ABOUT YOUR BILLING

HOW TO READ YOUR MISSISSIPPI COUNTY ELECTRIC BILL.

Your Mississippi County Electric bill should arrive at about the same time each month. The bill will clearly show your electric usage, measured in kilowatt-hours, as well as the total amount you owe. The Cooperative arrives at your usage by reading your electric meter once a month. If the meter reader cannot gain access to your meter or access is blocked, your usage will be estimated based on your usage a year ago. If you did not have usage a year ago, a revenue class average is used. If this is the case, your bill will have "ESTIMATED" in the box labeled Rate Schedule / Reference.

Click on one of the numbered dots below and an explanation of that part of your bill will pop-up in a window.
Click "OK' to close the window.

The "Availability" Charge

Mississippi County Electric Cooperative's availability charge represents your fixed monthly costs consisting of right-of-way, power line and other maintenance and operative costs, including property taxes and other expenses associated with service to a member's location. These costs occur regardless of the amount of energy purchased or sold. The Arkansas Public Service Commission generally requires that such "customer related costs" be identified and billed separately from the "energy-related" and "capacity costs".

Previously, "customer-related" costs were averaged in the kWh charge. During the 1970's energy shortage, utility companies were asked to restructure their consumer rates resulting in a change from "minimum bill" to "availability charge".

Without this fixed charge, the kWh rate would be higher for all energy and those using more kWh per month would be subsidizing those using less.

Availability charges among utilities may vary since there are different ideas on how to allocate fixed costs, but each has an availability or fixed charge.