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Welcome Owner's Manual
The Morrisville Water and Light Department (MW&L) welcomes you as an owner
of Morrisville’s municipal electric utility. We’ve put
together this “Owners Manual” to acquaint you with the
programs and services available to you as a MW&L customer.
Please take a few moments to go over the section on electrical safety
with the rest of your family. There is important information that
could help protect your home and property, and may even save your
life.
In addition, a statewide Energy Efficiency Utility (“EEU”)
will be offering energy efficiency services in Morrisville’s
service territory. Whether you are building or remodeling your home
or business, expanding your business operations, or simply replacing
a motor, light bulb, refrigeration or air conditioning system, the
EEU may be able to help you incorporate energy efficiency
into your choices. The programs offered by the EEU will provide
financial incentives and rebates, financing, technical assistance,
and project management for a wide array of energy efficient products
and services, The EEU operates under contract to the Public
Service Board. The EEU's toll-free number is
888-921-5990.
We hope you’ll use this manual and refer to it when needed.
As always, your comments, questions, and suggestions are
appreciated.
Contents
1. Starting and stopping your electric service
2. Reading your meter
3. When your electricity is
about to be shut off
4. Special services
5. Electrical safety
6. Do-it-yourself tips
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Starting and stopping your electric service
You may start your electric service by calling MW&L at 888-3348
or stopping by our office between 7:30a.m. and 4p.m., Monday through
Friday. Please have the following information available: Social
Security number, driver’s license, and the address of where
you are moving into, including apartment number if applicable.
Moving? Plan ahead and save time!
Electricity is usually the last thing you remember to have turned
off before you move out, but the first thing you want turned on
when you move in. Around the end of May, we disconnect and/or reconnect
electrical service for a lot of our customers, most of whom have
camps. A similar busy time occurs again in late October.
To make things easier we suggest planning a week ahead of time to
schedule your date for having your electric service disconnected
or reconnected. To stop your service, please let us know the date
you want the electricity shut off (Monday through Friday). On that
day the power can be shut off as early as 7 a.m.
Your forwarding address is also requested when you stop service,
so that you can receive the bill for the remaining amount due (or any
possible refund) on your account.
Your electric bill
Making payments
Your bill payment is due upon receipt.
You may;
• Enclose your payment in the return envelope provided with
the bill and mail it with the top portion to Morrisville
Water and Light.
• Pay your bill at our Elmore Street office. We have a drop
box in our parking lot (and a walk-up cashier’s window inside
our lobby) for your convenience. A drop box is also
available in the entryway of the Union Bank on Main Street in
Morrisville.
• When paying your electric bill in cash, please don’t
put it in our drop boxes. We can’t be held responsible for cash
left overnight in the drop boxes. For cash payments, visit us during
our regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Please write your customer account number on all checks and correspondence sent
to us.
If you will be away from your home on an extended vacation, you may
pay your electric bill ahead of time based on bills from past years
or you may pay over the phone with a Visa or Mastercard.
Budget payment plan
If you would like to spread your electrical costs over 12 equal
monthly payments, our budget plan may be for you.
A customer service representative will calculate your monthly budget
payment based upon your previous year’s usage. Once you begin
the budget payment plan, you are required to make 12 monthly payments
of equal value. You must be current to become a budget
customer.
The plan makes it easier for you when doing your budget at home.
Each month you’ll make the same payment on your electric bill
no matter what—that means no more monthly surprises! After
12 months, if you owe MW&L or you have a credit, it will be
reflected in the following year's budget payment plan.
For more information on our budget payment plan, contact our office at 888-3348.
Payment problems?
Any time you can not pay all or part of your electric bill, please
call Customer Service at 888-3348. We will help you make arrangements
to pay your bill over time.
Fuel assistance
If you ever need help paying your home heating costs during the
winter, we encourage you to see if you qualify for fuel assistance
funding.
Please call one of the following numbers for more information and
applications:
If you are over 60 or disabled, call 1-800-642-5119.
All others call 1-800-479-6151.
You can also call one of the following numbers:
Central Vermont Community Action Council - 802-888-7993
Vermont State Social Services – 802-888-4576
Why your bill may change from month to month.
Seasonal rates are one reason for changes in your monthly bill.
Summer rates start on April 1st and winter rates start on November
1st.
