Concordia Electric Cooperative, Inc. operates under the Seven Principles of Cooperatives:
• 1. Voluntary and Open Membership
• 2. Democratic Member Control
• 3. Members’ Economic Participation
• 4. Autonomy and Independence
• 5. Education, Training and Information
• 6. Cooperative Among Cooperatives
• 7. Concern For Community

Not only does the Co-op operate by these seven principles it also has to operate under the rules and regulations of parish ordinances and the Louisiana Public Service Commission. All of Concordia Electric’s policies dealing with consumer charges are on file with the LPSC. Below are some of the charges and explanations that deal with consumer service charges.


OBJECTIVE — Realizing that there is additional expense to this Cooperative for those Consumers who:

• have their service connected and disconnected
• move around from place to place
• are receiving service for the first time on the system; thereby creating the additional expense of having to install meters, remove meters, read meters for final billing of one Consumer and commence service for another Consumer, and establish and close out mailing records, billing accounts and files; therefore, these Consumers should pay service charge to help defray these expenses attributable only to these Consumers.

Normal Service Charge – A normal service charge shall be applicable to each Connect Order establishing a Consumer’s electric power and energy account as follows:

• 1. Single phase service $25.00; if overtime required $50.00
• 2. Three phase service $50.00; if overtime required $85.00
• * If security light is connected at same time of meter there is only one service charge. If additional trip is necessary there is a $25.00 service charge.

Consumer’s Problem Service Charge A service charge of twenty five dollars ($25.00) shall be charged for each service call made when it is determined that the cause for the call is in the Consumer’s equipment and is not the fault of the Cooperative’s lines, transformers, metering, or any other related items. The Consumer’s equipment is anything on the Consumer’s side of the point of delivery beyond meter.

Collection Fee In the event payment has not been received, or approved arrangements made by the disconnect date and employees of the Cooperative shall be sent to the Consumer’s service location for the purpose of collecting the applicable amount due, or disconnecting the service. A fifty dollar ($50.00) Non-payment Collection Charge shall be applied to the Consumer’s account for each trip made for the purpose of collecting and /or disconnecting the service. (To avoid this charge make sure your bill is paid prior to the date of non-payment and call in your payment information any time after the 20th. If you have not called with payment information and a serviceman comes to your location you will still be billed the service charge.)

Non-Payment Reconnect Fee To be reconnected within three (3) business days: The gross amount shown on the Disconnect Notice plus the Non-Payment Collection Charge plus the Normal Service Charge listed above. If reconnected after three (3) business days: The total amount due including the final bill plus the Non-Payment collection charge plus the normal service charge and an amount sufficient to bring their Meter Deposit Balance to a total as required by Board Policy Tariff No. C-10.

Returned Check Charge Consumer checks returned by banks for Insufficient Funds, Accounts Closed, or No Account, etc. shall cause such Consumer’s account to be charged Twenty Dollars ($20.00)

Stealing Electricity Louisiana Law – 14:67.6 – states that stealing electricity is a criminal offense and makes provisions for fines and/or imprisonment. Stealing electricity is stealing from all the honest Consumers. Therefore, those caught stealing electricity should be charged for this Cooperative’s losses and expenses, and, prosecuted to the maximum extent allowed by law.

In addition to paying cut seal fine, $50.00 for each seal cut and meter tampering fee, $50.00, there are other expenses that are billed to the location caught stealing electricity.

If you have questions about these or any other charges that you may be billed please contact our office for an explanation.

An estimated cost of 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) was used on the chart to show the average cost of selected electric appliances. Electricity usage is based on estimated totals compiled by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service and the Electrical Energy Association.

Did you know?

• 55% of your energy bill is heating and cooling
• 20% is from your water heater
• 20% is from your appliances
• 5% is from your lighting

Meter Deposits
Meter Deposits are based on your credit history with Concordia Electric Cooperative, Inc., if you are connecting a residential meter. If you are connecting a commercial meter it is also based on the prior usage at the location. You may call our office 318-339-7969 or 1-800-617-6282 (within 318 area code) for more information.