Section III – Use & Responsibility of Electric Service
A. Use of Electric & Power Conditioning
The electricity supplied by the Cooperative is for the exclusive use of the Member on the premises to which such energy is delivered by the Cooperative. Service shall not be shared with another, sold to another or transmitted off the premises unless approved by the Cooperative. If this restriction is violated, the Cooperative reserves the right to discontinue electric service without notice.
The Member’s electrical equipment shall be operated and controlled so as not to cause electrical disturbances on the Cooperative’s system or to be detrimental to the service furnished by other Members of the Cooperative.
The Cooperative reserves the right to require the Commercial or Industrial Member to install at the Member’s expense such power factor corrective equipment to achieve a minimum of 92.5% power factor; and to require any necessary equipment to prevent undue voltage fluctuations so that it is not necessary for the Cooperative to supply excess capacity and facilities. The Cooperative reserves the right to require the Member to install such controls that are necessary to prevent voltage or other disturbances on the Cooperative’s system that would be detrimental to service furnished to other Members.
Where the Member installs equipment/appliances with sensitive electronic components such as computer microprocessors and other devices containing programmable controllers, it is understood that the Cooperative cannot guarantee to provide the special voltage and power needs required by sensitive electronic equipment at all times. It shall be the responsibility of the Member to install, own, operate and maintain appropriate “power conditioning equipment” in order to protect such devices from damage due to power line noise, voltage fluctuations, power interruptions, spikes, transient surges, harmonic distortions or other types of power disturbances which may be construed
as being less than suitable to such sensitive electronic components.
B. Member Responsibility
The point at which service is delivered by the Cooperative to the Member, to be known as a “point of delivery,” shall be the point at which the Member’s facilities are connected to the Cooperative’s facilities. The Cooperative’s responsibility and liability terminates at the point where the Cooperative’s service drop conductors first contact Member’s building structure, mast pipe or other such service terminating structures or facilities.
All such terminating facilities shall be approved by the Cooperative but shall be owned, operated and maintained by the Member. If the meter base needs to be inspected or worked on, the Member needs to contact the office to set up a date and time so the service can be disconnected.
The Cooperative reserves the right, but shall not have the duty, to determine the suitability of apparatus or electrical facilities to be connected to its lines, to determine whether the operation of such shall be detrimental to its general supply of electricity, and further reserves the right to refuse to supply, or to discontinue the supply of electricity until such time as the Member shall conform to the Cooperative’s regulations. The Cooperative reserves the right to disconnect the service and remove its facilities, without notice, when it determines that the Member’s terminating structure or facilities are inadequate or present a safety concern to the member, personnel, the public, or the
electric system.
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ELECTRICAL DESIGN AND CODE COMPLIANCE
The Member shall use reasonable care in designing the electric wiring and circuits. The Member’s electric loads shall be connected to Member’s circuits so that the loads on the individual phases, legs and circuits of the Cooperative’s service conductors are properly balanced. The electrical facilities must conform to the latest edition of National Electric Code, that the County Inspection Agency has adopted. In no event shall the Cooperative be under any obligation to inspect the electrical facilities of the Member, but where the Cooperative has a reason to believe that the electrical facilities of the Member do not comply with recognized requirements, the Cooperative may refuse to supply electricity to the Member. -
LOAD CHANGES AND UNUSUAL EQUIPMENT
The Member shall be responsible for notifying the Cooperative of any plans for adding electrical facilities that might overload or impair the electrical service or the facilities of the Cooperative. The Cooperative will upgrade its facilities at no charge to the Member if, as determined by the Cooperative, the probable additional revenue is sufficient to justify the investment and operating expenses involved or a CIAC will be charged. The Member shall also notify the Cooperative of unusual electrical facilities to be added and obtain the consent of the Cooperative for the use thereof. -
EXCAVATION AND ONE-CALL REQUIREMENTS
By state law, before any excavation begins, Members or their Contractors are required to follow the State’s one-call procedure. Members/Contractors can familiarize themselves with the requirements of the procedure by contacting Ohio 811/OUPS at 1-800-362-2764 or the www.OUPS.org website.To simplify the “Call Before You Dig” calling process, Members/Contractors can call 8-1-1 to route their call to Ohio811/OUPS or enter a ticket on-line via the OUPS.org website. By law, excavators must contact OUPS at least 48 hours prior to excavation. Be aware that private member owned private lines will not be marked as a result of contacting 811. Members need to make arrangements to have their own facilities marked by a contractor of their choice.
