If you receive your electricity from the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC), you’ve probably wondered how to save money your power bill. You’re in the right place!
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Check out these helpful payment programs!
Cumberland Electric will help you adjust your billing due date to help you make on-time payments easier. They can also help even out your seasonally high bills throughout the year through a helpful Budget Billing program.
If your income is at or below the federal poverty level, Cumberland Electric will allow you to change your due date to coincide with your pay day. This will help you avoid pesky late fees.
Budget Billing takes your annual usage and divides it into equal monthly payments. Although this technically doesn’t save you any money, it helps avoid seasonally high bills.
If your health or safety would be critically threatened by a service disconnection, notify Cumberland Electric immediately! You need to have your health care provider fill out a Medical Request Form for Medical Hardship. If your health is critically threatened by a disconnection, Cumberland Electric will give you an additional 96 hours (4 days) before disconnecting your service due to nonpayment.
Try Prepaid Electric Service to avoid deposits, late fees and more!
Cumberland Electric provides a prepaid option called Power Your Way. Using this program, you will pay your electricity before you use it instead of after. You will need to pay at least $100 to get started but you’ll avoid costly deposits and you’ll never have late fees. Cumberland Electric also offers debt repayment options for existing customers who convert to a prepaid account.
To be eligible, customers must not have medical hardship certifications, emergency energy assistance, heat pump loans, budget billing or automatic payments currently set up.
Prepaid customers can pay for electric service whenever they want as long as they keep the balance above $0. If the balance runs empty, your service will be disconnected. As long as your account is above $0, you can convert back to a postpaid electric service. However, you may be required to supply a deposit when you switch back to postpaid service.
Get a FREE Energy Savings Kit & a Home Depot Gift Card from UCEMC!
When you complete an eScore Home Energy Self-Audit, you’ll get a FREE energy savings kit and a $10 Home Depot gift card! The Self Audit is an easy tool designed to help you identify where your home uses the most energy. It will help you identify ways you can save money on your power bill – and Cumberland Electric will reward you for doing it!
After you complete the eScore Home Energy Self-Audit, you’ll receive:
- A FREE custom energy report that helps you identify how to save money on your electric bill.
- A FREE energy savings kit with money-saving tools, including outlet and light-switch gaskets that reduce drafts.
- A FREE $10 Home Depot gift card
Cumberland Electric also offers rebates when you install energy efficiency upgrades.
Need help paying your bill? We found help!
Project HELP is available for elderly, disabled and low income customers. The funds are gathered from other Cumberland Electric customers, who contribute $1 or more per month on their electric bill. This money is collected and sent to Helping Hands of Putnam County. Qualified customers can receive assistance once per year.
To qualify for Project Help, you must meet ONE of the following criteria:
- You must be age 60+.
- You must have a disability.
- You must have a dire economic need. Families with children are given priority.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that can help you pay your electric bill! You may receive up to $325 to assist with summer cooling and/or $250 to help with winter heating. These payments are made directly to the utility company.
You must meet certain income limits to qualify. Generally, if you participate in SNAP (EBT or Food Stamps), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or other needs-tested veterans benefits, you’re automatically eligible for LIHEAP.
To apply for Tennessee LIHEAP, you’ll need to click here and contact your nearest participating agency. These agencies are in charge of handling applications and disbursing the funds.
Tennessee Weatherization Assistance Program is another federally funded program that helps low income families, elderly people and disabled adults improve the energy-efficiency of their homes. Some of the services provided by this program include insulation, storm window installation, caulking and more!
To qualify, you must be meet certain income criteria. The income limits are more higher than those for LIHEAP. An individual can earn $23,760, a couple can earn $32,040 and a family of four can receive $48,600 and still be eligible for this program. For a complete income eligibility chart, please click here.
High school students need to know about this essay program!
Students who attend 11th grade at high schools in Cumberland Electric’s service area are given the chance to enter an essay contest each November. The winner is given the chance to participate in an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC in the following June! Winners are also awarded $1,000 upon graduation!
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.