Paying your monthly electric bill to Nueces Electric Cooperative (NEC) is easy with their various payment options. NEC offers several ways to pay your bill so you can choose the method that is most convenient for you In this article, I’ll go over the different payment options available and provide tips for paying your NEC bill on time each month.
Overview of Nueces Electric Cooperative
NEC is an electric cooperative that provides electricity to residential and business customers in several South Texas counties. As a cooperative, NEC is owned by its members and focuses on providing reliable electric service at competitive rates.
NEC offers various programs and services to benefit its members, including energy efficiency rebates, youth programs, scholarships, and bill payment assistance for qualifying low-income members.
Why Paying Your Bill On Time Matters
Paying your electric bill by the due date is important to avoid late fees and potential disconnection of service. It also helps maintain a positive payment history and your good standing as a cooperative member.
When you pay on time, NEC can continue providing exceptional service to all its members. The revenue from monthly electric bills covers the costs of maintaining the electric distribution system, purchasing power, and operating the co-op.
NEC Monthly Billing and Due Dates
NEC bills members monthly for electric service. Your billing date depends on where you live within their service area.
Bills are typically due within 16 days of the billing date printed on your statement. If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next business day to pay without incurring a late fee.
NEC offers a couple of billing and payment programs for account management flexibility, including:
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Level billing: Pay the average of your last 12 months of electric bills, avoiding seasonal spikes.
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Auto-draft payments: Your bill is paid automatically from your bank account or credit card each month.
5 Easy Ways to Pay Your NEC Bill
NEC offers several convenient payment options so members can choose how to pay in a way that fits their needs and preferences:
1. Pay Online
The easiest way to pay is through SmartHub, NEC’s online account management system. With SmartHub you can:
- View current and past billing statements
- Pay your bill with a bank account or credit card
- Set up recurring auto-payments
- Access your account from your computer or mobile device
You can pay one-time or setup recurring payments to be drafted automatically each month. Payments made through SmartHub are fast, secure, and convenient.
2. Pay by Phone
Call NEC at 1-855-632-7348 and select the billing and payments options. You can pay with a debit/credit card or checking account by phone for free.
3. Pay at a Fidelity Express Pay Station
NEC has partnered with Fidelity Express to add more authorized pay stations in their service area. Visit Fidelity’s bill pay website and enter NEC’s code 14224 to locate nearby payment locations. A small fee applies to payments made at retail pay stations.
4. Pay by Mail
Send a check or money order payable to NEC along with your payment stub to:
Nueces Electric Cooperative
PO Box 659832
San Antonio, TX 78265-9132
Allow 5-7 business days for mailed payments to post to your account. Include your NEC account number on the check or stub to ensure proper crediting.
5. Pay in Person
You can pay in person at the NEC office located at:
5017 Saratoga Blvd Unit 135
Corpus Christi, TX 78413
In-person payments should be made during regular business hours.
Tips for Paying Your NEC Bill On Time
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Enroll in paperless billing to receive bill notifications by email to help ensure on-time payment.
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Setup automatic payments through SmartHub so your bill gets paid on the due date every month.
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Mark your calendar with due dates to remember when to pay.
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Allow 5-7 business days for mailed payments to avoid late fees.
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Check account alerts through SmartHub so you are aware of past due bills or other important notifications.
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Contact NEC immediately if you anticipate difficulty paying on time so they can discuss bill payment assistance options.
Payment Assistance Programs
If you are experiencing financial hardship and difficulty paying your electric bill, NEC partners with several local organizations that may be able to provide bill payment assistance, including:
- Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- Local community action agencies
- Public Utility Commission of Texas (Lite-Up Texas program)
- Texas Utility Help
- Texas Rent Relief Program
NEC members can also enroll in Operation Round Up, where your bill is rounded up to the nearest dollar with the extra change going to charity. Contact NEC for details on these assistance programs or to learn about enrolling in Operation Round Up.
Avoid Disconnection of Service
If you cannot pay your NEC bill in full by the due date, it’s important to take action to avoid potential disconnection of service. Possible options include:
- Requesting a payment arrangement to spread payments over several months
- Applying for bill payment assistance through local nonprofit organizations
- Reducing your energy usage to lower your monthly bills
NEC will provide a disconnection notice a minimum of 10 days prior to disconnecting service for non-payment. Be sure to contact them immediately if you receive a disconnection notice so they can discuss your account status and options to maintain electrical service.
Summary
NEC offers flexible payment options through SmartHub, phone, retail pay stations, mail, and in person. Setup automatic payments or calendar reminders to help pay your bill on time every month. Seek payment assistance if needed through NEC’s bill help programs and community partners.
Fidelity Express Pay Stations
NEC has partnered with Fidelity Express to offer more local payment locations for NEC members. Please recognize that a payment made at a Fidelity pay station comes to NEC through a third party so processing time may be longer and a small fee is charged. To find a pay station near you, please follow this link:
In this program, NEC members volunteer to “round up” their electric bills to the next dollar. All of the additional change goes to a non-profit fund developed by NEC called Nueces Charities, Inc.. The money adds up each year and Nueces Charities. (on behalf of all of the participating NEC members) gives a check to various worthy community projects like the HALO-Flight air ambulance service. HALO-Flight serves our entire service area and many members have had a first-hand, life-saving experience with HALO-Flight. We encourage all NEC members to volunteer to share their dimes and pennies for this very worthy cause. This will never exceed 99 cents per month, can be as low as a penny, and averages $6 per year. Operation Round UP is voluntary, but you must let us know if you DO NOT want to participate. Call NECs billing department at 361-387-2581 to opt-out of this program.
