Lake Country Power’s rules and procedures that govern service disconnection

  • For repairs or emergency operations

  • For a hazard to life and property

  • For noncompliance with the National Electric Safety Code, the State Electrical Safety Code, or regulations of the Minnesota State Board of Electricity

  • By order or request of any governmental authority including local fire departments

  • For failure to pay a utility bill for current or delinquent electrical service

  • For failure to pay utility deposit or sign membership application as required for obtaining service

  • For repeated, intentional, and known violations of the Articles of Incorporation, bylaws and rules and regulations of the cooperative

  • For failure to provide the cooperative reasonable access or easement to its equipment and property

  • For electrical theft, meter tampering, or misreading the meter

  • For obtaining electrical service under misrepresentation

  • For unapproved attachments to cooperative property

  • For refusal of access by cooperative employees to a non-accessible meter

  • For causing interference or other electrical disturbances on the Lake Country Power system

Energy assistance

Cold weather generally means higher electric bills. If you should find it impossible to stay current with your electric bill, please contact our office immediately. Please do not ignore your arrears and let them accumulate to a problem that cannot be solved.

If you need help paying your electric bill, you may contact us and we’ll provide a list of agencies that offer assistance with energy bills. Call us at 800-421-9959 (press #5) for a complete and current list.

If you’re moving

If you’re moving, please contact our office so we can keep our records updated. Whether you are a member of Lake Country Power for a short or long period of time, each time you pay your utility bill you accrue capital credits. When the co-op pays back capital credits, we need to know how to locate you so you can receive your money.

We will prepare your final bill and, if your new location is within our service territory, arrange for service at your new location. If you are moving away from our service area, we can prepare a credit reference for your new utility. We’d appreciate one or two working days’ notice to allow us to serve you in a timely and efficient manner.

Technician working on a meter

Members wishing to remove meter from the meter socket should be aware of our policy designed for safety and fees associated with unreported removal.

Meter Removal from Meter Socket

Non-cold weather disconnection

Information on each bill to every member includes a payment due date. After that date, the bill is considered past due, and service may be discontinued. We hope our relationship with you never reaches this point, but if you receive a disconnect notice, contact us immediately to set up a satisfactory payment arrangement.

Cold weather rule graphic with snowman

Cold weather disconnection

Special procedures in cold-weather months in Minnesota govern disconnection of residential electric service that affects primary heating sources. These rules are defined by the State of Minnesota, Statute 216B.097 Cold Weather Rule, and are in effect from October 1 through April 30 and are intended to minimize customer hardship during the heating season.

If you receive a disconnection notice during the cold-weather months, contact us immediately. Our consumer account representative will explain the MN State Cold Weather Rule with you, the member. We will work with you to set up a satisfactory payment arrangement and discuss the qualification guidelines for disconnection protection under the MN Cold Weather Rule.

cold_wx_broucure_link.PNG

Reconnection

A request for a reconnection of electric service may take several days to schedule with our field personnel. Contact Lake Country Power as soon as possible if you need to establish electric services to a property location. At that time our consumer account representative will discuss the membership or deposit requirements.

If your electric service has been disconnected for nonpayment, you will be required to pay your outstanding account balance, a disconnect and reconnect fee, and a deposit requirement of two (2) times the average usage. A deposit is held until 12 months of satisfactory payment history has been established. The deposit plus interest is then credited back to your electric bill after that time.