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PROTECTION OF COOPERATIVE PROPERTY
The Member shall be responsible at all times for the safekeeping of all Cooperative property installed on the Member’s premises and to that end shall give no one, except authorized Cooperative employees, access to such property.The Member shall be liable for the cost of repairs or damage to the Cooperative’s property on the Member’s premises resulting from the negligence of, or misuse by the member or any party other than Cooperative employees. In the event of damage to the Cooperative’s property on the Member’s premises, the Cooperative may require a reasonable security deposit to insure payment for repairs in the event of future damage.
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CONSTRUCTION, OBSTRUCTIONS, AND CLEARANCES FROM COOPERATIVE FACILITIES
Members shall not construct, install, or permit the construction or installation of any building, structure, enclosure, fence, wall, deck, landscaping, or other improvement that encloses, obstructs, restricts access to, or otherwise interferes with Cooperative owned equipment, including but not limited to meters, meter bases, transformer cabinets, pedestals, switchgear, pad-mounted equipment, poles, guy wires, or underground facilities and wire. Cooperative equipment must remain fully accessible at all times for operation, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, and emergency response.Any enclosure or construction installed without the prior written approval of the Cooperative shall be subject to removal or modification at the Member’s sole expense. The Cooperative reserves the right to require the relocation of Cooperative facilities or the Member’s facilities, at the Member’s expense, if access is restricted or if the installation creates a safety concern. The Cooperative may disconnect service without notice if such construction or enclosure presents a hazard to Cooperative personnel, the Member, the public, or the electric system.
Members shall not install or construct buildings, structures, signs, flagpoles, light standards, antennas, aerials, or similar items under, over, or near the Cooperative’s electric lines in a manner that could cause them to contact, be raised into, or fall onto such lines. All installations must allow for safe maintenance of the lines in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and other applicable safety standards. The Member is responsible for ensuring that their structures do not interfere with or endanger Cooperative facilities.
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TAMPERING, ACCESS, AND RIGHT OF ENTRY
Members will be held responsible for tampering with, interfering with, or breaking of seals of meters, or other Cooperative equipment installed on the Member’s premises. The member hereby agrees that no one except the employees of the Cooperative shall be allowed to make any internal or external adjustments of any meter or any other piece of apparatus which is the property of the cooperative.The Cooperative shall have the right during regular working hours and in emergencies to enter the premises of the consumer for the purpose of installing, reading, removing, testing, replacing or otherwise disposing of the apparatus and property, and the right of entire removal of the cooperative’s property in the event of the termination of the contract for any cause. The Member will keep the area where the Cooperative’s apparatus and property are located free from obstruction, danger and/or safety hazards. The Cooperative maintains the right to request the relocation of the members’ service at the expense of the Member. The Cooperative’s agent will, upon request, show credentials and state the reasons for requiring access.
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LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The Cooperative shall not in any event be liable for loss injury or damage to any person or property whatsoever, resulting directly or indirectly from the Member’s use, misuse, equipment, or presence of the said electricity on the Member’s premises or elsewhere, after it passes the Cooperative’s metering equipment or other point of delivery; or for any loss or damage resulting from the presence, character or condition of the wires or electrical facilities of the Member. The Cooperative retains all responsibility only with respect to the actions of its employees in connection with property owned by the Cooperative. -
PROHIBITED ATTACHMENTS AND OBSTRUCTIONS
For safety reasons, nothing other than Cooperative owned equipment whether temporary or permanent may be attached, leaned against or generally blocking access to Cooperative owned electric facilities at any time. Any member-owned property including, but not limited to, signs, basketball equipment, security lights, etc. found to be attached, leaned against or generally blocking access to Cooperative owned facilities, will be immediately removed by the Cooperative. This provision does not apply to meter poles owned by the Cooperative with member-owned service wires and meter bases attached. The Cooperative does not allow painting of Cooperative owned equipment by the Member. -
SWIMMING POOLS AND WATER FEATURES
The Cooperative does not allow placing a swimming pool, spa, hot tub, or associated equipment under or within the minimum clearance distances specified by applicable electrical codes from existing overhead or underground electrical conductors. Overhead and underground conductors, including service drops, must meet minimum clearance requirements of the current edition of the NEC and any additional clearances required by the NESC or local building codes. -
WORK NEAR COOPERATIVE FACILITIES
Members or contractors must provide reasonable advance notice to the Cooperative before performing any work in close proximity to the Cooperative’s electric facilities where such work could present a safety hazard or result in noncompliance with applicable federal, state, or industry safety regulations, including but not limited to OSHA or the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC).Upon request, and at the Cooperative’s discretion, the Cooperative may arrange to cover, de-energize, relocate, or otherwise protect its facilities within the work area as deemed necessary to maintain safety and regulatory compliance.
