
To ensure you receive your paper bill, always update your account when your address, phone number or email changes. It's also important to notify us of address changes after you close your account because any final bill, capital credit allocation notices and/or refunds will be mailed to the last known address on file. Update your phone number so we can contact you if we have account questions, need to notify you of a planned outage, or are conducting a member satisfaction survey. In addition, an automated courtesy call is typically sent to alert you of a past due balance. Victory Electric keeps all personal and contact information private and does not provide/sell to third parties.

I signed up for paperless billing but have not received a notification. What do I do?
To ensure you will receive notification when your bill is ready, please log onto SmartHub and select "Manage Contacts" under the "Notifications" tab. Check to make sure your email address is listed (and is correct) under contact. 

Can anyone pay on my electric account?
Yes, anyone can make a payment on an electric account. However, we can only share account information, including the account balance with an account holder or a secondary account contact. 

How do I apply for the budget billing?
To be eligible for budget billing, we prefer the member reside at the address and have no late payments for a full year. Budget billing is only available to residential members. You will still receive a monthly bill indicating the monthly payment amount and you can use any of the above payment methods (except PowerMyWay). If you are interested, please call or stop by Victory Electric’s office and a member service representative will review your account to determine eligibility and the budget amount.