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News & Information

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Contact Us

Send an Inquiry

Use the form below to contact us directly. You can also email customer service or call (907) 442-3491.

Suggestions

We welcome your suggestions!

Unlike many businesses, Kotzebue Electric Association is actually owned by our consumer-members. And since owners like to give some input as to how their business is run, we thought we'd make it easy for you.

Please take a couple of minutes to give us your thoughts on any subject about KEA: service, rates, billing system, the color of our trucks. If it's important to you, it's important to us.

We've even provided several easy ways for you to contact us. You can even use any old piece of paper you have laying around. However you do it, we want to hear from you.

E-mail

Contacting us is just a click away. You can also visit our Contact page to send suggestion(s).

Call Us

We're just a phone call away. Dial 442-3491.

Mailing Address and Contact Numbers

You can mail or fax suggestion forms to:

Kotzebue Electric Association, Inc.
PO Box 44
Kotzebue, Alaska, 99752
(907) 561-1818
(907) 442-2482

Your Bill Explained

The electric bill – it comes once a month. Most of us glance at the balance due, and make plans to pay that amount.

But the electric bill is more than just the amount owed. The bill is full of information that can be useful in helping you better understand your electric usage. The information on the bill can also help consumers gain a better understanding of charges and credits that affect how much Kotzebue Electric Association must charge for your electric service.

The information below will help you better understand how you are charged for electric service. We hope you find this information useful.

Click on any section of the bill below to jump down to an explanation.

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Account Number

Each member has a unique account number, which is printed here. The top third of your bill is meant to be torn off and returned to KEA with your payment. The remaining section of the bill is for you to keep for your records.

Due Date

This is the date your payment is due at KEA. Please make sure your payment is received at our office by this date. If you are mailing your payment, allow several days for the bill to reach us.

Total Amount Due

This reflects the amount you owe KEA for your electric service. The amount shown here inclues your current amount due, plus any outstanding balances or late payments. If you paid your previous month's bill late, it may be reflected here if it arrived at KEA's office after the current month's bills were printed.

Amount of Payment Enclosed

This area is where you should enter the amount you are enclosing, and should reflect the Total Amount Due.

PCE Information

Without the state Power Cost Equalization program, electric rates in rural Alaska would be much higher than they already are. This section of your bill shows how much your would be paying if there were no contribution from the PCE program.

Member Phone Number

This is the current phone number KEA has on file. If this number is not correct, contact KEA and we will update your records.

Bill Date

This date shows the when your bill was processed. It is approximately a month before your current bill payment is due.

Date of Last Payment

Date your last payment was received by KEA.

Service Dates

These are the dates for which you are being billed for your electric service.

Days in Cycle

Each billing cycle will have approximately 30 days in it. This will vary month to month.

Customer Name and Service Address

Your name and the address where you have electric service.

Meter Serial Number

Each electric meter has a unique number, which enables KEA to bill appropriately.

Rate Code

A code used by the KEA office to describe different types of consumers.

Revenue Class

Another consumer description. 'R' stands for residential; 'L' stands for large commercial; etc.

Phase

This is a description that is no longer used.

Billing Description

This section includes different costs and credits that can change the amount of your bill:

• Beginning Balance:
  This reflects the balance of your account prior to the current month's charges. If your account is up-to-date, the amount will be zero. If you are behind on your payments, or your last payment was late, those amounts will be shown here.
• Electric Service Costs:
  This is your total current charge for electric usage, before any credits or additional charges are applied. This charge is your total kWh usage multiplied by the current electric rate.
• Fuel Cost Rate ADJ:
  Either a credit or a charge, based on the fluctuation of the price of diesel fuel KEA uses for its generators since the last rate charge.
• City Sales Tax:
  Electricity is taxed under the City of Kotzebue's sales tax.
• Misc. Charges:
  Charges for any services or sales other than basic electric service.
• Power Cost Equalization:
  Power Cost Equalization is a state-run program that subsidizes the cost of electricity in rural areas. Each month, consumers receive a credit based on the number of kilowatt hours they use. The amount your bill would be without PCE is shown in a different area of your bill.

