Billing Procedures

Bills are issued monthly and include local service for one month in advance, appropriate charges for long distance calls and any other charges incurred since the previous billing. The bills are mailed on the last day of the month for the next month’s service.

All bills are due by the close of business on or before the 22nd day of each month. Customers whose bills are not paid by the due date will receive a “Shut-Off Notice” stating the last day to pay before service will be suspended. Once suspended, the full delinquent amount, plus a reconnection charge, must be paid before service will be restored.

A residential customer may designate a third party to receive a copy of any “Shut-Off Notice.”

Suspension of service may be delayed when a “Certified Medical Emergency” exists or when a “Delayed Payment Agreement” has been entered into with the Company. These options are available through the local Business Office.

Residential customers may qualify for our “Extended Due Date Plan.” A due date may be changed to coincide with or follow the customer’s receipt of income. Customers who qualify under this policy and pay by the new date will not be considered late on their payment. The following customers may qualify for the plan:

1.  Persons receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD), or Supplemental Security Income.

2.  Also, persons whose primary source of income is Social Security of Veterans Administration disability or retirement benefits.

During periods of extended absence customers may elect to pay their bill in advance. The advance payment will be based on the customer’s average monthly bill for the most recent twelve months. Payments may also be made automatically by enrolling in the Company’s bank draft plan. The customer can arrange to have bills mailed to an alternate address or third party during the absence.

Contact our Business Office for further information regarding our “Extended Due Date Plan” or “Extended Absence Plan.”

Delayed Payments

If you are unable to pay a bill in full, the Company will not discontinue service if you qualify for a delayed payment agreement and:

1.  You pay a reasonable portion of your bill; and

2.  You agree in writing to pay the balance of your bill in reasonable installments; and

3.  You agree in writing to pay in full all future bills during the period of the agreement by due date.

YELCOT may not require more than ¼ of the overdue bill as the initial payment, and will allow equal installments for at least 3 months from the date of initial payment.

In arranging the installment payment agreement, the Company will consider the customer’s ability to pay, the size of the unpaid account, the customer’s payment history, and the length of time and reasons the account has not been paid. You must contact the Company by the close of business on the last day to pay printed on the “Shut-Off Notice” to arrange an agreement. The Company may charge interest on the unpaid account. The Arkansas Public Service Commission will set the interest rate annually.

If a utility bills a customer for an amount to correct a previous under billing, the customer is permitted to pay that amount pursuant to a delayed payment agreement that provides for repayment over a period equal to the period during which the under billing occurred. If the under billing is the fault of the utility or it is impossible to determine whether the previous under billing is the fault of the utility or the customer, the utility will not impose a finance charge on the delayed payment.