In the past few years, I have written articles about technological system improvements that SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative (SEIEC) has been implementing in an effort to provide you, as cooperative members, with an increased level of service.  Just one of the benefits of these new systems is a variety of payment options that are now available to cooperative members.  These new options allow you to select the payment option that best suits your preferences, lifestyle and your needs.  In this article, I would like to briefly explain the various options that are available for members to pay their bill.

SEIEC offers an automated payment plan that automatically draws the necessary funds from your checking or savings account to pay your monthly electric bill.  With this option, you will still receive a statement in the mail that is virtually identical to the invoice you receive now but the funds necessary to pay the total amount due will automatically be withdrawn from your checking or savings account on the due date.  Please contact the office if you would like an enrollment form for this option.

SEIEC also offers on-line payments thru SEIEC's website.  Residential customers can also select this option and pay their bill on-line using a checking account, debit card or credit card.  In addition to paying your bill or printing your current invoice, you can also access other account information such as electric consumption history, payment history, prior month's invoices, etc.  Please visit our website www.seiec.com to see how you can pay your invoice on-line. 

SEIEC also offers a pay by phone option.  This option allows you to make your payment by calling the toll free number (800)-833-2611.  Once you have dialed this number, select the menu option for account information, then select the pay by phone option to make a payment using your checking account, debit card or credit card.

SEIEC also offers reoccurring credit card payments which will automatically charge your credit card to pay your monthly electric bill.  With this option, you will still receive a statement in the mail that is virtually identical to the invoice you receive now but the funds will be automatically charged to the credit card on the due date.  Please contact the office if you would like to receive an enrollment form for this option. 

The new options were implemented to give members a choice in selecting the most appropriate and convenient way to pay their bill.  It is great to see that members are taking advantage of these new options.  In fact, SEIEC currently receives approximately 5,000 payments per month thru these additional options.

Last but certainly not least, your Cooperative still offers the traditional methods of paying invoices including receiving your checks in the mail and at the front counter of the headquarters facility.  The new options presented above may create a more convenient and less time consuming way for members to pay their bill.  We certainly understand that the new options for paying invoices may not be appropriate for everyone but we wanted to make them available for you, as cooperative members, to make the selection that best suits your needs.

See you next month and as always, "We'll keep the lights on for you."