CUC currently offers to its customers two options for the provision of electrical service - PrePay or Post Paid. CUC's service application form allows customers to select their preferred Type of Service, though customers can also apply to convert their account, subject to terms of service and other limitations, at any point in time for an existing service location. PrePay was launched in 2020, allowing customers to purchase electrical service on a prepaid or “pay-as-you-go” basis. A Post Paid service is the more traditional service offering, whereby a customer is charged for their electrical service after electricity is consumed. For a Post Paid service, a monthly billing statement detailing the electricity consumption from the preceding month will be issued to the customer and is required to paid by the noted due date.
The Main Differences Between PrePay and Post Paid Services:
| Description | PrePay | Post Paid |
|
Disconnection Fee Applicable |
No | Yes |
| Security Deposit Required | No | Yes |
| Pay as You Go Option | Yes | No |
| Payments can be allocated between Delinquent Amount and Future Consumption | Yes | No |
What is PrePay?
Customers who utilise PrePay electrical service manage their consumption more closely by making pay as you go payments in advance of use to sustain their electricity usage. The programme provides an alternative to traditional monthly billing, where consumption charges are accrued between billing meter readings. The PrePay service offering may also be beneficial to landlords, who can retain the electrical account in their name while minimizing their liability for any outstanding charges if a tenant abandons their final utility bill.
How Does PrePay Work?
As a PrePay customer, your payments are applied as a credit to your account. Behind the scenes, your meter is measuring your ongoing consumption and the PrePay system applies that consumption to current billing rates to create charges. These charges are tracked against your existing credit balance to determine the amount of credit you have remaining as you use electricity. The PrePay system will send you balance updates and notifications of the estimated number of days before your credit is expected to be fully utilised. You may make additional payments to “top up” your credit balance at any time to keep from running out.
If you have an existing CUC account with an outstanding balance and want to switch to PrePay service from Post Paid, you can either pay your balance before converting to PrePay or use the PrePay system to pay off the balance over time. If you choose the latter, each payment you make will be split equally (50/50) between paying off the historical debt and applying a credit for your future PrePay consumption.
Payments to your account can be made via any of our Payment Options, but please keep in mind processing times for different payment options if you are running low on PrePay credit.
Can I be Disconnected on PrePay?
When your prepaid credit is exhausted, the PrePay system will send a command to your meter to disconnect the power. Disconnections for PrePay service customers will only take place Monday-Friday 10AM - 4PM, but never after business hours or on weekends or public holidays.
Customers are always provided with advanced warnings prior to disconnection of service. You will receive a text and/or email (setup as to your preference) as a final notice prior to your meter being disconnected. Thresholds are set to let you know when you need to make a top up payment as your credit balance begins to decline.
If your credit balance is exhausted and your meter is disconnected, reconnecting your service is very straightforward. Simply make the minimum payment per the notification sent (again, please be mindful of processing time for different payment options), and the PrePay system will automatically put your meter in the queue for reconnection to restore your power. There are no disconnection fees for PrePay services.
Post Paid service customers who are disconnected for delinquency will incur a $60 disconnection fee.
Is a Security Deposit Required?
Because PrePay customers utilize prepaid credit to consume electricity, no security deposit is required for the account. For customers with an existing security deposit on Post Paid services who wish to switch to PrePay, your deposit will be applied against your account balance to reduce or eliminate that balance, with any remainder to be applied as a credit to your PrePay account. If you do not have a deposit on file for your account, an initial pre-payment will be needed following your account conversion. This initial payment amount places a credit balance on your PrePay account and activates the service. The initial payment may vary based on your typical consumption level and the outstanding balance on the account, if any.
Post Paid service customers are required to pay a security deposit as part of their service application process. In limited cases, CUC will accept a Letter of Credit from a customer's bank in lieu of a cash deposit. CUC pays a deposit interest credit for all accounts with a cash security deposit, reflected on monthly billing statements.
How Can I Sign Up?
To sign up for PrePay service you will need to complete a general application form, along with our PrePay terms of service form (below) so that your account can be configured in our PrePay system. As noted above, new PrePay services or conversions to PrePay service may require an initial payment to get started.
Please contact our customer service team at service@cuc.ky for more information.
PrePay Terms of Service
Please find the CUC PrePay terms of service below.