Eligibility
Any natural person, firm, association, corporation, business trust, partnership, federal agency, state or political subdivision or agency, or any body politic is eligible to become a member and receive electric service from Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, Inc. No person can hold more than one membership in the Cooperative; and no membership is transferable.
Application for Membership
Applicant shall sign written Application for Membership agreeing to purchase electric power from the Cooperative, be bound by and comply with the Cooperative’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, all rules, regulations, rate classifications and rate schedules as established and as may be adopted, repealed or amended from time to time.
Member Deposits, Fees & Contributions
The membership application shall be accompanied by any service security deposit, service connection deposit or fee, facilities extension deposit, or contribution in aid of construction or executed supplemental contract as may be required by the Cooperative.
Joint Membership
A husband and wife, by jointly executing a membership application may be accepted into joint membership or, if one of them is already a member, may upon written request, automatically convert such membership into a joint membership. Unless otherwise clearly distinguished, all provisions relating to the rights, powers, terms, conditions, obligations, responsibilities and liabilities of membership apply equally, severally and jointly to them.
Acceptance into Membership
Upon complying with membership requirements any applicant automatically becomes a member on the date of connection for electric service. The Cooperative may reject or deny an application and refuse to furnish or continue service if it determines or discovers the applicant is not willing or able to satisfy and abide by the Cooperative’s terms and conditions of membership or is in violation of one or more of the Cooperative’s service rules and regulations.
Purchase of Electric Power
The Cooperative uses reasonable diligence to furnish its members with adequate and dependable electric service. It cannot and does not guarantee a continuous and uninterrupted supply thereof. Each member shall purchase from the Cooperative all electric power for use on all premises to which electric service has been furnished by the Cooperative, except to the extent as may be waived by the Board.
Power Production by Member
Production or use of electric energy by means of facilities interconnected with Cooperative facilities is subject to the appropriate regulations as fixed by the Cooperative.
Application of Payments to All Accounts
Each member shall pay all other amounts owed to the Cooperative as and when they become due and payable. When the member has more than one service connection from the Cooperative, any payment for service shall be allocated and credited on a pro rata basis to the member’s outstanding accounts for all such service connections.
Excess Payments Credited as Member-Furnished Capital
All amounts paid for electric service in excess of the cost shall be furnished by members as capital, and each member shall be credited with the capital as provided in the Cooperative Bylaws.
Wiring of Premises
Each member shall comply and remain in compliance with the specifications of the current edition of the National Electric Code, of any applicable state code or local government ordinances, and of the Cooperative for all premises receiving electric service pursuant to membership. If the specifications vary, the more exacting standards apply.
Each member is responsible for premises and all wiring and apparatuses connected or used thereon; and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Cooperative and its employees or contractors against any type of loss resulting from any defect, improper use or maintenance thereof.
Each member shall make available to the Cooperative a suitable site, as determined by the Cooperative, to place the Cooperative’s physical facilities for the furnishing and metering of electric service and shall permit access for meter reading and bill collecting and for connection, inspection, maintenance, replacement, relocation, repair, disconnection or reconnection of such facilities at all reasonable times.
Responsibility for Meter Tampering, Bypassing or Damage to Cooperative Properties; Indemnification
Each member shall abstain from interfering with, impairing the operation or causing damage to electric facilities, and use his/her best efforts to prevent others from so doing.
Each member shall at his/her own expense also provide protective devices as the Cooperative may from time to time require in order to protect the Cooperative’s physical facilities and their operation, to prevent any interference or damage to them. If such facilities are interfered with, impaired in their operation or damaged by the member, the member shall hold harmless and indemnify the Cooperative and its employees or contractors against any type of loss or damage resulting therefrom. The Cooperative shall, however, in accordance with its applicable service rules and regulations, indemnify the member for any overcharges for service that may result from a malfunctioning of its metering equipment or any error occurring in the Cooperative’s billing procedures.
Extent of Cooperative Responsibility
In no event shall the responsibility of the Cooperative for furnishing electric service extend beyond the point of delivery.
Member to Grant Easements to Cooperative
Each member shall execute and deliver to the Cooperative grants of easement or right of way as the Cooperative may require for the furnishing of electric service or for the construction, operation, maintenance or relocation of the Cooperative’s electric facilities.
Participate in Required Cooperative Programs
Each member shall participate in any required program and comply with related rates and service rules and regulations that may be established by the Cooperative to enhance load management, to more efficiently utilize or conserve electric energy or to conduct electric load research.