However, the most likely reason for a change in your bill may be due to a
change in how you use energy. Typically, a home is equipped with
many energy-using appliances that are not always used the same amount
each month. You may have had guests, which could have contributed
to higher water usage (causing your electric water heater to run
more), more lights being used (or being used longer), more laundry,
cooking, etc.
The time of year is another possible reason for the changing bills.
During the summer months, there are appliances that run a great
deal more such as dehumidifiers, air conditioners, fans, and swimming
pool pumps. In the winter, most heating systems use electricity
to circulate the heat. You also tend to spend more time indoors,
running appliances and lights for longer hours.
Finally, a bill may be higher or lower because there was a difference
in the number of days between our readings of your meter.
Generally, your meter is read every 30 days, but there are times
when your billing period may be for less than 30 days or more than 30 days.
It will state on your electric bill the number of days the bill
covers.
If you think your bill has changed drastically and none of these
factors seem to apply, call our Customer Service at 888-3348. One
of our representatives may be able to offer an explanation, make
arrangements to have a recheck done to make sure your meter
was read properly. We will also test your meter once a year
free of charge to make sure the meter is recording properly.
Remember, though, that meters are mechanical devices and sometimes slow down with age.
Estimated readings
Sometimes our meter readers may not be able to read your meter because
it is inside a locked building or the meter is blocked by snow,
ice, bushes or other objects. In these rare cases, we must do an
estimated reading. An estimated reading is based on last year’s
bill during the same month and the previous month’s usage. An estimated
reading is indicated on your electric bill with an “EST”
in the code column under Meter Readings.
We prefer not to estimate your bills, as they tend to be higher
than actual readings, so please make sure your meter is accessible
to our meter readers. If access to your meter is a continuing problem,
we will contact you to try to make some type of arrangements.
Energy diversion
Stealing electricity by tapping electric lines and interfering with
meters, or willful injury to the structure or equipment of an electric
power company, are crimes in Vermont. If you suspect an electric
meter or equipment is being tampered with, please call us immediately.
When your electricity is about to be shut off
Your electric bill payment is due upon receipt. After 30 days, your
account becomes overdue and you may receive a red disconnect notice
indicating that your service will be shut off on or after a specific
date unless you have paid your bill by then or made arrangements
with us to pay.
New regulations that went into effect in 1990 allow more flexibility
for people facing disconnection:
Bad health: If losing your electric service would be an immediate
and serious health hazard for you or someone in your home, you should
ask your physician to write a letter to MW&L explaining the
situation. This letter is good for 30 days, for a total of
three 30-day periods in a year. A physician's letter will
only extend the disconnection of your power, it does not remove the
financial obligation.
Severe winter weather: These guidelines are in effect from November
1st through March 31st each year. If you or someone in your home
is 62 or older, your electric service will not be shut off for non-payment
if the weather forecast calls for the temperatures to drop below
32 F during the 48 hours starting the morning of the shut-off date.
You must provide advance written notice to MW&L that the household
qualifies to remain with power under these conditions and, if necessary,
provide proof. No one's service can be disconnected if the
48-hour forecast is predicted to fall below 10 F.
Renters: It is illegal for a landlord to evict a tenant by asking
that the electric service be shut off. If a landlord discontinues
service for the rental unit that is in his/her name, MW&L must
give the tenant a chance to continue the service in the tenant's
name. A deposit or credit reference will be required to sign
up for an account.
There is a booklet available from the Department of Public Service
called “Utilities and You- What Vermont Consumers Should Know
About Disconnections and Deposits.” Call DPS toll free at 1-800-622-4496
to request a copy.
Special services
Life support equipment
If someone in your household relies on electrically operated life
support equipment, please ask us for a Medical Emergency form to
fill out. We will place you on our confidential
Emergency Notification List to inform you of any planned power outages affecting
your area. If you have any questions about the life support list
or if your information changes, please call us at 888-3348.
In the event of a planned power outage, we will try to contact you to give
you a an estimate of how long you’ll be without power. No utility
can guarantee that you’ll have electricity available 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. Therefore, we strongly urge customers who
need life support equipment to have a backup plan:
• Obtain an alternative source of electric power for your life
support equipment. This might be a battery-operated backup system,
an uninterruptible power supply, or generator. We recommend a minimum
of 24 hours of back up.
• Keep all emergency telephone numbers in a convenient location.
Include your physician, fire department, police department, and
ambulance.