Previous and Current Readings

These two areas show the reading on your meter at the beginning and the end of this bill's cycle. Subtracting the former from the later gives KEA the amount of electricity you used during the month.

Multiplier

Only used for large commercial users and specialty metering.

kWh Used

This is the amount of electricity — measured in kilowatt hours — that you have used in the past month. This total is the present month minus the previous month.

Usage Comparisons

This section offers more detailed information on your kWh usage, including a breakdown of cost and average kWh usage per day. The "Last Month's Bill" and "Current Month Last Year" sections allow you to compare your current usage to the previous month and the same month a year ago.

Ending Balance

This reflects the amount you owe KEA for your electric service, and is the same amount as the "Total Amount Due" at the top of your bill. The amount shown here inclues your current amount due, plus any outstanding balances or late payments. If you paid your previous month's bill late, it may be reflected here if it arrived at KEA's office after the current month's bills were printed.

Account Status

If you are not current on your payments, this section shows what you owe from previous months. Accounts overdue 30 days or more must be paid in order to remain in good credit standing.

Current Information

Look to this area for current information, which will change from month to month.

PCE Information

The information in this box helps to explain the Power Cost Equalization credit.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why did I receive two bills this month?

When the member moves from one location to another, the location for which that member is billed changes, as well. The member will be responsible for the electricity used at the previous location up to the point when he or she disconnected service and changed to the new location. This means that a final bill will be generated for the old location, and a bill will be generated for the new location from the point at which the member moved in and became responsible for the bill. In other words, each is a partial bill for each location.

2. Why is my bill so expensive this month?

There are many reasons why your bill could fluctuate either up and down. Most commonly, however, we hear from our members when their bills unexpectedly go up. A few of the first possibilities to consider are:

• Have there been extra people in the household that could be using more electricity?
• Do you have old appliances that may be going bad, such as an old hot water heater?
• Have you added an appliance that may draw a lot of power, such as an electric heater or a headbolt plug-in?

There are many possibilities, and members are encouraged to contact KEA if they need assistance tracking down any potential problems.

3. Why do I have to come to KEA's office and sign paperwork in order to transfer, disconnect or sign up for electricity?

In order to avoid misunderstandings about exactly what a member wishes to have done, it is important members come into the office personally to make job requests. This way, KEA has a copy of the request with a signature, and any applicable fees can be collected. We understand that time is valuable for both the member and for our linemen, so we want to minimize the risk of any wasted time.

4. I moved out of that house a month ago. Why am I responsible for the bill?

When a member is preparing to move out of a location where they are responsible for the electric service, the member must contact KEA in advance and schedule a date to disconnect the electric service at that location. KEA has no way of knowing when a member is moving unless they call or stop by to tell us. And until a member formally signs out with KEA, they remain responsible for the electric bill.

5. I have two accounts with KEA. Why do I only get Power Cost Equalization (PCE) on one of my accounts?

PCE is a welcome break on our electric bills. For many of us, it cuts our monthly electric bill by a third. But PCE is limited, and possibly a disappearing resource. For this reason, the state has limited the PCE credit to one account per member.

6. Why do I have to pay a membership and meter deposit?

KEA is a member-owned, nonprofit cooperative. According to our byelaws, every potential member is required to pay a membership fee in order to become a member of the cooperative. This is refundable to the member upon cancellation. Paying the fee and being accepted through the Board of Directors entitles the member to the rights and privileges associated with cooperative membership. This includes the eventual paying of patronage capital, which is a return of the earnings made by KEA above its expenses.

A meter deposit is a standard requirement to provide a small safeguard against those who do not pay for their electric bill. When a member does not pay their bill, it is all the other members of the cooperative who must ultimately cover that debt. The meter deposit is not intended to be used for the final bill. It is a way to ensure that the final bill gets paid. When a member's final bill is paid, then the meter deposit will be refunded.

7. Why do I have to pay a reconnect fee after my electricity is turned off for nonpayment?

By the time a member's electricity is turned off for nonpayment, their account has been delinquent for more than 90 days. Out of fairness to other members, a fee is charged to the delinquent member to cover the cost of sending the lineman out to disconnect and then reconnect when the member has paid the bill.

