If you struggle like many of us to pay the electric bill, you may qualify for help! Your Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative doesn’t have to be a burden! Learn more about programs available to help you pay your bill!
Need Helping Paying Your Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative? We Found It!
If your bill is due now and you just can’t pay it, you may qualify for a delayed payment arrangement. Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative offers this to people who may not be able to meet all their payment obligations. You can apply for the program through your AVEC online account or over the phone.
Arkansas residents who cannot pay their bill may qualify for LIHEAP. The benefit gives money to residents who are low-income and cannot pay their electric bill. You must qualify through the local community action program. Emergency assistance is available.
If you’re in Oklahoma, you may be able to get LIHEAP. The program is for the colder months and applies a credit directly to your AVEC bill. The program may also help those who are in emergency situations or at risk of having their electric shut off.
Avoid Shut Off With These Resources!
Arkansas customers may get help from ARVAC. They provide a one-time payment to your AVEC bill to help you get caught up or avoid shut off. The payment generally does not cover an entire bill. You will only be able to use it one time.
The community development council for Crawford and Sebastian counties in Arkansas also helps people who may be struggling to pay their bills. You must provide proof of income and proof of need with your shut off notice. The council doesn’t always have funds available, but you may qualify for a one-time payment on your AVEC bill.
If you’re in Oklahoma, you may be able to get help from the Salvation Army. They provide one-time payments to people with shut off notices. You can only qualify for the payment once per year. They provide up to $200 and give you a voucher to put on your electric bill.
AVEC’s payment extensions help customers who are close to having their electric shut off. If you have already passed the point of qualifying for a delayed payment extension, you may still apply for a payment assistance extension. You must already have a shut-off notice and you must pay a small amount on the count to even qualify for this extension.
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Offers Payment Options
Customers who are low-income could qualify for tax exemption on their AVEC bill. The states work together to help low-income families and individuals save some money on their bills by eliminating the need to pay tax. You must apply for the tax exempt program through AVEC.
If you regularly struggle with your electric bill because of a disability or other social security-type payment, you may qualify for an extended due date for the AVEC bill. The extended due date program allows veterans, those who are disabled or those who receive social security benefits to extend their due date each month until they get their check.
Prepaying power can help you. Those who prepay their power don’t have a bill, but are still required to pay for the power. The program works by allowing customers to pay upfront. When they’re getting close to using all the money they’ve paid in, AVEC will alert them it’s time to put more money in. This program can be helpful in that you don’t have a due date each month.
The levelized billing program helps you save money on your monthly bill. Levelized billing averages out your total usage throughout the year and divides it up into twelve months. The levelized billing program then requires you to pay the difference at the end of the 12-month period.
Upgrade Your Home and Save Energy for Free
AVECC’s HELP program gives you a chance to upgrade your home and make it more energy efficient. You can save money on your bills by using the HELP program. You can get a free energy audit that leads to home upgrades to help you save money. While you do have to pay for the upgrades, you can get a loan through AVECC. The monthly payment for the loan is then added to your electric bill The best part? There’s no credit check!
If you don’t have the extra money to add a loan to your electric bill, you may want to consider weatherization. The weatherization assistance programs may help you with free upgrades like increased insulation and draft blockers. Some people even qualify for new heating and cooling systems with weatherization assistance.
Oklahoma customers: click here for weatherization assistance!
Arkansas customers: click here for weatherization assistance!
Other Cool Stuff from Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative
Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative gives back to customers in the form of capital credits. Since you’re part of a co-op, you may reap some of the benefits that come from being in the cooperative. The capital credits are a result of any energy you were allocated but didn’t use during the year. They’re like a refund. You can use them to cash out or you can have them applied directly to your bill to help pay it.
The Washington Youth tour is something most cooperatives participate in. AVEC uses the tour to give students in eleventh grade the chance to visit the nation’s capital. Those who are selected for the tour will have all their expenses paid by AVEC. They’ll also receive some spending money for visiting Washington. AVEC chooses students based on need and merit.
Throughout the year, AVEC hosts community events. Many of these are free and include things your whole family can enjoy!