The Cooperative may charge the notifying Member or contractor for all costs incurred in connection with such protective measures, including labor, equipment, materials, and administrative expenses.
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MEMBER-OWNED EQUIPMENT ISSUES
If an outage call is requested and the issue is determined to be caused by wiring, equipment, breakers, or other conditions on the member’s side of the meter, a service charge may be assessed in accordance with the Cooperative’s current Schedule of Fees and Charges.Before requesting service, members are encouraged to check interior breakers, fuses, and other privately owned equipment.
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CONSTRUCTION CREW TRIP CHARGE
When a Member requests a service installation and confirms that the site is ready for the Cooperative to perform the work, but a construction crew is dispatched and is unable to proceed because the site is not ready, inaccessible, unsafe, or otherwise not prepared in accordance with Cooperative requirements, the Member may be assessed a Construction Crew Trip Charge.Conditions that may result in this charge include, but are not limited to:
• Member facilities or equipment are incomplete or not compliant with Cooperative standards.
• Required conduit, meter bases, or other Member-installed equipment are not installed or are improperly installed.
• Access to the service location is restricted, including locked gates or blocked work areas.
• The service location is not clearly identified or marked.
• The work site is unsafe for crew access or operation.This Charge is intended to recover costs associated with mobilizing personnel, vehicles, and equipment. The applicable charge will be assessed in accordance with the Cooperative’s Schedule of Fees and Charges in effect at the time of the trip.
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AFTER-HOURS NON-EMERGENCY CALL-OUT
When a Member requests service outside the Cooperative’s normal business hours for a matter that is determined to be non-emergency in nature, and the Cooperative dispatches personnel to respond, the Member may be assessed an After-Hours Non-Emergency Call-Out charge.Non-emergency situations include, but are not limited to, service disconnects and reconnects, requests that do not involve an immediate threat to public safety, damage to Cooperative facilities, or an active outage affecting electric service to multiple Members.
This charge is intended to recover the additional costs associated with overtime labor, travel time, vehicle and equipment use, required to respond outside of normal working hours. The applicable fee shall be assessed in accordance with the Cooperative’s Schedule of Fees and Charges in effect at the time of service.
C. Meter Accuracy
The Cooperative will maintain an accuracy of its meters of plus or minus two percent in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code. The Cooperative, by employees or its agents, may visit the service and visually read the meter as deemed necessary by the Cooperative.
If a meter fails to register correctly, the meter will be replaced with a calibrated meter. Each new meter is tested and calibrated to plus or minus two percent accuracy before being placed in service at a given location. The arithmetic average of light load and full load tests will be used to determine overall accuracy of the meter.
Upon request by a Member, the Cooperative shall test the meter provided that such tests are not made more frequently than once in 24 months. If tests of meters are required by the Member to be made more frequently than once in 24 months, the Cooperative shall require a meter test fee. The fee will be refunded if the meter tests faster than 102 percent or slower than 98 percent.
If the meter is found to be in error greater than two percent, an adjustment will be made on the Member’s electric bill per section VI – Billing and Payment for Service. In the event the metering equipment installed by the Cooperative fails to properly register the energy during any period, the consumption for such period will be estimated upon all known facts and billed accordingly, or at the option of the Cooperative, shall be estimated from the amount of energy used during a period in which the Member operated under conditions similar to those existing during the period in which the metering equipment failed to properly register energy consumed.
D. Estimated Bills
On occasion, the Cooperative will have a need to estimate member bills. Estimates for a service will be based on past use or the most appropriate use information available to the Cooperative.
E. Idle Services
Any service that has been disconnected for a period longer than one year will be classified as abandoned and is considered an Idle Service. The Cooperative will attempt to contact the property owner to determine the future need for electric service when services have been disconnected and left idle. The Cooperative, at its discretion, may remove the idle electric facilities. If an idle service is removed and service is requested in the future at that location, the request will be treated as a new service. All costs associated with a new service installation will be calculated in accordance with the
line extension policy in effect at the time of the request. The Cooperative requires services that have been idle for more than 12 months to be inspected by the governmental authority prior to reconnect.
F. High Demand Equipment
If interested in using high demand electrical equipment such as Electric Vehicle Chargers, on demand electric water heaters or other such equipment, it is recommended to contact the Cooperative to understand the impact of these installations. At times, a contribution in aid of construction may be required.