Photo Gallery

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Renewable Energy

Project Sponsors

Kotzebue's Wind Energy Project is made possible in part via sponsorships from the following organizations:

• Alaska Division of Energy
• U.S. Dept. of Energy: Sustainable Technology Energy Partnership
• U.S. Dept. of Energy: Turbine Verification Program
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Alaska Science and Technology Foundation
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association: Cooperative Research Network

In the Community

Community Profiles & Stories

Diary Of A Fishing Season

Kotzebue resident and Ruralite writer Seth Kantner spent the summer of 2003 fishing the waters of Kotzebue Sound, a lone commercial buyer in a fishery that hasnÂ’t seen much action recently. He shares a few of his experiences and thoughts here.

Muskox: Creatures From The Ice Age

Looking from the electric lit Front Street of Kotzebue, amid the swing of roving Honda headlights and the growl of snowmobiles, across the sea ice, low hills are visible. They serrate the northern horizon, rising to Mount Noak then tapering away....

Community Web Links

The City of Kotzebue maintains a great page of local links. Be sure to check it out.

Membership Forms

• Membership Application
• Membership Cancellation

Membership Information

A person, firm, association, corporation or political body may be granted membership* in the Cooperative, providing the following conditions are met:

1. A signed and completed written application for membership is filed. You can pick up a form from KEA's office, or print out a form online (see information to the right).
2. The member agrees to purchase electric power from the Cooperative at approved tariff rates.
3. Agrees to comply with and be bound by the Articles of Incorporation and bylaws of KEA and with the rules and regulations adopted by the Board.
4. Paid the membership fee of $5.00.
5. Been formally accepted as a Member by Resolution of the Board of Directors.

The Cooperative's bylaws require each consumer to become a member of the Cooperative. Lifetime membership costs $5.00, and is refundable when the Member no longer desires KEA electricity.

Your Cooperative will issue a certificate of membership to each person, firm, association, corporation or political body, provided all the requirements are met, and formal acceptance has been granted the application by the Board of Directors. Your membership certificate is evidence of your rights and responsibilities as a member, and should be kept in a safe place.

A husband and wife may hold a joint membership in the Cooperative. Joint membership gives either party the right to vote, but not both. Either the husband or the wife can be elected to serve as a Board Members, provided that both meet the requirements for holding such offices as set forth by the Cooperative's bylaws.

Fees and Charges

Membership Fee	5.00
Meter Deposits:
- Residential (minimum)*	95.00
- Commercial (minimum)*	95.00
- Large Power (minimum)*	95.00
Minimum Late Charge **	10.00
Delinquent/Service Limiter or Disconnect Notification Fee	5.00
Delinquent/Service Limiter or Disconnect Fee	50.00
Reconnection of Service for Delinquent Accounts during regular business hours	N/A
Reconnection of Service for Delinquent Accounts outside of regular business hours	100.00
Meter Testing charge (at member's request)***	25.00
Non-sufficient funds (NSF) check fee	25.00
Unauthorized Breakage of Meter Seal	50.00
Service Limiter, or disconnect (first installation included)	25.00
Removing Service Limiter or disconnect at Member's request	25.00

* Maximum deposit for all classes: Two times highest monthly billing.

** Late charge is 1 percent of unpaid balance as of the close of business on the last working day of the month. Late charges are not assessed on: a) balances under $20.00; or b) inactive (disconnected) accounts.

*** Refundable if meter is not within (+/-) 2 percent tolerance.

Consumer Support

Membership Information

Learn the requirements for becoming a member of Kotzebue Electric Association.

Membership Forms

View and/or print our membership application & cancellation forms.

Electrical Service Requirements Booklet

This booklet explains installation requirements for single and multi-residential, commercial and industrial customers. (Adobe PDF document / 650kb / 24 pages).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We've assembled a collection of the questions we hear most often from our members.

Your Bill Explained

The electric bill – it comes once a month. Most of us glance at the balance due at the bottom left, and make plans to pay that amount. Take a look here to see what all that information on your bill means.

Suggestions

We'd like to hear from you. Check out our collection of ways you can contact us with your view and ideas.

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