ADVANCE PAY BILLING PLAN MEMBER ENROLLMENT AGREEMENT (Terms and Conditions)
These Terms and Conditions, together with the foregoing Cover Page, constitute the Advance Pay Billing Plan Member Enrollment Agreement (the “Agreement”) by and between CORE Electric Cooperative (“CORE” or “us”) and the enrolling member or customer of CORE (“Member” or “you”/”your”) and set forth the characteristics and requirements of CORE’s Advance Pay Billing Plan (the “Advance Pay Billing Plan” or the “Plan”). Prior to enrollment in the Plan, you must review these Terms and Conditions in their entirety. Your failure to meet the requirements of the Plan as set forth herein may result in the termination of your participation in the Plan.
1. Eligibility and Requirements
1.1 Participation in CORE’s Advance Pay Billing Plan is voluntary.
1.2 You may only elect to participate in the Advance Pay Billing Plan if you are a member of CORE and receive service under a Residential rate schedule at a premise with an AMI meter capable of remote disconnection. Net Meter accounts are not eligible for the Advance Pay Billing Plan.
1.3 Member accounts enrolled in the Advance Pay Billing Plan are not eligible for Budget Billing, Auto Pay (automatic payment drafts), or payment extensions. If you are enrolled in Budget Billing and/or Auto Pay as of the Effective Date, such enrollment will be cancelled upon your enrollment in the Advance Pay Billing Plan.
1.4 Prior to enrollment in the Advance Pay Billing Plan, you must first enroll in CORE’s account management platform, SmartHub, which may be accessed at https://core.smarthub.coop. You further agree to receive email and/or text messages regarding your Advance Pay Billing Plan account balances to your email address and phone number as provided through SmartHub. You must maintain an active e-mail account or cell phone that can receive text messages and ensure at all times that your contact information in SmartHub is correct.
IF YOU DO NOT KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CURRENT, YOU MAY NOT RECEIVE ACCOUNT BALANCE NOTIFICATIONS AND/OR DISCONNECT NOTICES.
1.5 Enrollment in the Plan constitutes your confirmation that there are no occupants in your home or on the premises tied to your account who have medical conditions requiring life-sustaining equipment that will be impacted by loss of electric service. If at any time this status changes, you must immediately inform CORE and your account will be removed from the Advance Pay Billing Plan upon CORE’s receipt of such notice.
2. Enrollment and Termination
2.1 Your account must have a minimum initial prepaid credit balance of $25.00 when activated. Upon enrollment in the Advance Pay Billing Plan, you are responsible for any outstanding account balance as well as the initial minimum credit balance of $25.00. You may be eligible for a one-time transfer of an existing account balance, up to $500, to your Advance Pay Billing Plan account.
2.2 Any prepaid security deposit existing on your account at the time of enrollment in the Plan, together with any accrued interest, will be applied towards your account receivable balance.
2.3 By enrolling in the Advance Pay Billing Plan, you agree to remain enrolled for a minimum initial term of three (3) months from the date of your enrollment.
2.4 If at any time you terminate your enrollment in the Advance Pay Billing Plan after the initial three (3) month term and begin monthly billing, (a) your account will not be eligible to restart the Advance Pay Billing Plan for 12 months from the date your enrollment was terminated, and (b) any amounts owed on your account at such time shall be immediately due and payable and your account may additionally be assessed a deposit.
2.5 When service is terminated at your request, a final bill will be provided to you. Any positive credit balance will be refunded to you. You will be responsible for any amount owed by the due date specified on the final bill.
3. Billing and Payments
3.1 No monthly statements will be mailed. Account balances may be checked on SmartHub.
3.2 All notices, account balance reminders and all other communications related to the Advance Pay Billing Plan will be delivered electronically by text and/or email to your contact information as provided on SmartHub.
3.3 Electric usage as well as prorated demand and fixed charges (e.g. basic service charge, security light charges, etc.) will be billed and posted against your Advance Pay Billing Plan account daily. Fixed charges are billable even if your electric service is interrupted.
