PETITION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SHELBY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
The Issue
As a single mother of three boys, being forced onto Shelby Electric Cooperative’s Pay-As-You-Go program has turned our basic household electricity into an unsustainable financial drain.
Two years ago, while keeping up with my established payment plan, Shelby Electric disconnected my power just one week before LIHEAP assistance opened. In that moment of vulnerability, I was told I 'owed too much' and was coerced onto Pay-As-You-Go under the threat of staying without power.
Since being forced onto this program, the financial strain has escalated:
Excessive Daily Rates: Instead of standard residential rates, I have been charged up to $30 a day just to keep the lights on adding up to an unsustainable $900 a month for a single-family home.
No Paper or Itemized Bills: Under Pay-As-You-Go, traditional monthly billing statements are completely eliminated. Without an itemized monthly bill breaking down actual kilowatt-hour usage versus administrative fees, fixed daily connection charges, or debt recovery deductions, it is impossible to verify what I am actually paying for.
We, the undersigned member-owners and residents served by Shelby Electric Cooperative, petition the Board of Directors to immediately reform current billing and disconnection policies to protect community health, safety, and financial well-being.
Statement of Concern
1. Financial Vulnerability of "Pay-By-Day": Prepaid electric billing disproportionately impacts low-to-moderate-income families and fixed-income seniors. Daily metering structures often feature higher hidden administrative friction, cause abrupt, automated power shutoffs without sufficient warning, and disconnect members during short-term financial emergencies.
2. Disconnection Disparities: Members subject to immediate or automated shutoffs are denied the essential consumer protections mandated for traditional utility accounts, including standard multi-day written notice, grace periods, and weather-related disconnection moratoriums.
Action Requested:
We respectfully request that the Board of Directors approve resolutions to:
1. End the "Pay-By-Day" Prepaid Program: Phase out the prepaid/pay-by-day metering option and transition all participating accounts back to traditional monthly billing without additional security deposit penalties or disconnection fees.
2. Adopt Standard Disconnection Notice Windows: Amend cooperative policy to guarantee at least 14 days' written notice before any disconnection for non-payment, including clear instructions on available payment arrangements and energy assistance options.
3. Enforce State-Aligned Weather & Health Protections: Adopt state utility regulatory standards regarding shutoffs, specifically:
Temperature Moratoriums: Prohibit disconnections on days when forecasted temperatures fall below freezing (32^\circ\text{F}) or exceed extreme heat thresholds (95^\circ\text{F}).
Medical Protections: Prohibit shutoffs for households with verified medical conditions requiring life-support or essential electrical medical equipment.
Weekend & Holiday Restrictions: Ensure shutoffs only occur during standard business operating hours, avoiding Fridays, weekends, or holidays.
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The Issue
As a single mother of three boys, being forced onto Shelby Electric Cooperative’s Pay-As-You-Go program has turned our basic household electricity into an unsustainable financial drain.
Two years ago, while keeping up with my established payment plan, Shelby Electric disconnected my power just one week before LIHEAP assistance opened. In that moment of vulnerability, I was told I 'owed too much' and was coerced onto Pay-As-You-Go under the threat of staying without power.
Since being forced onto this program, the financial strain has escalated:
Excessive Daily Rates: Instead of standard residential rates, I have been charged up to $30 a day just to keep the lights on adding up to an unsustainable $900 a month for a single-family home.
No Paper or Itemized Bills: Under Pay-As-You-Go, traditional monthly billing statements are completely eliminated. Without an itemized monthly bill breaking down actual kilowatt-hour usage versus administrative fees, fixed daily connection charges, or debt recovery deductions, it is impossible to verify what I am actually paying for.
We, the undersigned member-owners and residents served by Shelby Electric Cooperative, petition the Board of Directors to immediately reform current billing and disconnection policies to protect community health, safety, and financial well-being.
Statement of Concern
1. Financial Vulnerability of "Pay-By-Day": Prepaid electric billing disproportionately impacts low-to-moderate-income families and fixed-income seniors. Daily metering structures often feature higher hidden administrative friction, cause abrupt, automated power shutoffs without sufficient warning, and disconnect members during short-term financial emergencies.
2. Disconnection Disparities: Members subject to immediate or automated shutoffs are denied the essential consumer protections mandated for traditional utility accounts, including standard multi-day written notice, grace periods, and weather-related disconnection moratoriums.
Action Requested:
We respectfully request that the Board of Directors approve resolutions to:
1. End the "Pay-By-Day" Prepaid Program: Phase out the prepaid/pay-by-day metering option and transition all participating accounts back to traditional monthly billing without additional security deposit penalties or disconnection fees.
2. Adopt Standard Disconnection Notice Windows: Amend cooperative policy to guarantee at least 14 days' written notice before any disconnection for non-payment, including clear instructions on available payment arrangements and energy assistance options.
3. Enforce State-Aligned Weather & Health Protections: Adopt state utility regulatory standards regarding shutoffs, specifically:
Temperature Moratoriums: Prohibit disconnections on days when forecasted temperatures fall below freezing (32^\circ\text{F}) or exceed extreme heat thresholds (95^\circ\text{F}).
Medical Protections: Prohibit shutoffs for households with verified medical conditions requiring life-support or essential electrical medical equipment.
Weekend & Holiday Restrictions: Ensure shutoffs only occur during standard business operating hours, avoiding Fridays, weekends, or holidays.
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Petition created on October 4, 2026