Financial Assistance Programs Title with of a light bulb
The resources below are available to low-income members who are in need of payment assistance. Members will need to contact the assisting organizations directly. Once you are approved, the assisting organization will send the funds directly to Nueces Electric Cooperative. NEC does not have payment plans, so please make assistance arrangements in advance with the below organizations.
1701 N. Congress Ave
The LITE-UP TEXAS program is designed to help qualified low-income individuals reduce the monthly cost of electric service. The program will provide discounts to eligible customers during May, June, July and August electric bills. Please visit the link above or call Lite-Up Texas for full program details.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs works with local community action agencies to administer and distribute funds from the federal government. The Energy Assistance Section of the Texas Department administers the two federal programs, known as Weatherization and the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), by working with agencies and non-profits at the local county level. The local non-profits oversee the application intake process, income verification, and all other client services are handled by the local agencies.
Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program: The so called CEAP program was designed to provide utility bill assistance to low income households in meeting their immediate energy needs and helping them pay their bills. The program will also encourage consumers to control energy costs for years to come through energy education. This can help them lower their bills. However, the main goal of the program is to provide financial assistance, and at the end of the the day the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is a utility bill assistance program. The CEAP program involves integration of all federal government LIHEAP programs, thereby enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of services offered by Texas that are provided to clients. This allows allows for the eliminating of duplication of services. Click here for more information or to apply or dial (877) 399-8939, or contact your local community action agency.
The Weatherization Assistance Program: This is the second program that is run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. It was created for Low to Moderate Income Persons (WAP), and it was designed to promote energy conservation in the homes of qualified low income Texans. The weatherization program provides for the free energy-related improvements to apartments and homes, and it will also provide for the education of consumers about energy conservation programs which will help people lower their utility bills. The program goal is to reduce the energy bills and costs of low income households through energy efficiency. Click here for more information or dial (888) 606-8889 to apply for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs weatherization program.
Texas Utility Help: Need help paying your electric bill? Texas Utility Help is here for you. Texas Utility Help can give financial assistance to qualified Texas homeowners and renters with low income. Eligible expenses include electricity, gas, propane, water, and wastewater. If you, like many today, find yourself unable to catch up with your electric bill apply for help today. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has added to their budget to help support efforts of the Texas Utility Help program to support homeowners and renters who need help paying for their utilities. To qualify, you must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines. At least one person in the household must be a United States citizen or qualified immigrant. The money can be used to pay off all past-due balances and future payments. For more information, call 855-566-2057 or visit their website.
The Texas Rent Relief Program: COVID-19 has affected Texans across the state. This program has emergency funds available to help Texas renters pay rent and utility bills (including past due rent and utilities). The Texas Rent Relief Program can help renters with the following costs starting as far back as March 13, 2020. If you need assistance completing an application, their customer service staff can complete the application with you by phone by calling 1-833-9TX-RENT (1-833-989-7368).
Bank Draft & Credit Card Draft
If you prefer to not use the computer, you can still sign up to have your bank account or credit card drafted for your monthly bill.
If you sign up for this program, you will receive your monthly bill as usual. However, the amount of the bill will be automatically electronically transferred on the bill’s due date using the routing or credit card number you have on file. AND, if you need to stop an automatic draft once you’ve signed up, just let us now three or more business days before your next due date. To sign-up for bank draft or credit card draft, you must do so through your SmartHub account. Click here to Join / Log-in to SmartHubs.
Through level billing, you will be billed each month for the average of your most recent 12 months. This prevents those widely fluctuating bills for summer cooling or winter heating that wreak havoc on your family budget. (Note:You must have been with NEC for at least a year to be eligible for this program). To enroll in the Level Billing program, call the NEC office at 1.800.632.9288 or Click (link is external)here to apply for level billing, or you can make the selection in your SmartHub account.
2023 Annual Meeting Video – Nueces Electric Cooperative
FAQ
How do I email Nueces Electric Cooperative?
What is co op electric Texas?
How much does Nueces Electric Cooperative charge a month?
Customers of Nueces Electric Cooperative pay, on average, a monthly bundled bill of $184.51. What is the phone number for Nueces Electric Cooperative? (361) 387-2581
Who is the CEO of Nueces Electric Cooperative?
Varzavand Irani is the CEO of Nueces Electric Cooperative. Nueces Electric Cooperative serves electricity to 7 cities.
Does Nueces Electric Cooperative accept credit cards?
Nueces Electric Cooperative accepts credit cards. Nueces Electric Cooperative, Inc is an innovative and proactive cooperative that meets the competitive, political, regulatory, and technological challenges within the changing utility industry. Established in 1938.
How many counties does Nueces Electric Cooperative cover?
Nueces Electric Cooperative provides electricity coverage to eight counties in Texas.
How much energy does Nueces Electric Cooperative lose?
Approximately 6.41% of the total electricity produced by Nueces Electric Cooperative is lost during transmission. This percentage ranks them 102nd best out of 187 providers who report energy loss in the state.
Where can I pay my NEC co-op Energy Bill?
for FREE by calling 1-855-632-7348. Click the button below to find the Fidelity Pay Station nearest you. We accept in-person payments at 5017 Saratoga Blvd, Unit 135, Corpus Christi, Texas 78413. NEC Co-op Energy offers five convenient ways to pay your bill. From an online system to convenient pay stations, we make it easy for you!
