How to Read Your Bill

Your Electric Bill:

  1. Account Number: Your account number is located in the upper left-hand corner of the bill detail. This unique number identifies the specific account set up under your membership for the meter being tracked by this bill. Many of our members have more than one meter (house, barn, shop, etc.) and therefore have more than one account number.

  2. Usage Chart: The usage chart is located in the upper right-hand corner of the statement. This chart reflects your kWh usage over the past 13 months. Most members use this chart to compare the current month's usage to a year ago.

  3. Meter Readings: These numbers are a record of your previous and present meter readings. Subtract the previous reading from the present reading and you will have the number of kWh used in the billing period.

  4. kWh: kWh stands for kilowatt hour. The basic unit for pricing electric energy is equal to one kilowatt of power supplied continuously for one hour (or the amount of electricity needed to light ten 100-watt light bulbs for one hour). This is the amount of electricity you have used when you subtract the previous meter reading from the present meter reading.

  5. Energy Charge: The monthly kWh charges and the monthly customer charge combined.

  6. Operation Round-Up: The amount of your electric bill is rounded up to the nearest dollar, allowing CHEC to establish a trust that allocates these available funds to help those less fortunate.

  7. PCA: The Power Cost Adjustment is an amount in $/kWh applied to your monthly kWh consumption to account for changes in the cost of wholesale power purchased from CHEC's power supplier that is above or below the power cost recovered in the base rates to the members.

  8. Amount Due: This number is the payment that is required by the due date.

  9. Substation: This information identifies the substation which transfers power from the transmission system to the distribution system line associated with your specific account.  

      10. Feeder Number:  This number identifies which "feeder line" transfers power from the substation along                          specific power lines associated with your specific account.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Below is a sample bill to assist you in understanding the billing format.

Electric bill diagram

Scammers are once again targeting the Cookson Hills Electric service area. This time, they are not only attempting to swindle money over the phone but are also making personal visits. There have been reports of individuals claiming to be Cookson Hills employees, contractors, or representatives visiting homes and asking to inspect the electric meters. These individuals assert that Cookson Hills Electric is replacing all meters with digital ones to accommodate solar power and that members would be charged $15 a month for the new meter.

We want to assure you that this information is NOT accurate, and these individuals are not affiliated with Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative or Cookson Hills Connect. Here are three simple tips to help you avoid being scammed:

Never give a copy of your bill, driver's license, or personal information such as your date of birth, social security number, or account number to anyone visiting your home, calling, texting, or emailing you. Only provide this information when you visit our office or initiate a call to us.

Watch out for warning signs, such as threats to disconnect your service or requests for payments using gift cards, wire transfers, or other unusual payment methods.

If someone arrives at your home, ask them to wait outside while you call Cookson Hills Electric at 800-328-2368 to verify their identity. If they contact you by phone, hang up and contact us to discuss your account. Don’t reply to an email or text without contacting us first.
You work hard for your money, and scammers try to trick you out of it. Cookson Hills Electric is here to help you avoid these scams. Remember, call us at 800-328-2368 or visit our office, and we will be happy to assist you by addressing any questions you may have. For further information on avoiding scams, visit the Utilities United Against Scams website at https://www.utilitiesunited.org/#ConsumerGuide.