Important Information Regarding Your New Electric Service

 

In order to serve you in a timely manner and avoid delays during the process of installing power to a new service, the procedures have been outlined below.  OEC works off of a checklist system and jobs can not be scheduled until all items have been completed.

 

I.                     REQUIRED PAPERWORK

 

A.   Application for Membership

1) This form needs to be filled out completely, and your signature is also required. This information sets up the billing account.  Please note: the name that is put on the application will be the one responsible for the monthly electric bill.

 

B.  Credit Check

1) OEC requires either a $250.00 security deposit, a letter of good credit from your current power company or we can check your credit report.  Upon sufficient credit information supplied by either the power company or the credit report, the $250.00 will be waived.  Please make your selection on the application.

 

C.  Project Design Fee

All new services will be charged a non-refundable Project Design Fee of $300. This charge captures the costs that are associated with the installation of service, including but not limited to, the engineering design of the project, site visits, easement research, and administrative processing.

 

D.  New Construction Information / Underground Service Agreement

1) This form needs to be filled out in as much detail as possible. 

 

E.  Copy of your “Recorded” Deed

1) The legal description of your property, found on your “recorded” deed, is used to write an easement.  An easement is required if we need to install a primary line on your property or if we will be crossing someone else’s property to get to your service. 

 

II.                   APPOINTMENT WITH OEC FIELD REPRESENTATIVE

 

A.      Appointment

      1) You need to meet with a field representative from OEC at your job site. Please call our office to set up an appointment, if you have not already done so.

      a. The field representative will flag and measure your cable route and calculate your costs for construction from the information he gathers.

 

B.     Invoice for Installation

      1) We require all fees to be paid up front before we will schedule your work.   The invoice will either be given to you at the time of your appointment or mailed to you at a later date.

 

III.                  FINAL STEPS

 

A.      Township inspection

1) Every township in OEC’s service territory has an assigned inspector.  The electrical inspector for your township must inspect the meter base before we can energize your service.

2)       It is the responsibility of the inspector to notify OEC when inspections are complete.

 

B.     Wiring affidavit

1) The electrician who installs the meter base must submit a wiring affidavit to OEC. 

a. The affidavit must be turned into our office after the meter base has been installed. This lets us know that the meter base is set up according to our specifications; it’s built to code, and ready for service. We will not process the work order without it. 

b. Most electricians do have these cards and take care of getting them to our office.  However, it’s your responsibility to verify this with them.

 

C.     Backfilling

1) Your site and foundation must be back-filled to within 6” of final grade.

 

D.     Cleared cable route

1) Please make sure your cable route is cleared from any brush, dirt piles, building materials, vehicles, etc.  If OEC crews go to your job site and cannot access the proposed cable route with their equipment, your job will be delayed until the area is cleared.

 

 

IV.                SCHEDULING YOUR JOB

 

A.      Diggers Hotline

      1) Once all of the above steps are complete, OEC will call Diggers Hotline to locate your property. Locates take 3 working days to clear, and after that timeframe your job can be scheduled for installation. 

2) During the busy construction season it may take longer to get your job scheduled, so please keep this in mind and prepare accordingly. 

 

B.     Joint Installation with Telephone/CATV

1) OEC will contact the telephone and cable tv companies to coordinate joint installation of their facilities with the electric line.  Those companies have the final decision on installing their facilities with OEC’s.  Please note: OEC does not do joint installations with natural gas lines.

2) It is the homeowner’s responsibility to contact the telephone or cable tv companies to apply for those services and set up their accounts.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call our office at 1-800-472-8410.  We will be glad to assist you in your construction project.  Our office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.