As a member-owner of MTE, you can now become an expert on your energy usage. Not only can your bill report how much energy you use each day, but it can tell you the daily cost, how outside temperature affects your home's energy usage and how your current energy consumption compares to the year before. Your energy bill also includes customized messages specifically for you about your usage, monthly energy tips, and special savings opportunities.
Bill Term Glossary
The date your payment can be received (by 5:00 p.m.) before you would incur a late fee. It is always 17 days from your Invoice Date. If the 17th day falls on a weekend or holiday, your due date is automatically the next business day.
The amount you owe your electric cooperative.
The time period from previous meter reading to most recent meter reading, usually about 30 days.
The day your bill was printed and mailed. Your due date will be 17 days after this date.
The amount due from your previous bill.
The amount your cooperative received from you (as of the time the bill is printed) for last month’s bill.
Equals Previous Balance minus Payment Received.
Includes monthly Customer Charge, energy consumption charges for the current month and program charges for SharingChange, SharingChange+ and Green Power Switch
Typically credits you might be receiving.
Loan charges, meter set fees, etc.
Monthly information from the cooperative to members. Be sure to take a look every month!
A snapshot of your energy consumption over the last 13 months.
Describes the rate classification for a particular meter. Most members fall in the residential rate classification. See the Residential or Business sections of this website for more rate information.
Total of kilowatt-hours consumed during the month. A kilowatt-hour is equal to 1,000 watts of power used for one hour, or the equivalent of ten 100-watt light bulbs used for one hour.
While basic charges for power usage largely go straight to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to pay for electricity, the Basic Charge helps offset costs incurred by the cooperative itself. Day-to-day, unavoidable fixed costs such as those associated with meter reading (including equipment, employee and vehicle costs), bill rendering (including purchase, operation and maintenance of billing computer systems), bill delivery (bill printing and mailing) and the distribution electrical grid facilities are offset with the Basic Service Charge. MTE has always collected a Basic Service Charge, as do all other electric utilities.
This charge is measured in kilowatt-hours and represents the amount of energy consumed for the given billing period. MTE now includes TVA’s Fuel Cost Adjustment (FCA) in the consumption charge. FCA is a mechanism to help TVA deal with volatile fuel costs and can be adjusted up or down monthly depending on global shifts in fuel costs, such as coal and natural gas used in the production of electricity. A member’s consumption is impacted by weather, appliance use and the overall energy efficiency of your home or business. MTE has a variety of programs available to assist members in reducing consumption if they are interested. Visit www.mtemc.com for more information or contact us at 877-777-9020.
Member bills are rounded up to the next whole dollar amount and the change is set aside to benefit community causes.
The amount you should pay if you are paying after your due date. it includes a late fee.
MTE must abide by certain regulations governing utility practices, including enforcing timely bill payment on the part of its members. MTE's members are responsible to the cooperative and the rest of its members to do their part in paying bills on time.
Detach this portion of the bill to return with payment. Be certain the MTE address shows in the window.