3.4 Miscellaneous charges (e.g. Non-Sufficient Funds Fees) will be posted immediately and charged in full against the account balance.
3.5 You agree to make payments into your Advance Pay Billing Plan account as needed to maintain a positive account balance at all times. Such payments must be in a minimum amount of $15.00 and may be made at any time by phone, online, using the SmartHub app, and/or through such other third party payment systems as may be made available by CORE from time to time.
3.6 If a balance transfer occurred at the time of enrollment, 50% of payments you make toward your Advance Pay Billing Plan account will be applied to any outstanding balance on your account until it is paid off. The remaining 50% of such payments will be credited to your Advance Pay Billing Plan account balance.
3.7 Any non-sufficient funds check or returned credit/debit card payments and associated fees will be applied to your account immediately and may result in the disconnection of your service.
4. Disconnection/Reconnection
4.1 Disconnection of your service at any time for more than a 7-day period will automatically terminate your enrollment in the Advance Pay Billing Plan. A new Connection Fee or Reconnection Fee (as specified in the Rates and Regulations) will be required to resume any service at the same location.
4.2 If your account is already disconnected for non-payment at the time you elect to participate in the Advance Pay Billing Plan, a minimum payment of $50.00 will be required for reconnection. Fifty percent (50%) of such amount will be applied to the outstanding balance due on your account and the remaining fifty percent (50%) will be credited to your Advance Pay Billing Plan account balance.
4.3 Medical conditions and/or other extenuating circumstances that have not been communicated in writing to CORE prior to disconnection will not postpone disconnection.
4.4 If your Advance Pay Billing Plan account is terminated because the balance reaches $0.00 or less, a minimum positive balance of $25.00 will be required before restoring your electric service and reactivating your Advance Pay Billing Plan.
4.5 You hereby authorize the automatic remote reconnection of electric service to your premises after the required payment has been made following any disconnection. You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for turning off all electrical appliances (such as ovens or stove burners) prior to making a payment and being automatically reconnected. Automatic reconnection will occur as soon as practicable after receipt of the required payment, and CORE strongly recommends that someone be at the premises when any payment is made that could result in automatic remote reconnection to ensure that there are no hazards present when electric service is automatically restored.
YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS CORE FROM ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ARISING FROM ANY AUTOMATIC RECONNECTION OF ELECTRIC SERVICE TO YOUR PREMISES OR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ADVANCE PAY BILLING PLAN.
5. Miscellaneous
5.1 Any unauthorized tampering with CORE’s equipment or facilities will result in one or more of the following:
• Immediate removal from the Advance Pay Billing Plan
• Disconnection of electric service
• Additional fees charged to the account
• Possible legal action
5.2 You understand that the terms and conditions set forth in CORE’s Rates and Regulations continue to apply in addition to the terms and conditions of this Agreement; provided, however, that in the event that the terms in the Rates and Regulations and this Advance Pay Billing Plan do not match, the terms set forth in this Advance Pay Billing Plan will control for so long as you are participating in the Advance Pay Billing Plan.
5.3 CORE reserves the right to modify the terms of this Advance Pay Billing Plan and/or terminate your participation in the Advance Pay Billing Plan at any time, with or without cause, and without any requirement for prior notice to your, or your consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing CORE will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any such termination or any material modifications to the Advance Pay Billing Plan.
5.4 You agree to the use of electronic signatures for this Agreement and understand that your electronic signature has the same effect as a hard copy wet ink signature. You further agree and consent to receive, any notifications or other information or documentation regarding this Agreement, your participation in the Advance Pay Billing Plan, and/or your account by electronic means, including email and/or text message to your contact information as provided in SmartHub. You represent to CORE that your contact information in SmartHub is correct as of the date of your execution of this Agreement and agree to promptly update such information as needed to ensure it is accurate at all times so that you can receive notices and other communications electronically. This consent does not apply to any notice of the discontinuance of electric service for nonpayment, which will be mailed to you as required by CORE’s Rates and Regulations.