Siding your home
If you are planning to have your home resided, please have your contractor
contact MW&L to have your electric meter and related equipment
removed before any work is done on your home. A MW&L employee
will remove and replace the equipment. Overhead wires may only
require us to place protective sheathing over it. Because your electric meter
is MW&L property, only MW&L personnel are authorized to remove
it.
Electrical safety
Storm outages
Storms are a fact of life in Vermont. To help prepare your family
for power outages caused by storms, make sure you have the following
items available:
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery-powered radio
• Candles and matches
• Extra food and water
• First aid supplies and medicine
• Fire extinguisher
Here are some additional tips:
• Check the breakers in your house as the outage may only be
affecting your house and may only be an internal problem of your
house.
• Avoid opening your refrigerator or freezer (your food should stay
fresh for at least 24 hours if the door is seldom opened).
• Turn off all lights except for one (so you and our line crews
will know when power is restored).
• Unplug all unnecessary appliances and electric equipment such
as stereos, TV’s, and computers. This will protect this
equipment from any possible power surge during restoration of the
power.
• Do not plug a backup generator into an outlet in your home without
first disconnecting from our system. If you don’t, the power
from your generator will flow backwards into our distribution system
and may seriously injure or kill our lineworkers.
• Do not burn charcoal for heat- it gives off dangerous fumes, In
addition, a fireplace may pull more warm air from a house than it
gives out.
• Stay tuned to local radio stations for important information from
MW&L.
Down power lines! What should you do?
• Call MW&L at 888-2162 and the police (if necessary).
• Don’t touch downed lines or tree limbs on lines. Even the
ground around a downed wire can still be electrically charged and deadly.
• If you’re in a car, stay there until help arrives. If the
car is on fire and you need to get out, do not touch the ground
and the car at the same time- the electrical current could pass
through your body and electrocute you. Jump as far clear from the
vehicle as you can and then bunny hop or shuffle your feet until
you are a safe distance from the car and wire. The key is to keep
your
feet as close together as possible.
If someone receives an electric shock:
• Don’t touch any person or thing that is still in contact
with the electricity. Call 911 immediately.
• Shut off the circuit breakers before you touch the person.
• If necessary use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or CPR on the person
and cover the person with a blanket.
Outdoor safety
• Keep ladders, especially metal ones, away from power lines. Never
use power tools or other outdoor equipment while it’s raining
or if the ground is wet.
• Avoid contact with electric wires running overhead when trimming
branches, cutting down trees or picking fruit.
• Be careful when installing satellite dishes and TV or CB antennas.
• Never fly kites near power lines.
• Don’t hang signs on utility poles. Our lineworkers wear special
rubber gloves to insulate them from electricity. Nails, staples
and other fasteners can snag or puncture their gloves and endanger
their lives. Posting signs on MW&L's poles is against the law.
• Before you dig,
call the Dig Safe Center toll free at 1-888-DIG SAFE (1-888-344-7233)
to prevent damage to telephone, gas or electric underground facilities.
Vermont state law requires that you call Dig Safe at least 48 hours before you start digging
operations. In all digging emergencies, call Dig Safe immediately.
Tree trimming
When you see MW&L crews out trimming trees, we are working to
keep the power on. To reduce the risk of a tree or limb falling
on a power line and causing an outage, we cut trees away from power
lines. Clearing a power line right-of-way is part of our commitment
to provide you with safe, reliable electric service all year round.
This also allows us to NOT USE any pesticides or herbicides in the
maintenance of our Right of Ways.
Contact MW&L if:
• If a tree has grown closer than 25 feet to power lines.
• A limb has the possibility of coming into contact with power lines.
• If you are removing a tree or limb that is within 25 feet or less
to power lines, it has the potential to make contact with overhead
lines. Remember to determine the length of the tree or limb and add
25 feet extra to determine if 25 feet is left between it and the power lines before removing
it.
Indoor safety
• Install plastic protective caps on your outlets to keep your children
from sticking objects or curious fingers into them.
• Always unplug appliances not being used. Even if the switch
says “off”, the power could still be flowing.
• When bathing your child, make sure all nearby appliances are unplugged.
Electricity and water are a deadly combination, so teach your children
about these hazards.
• Don’t overload an outlet with too many plugs. Wires can overheat
and cause a fire.
• Replace electric cords that are frayed or cracked. Roll up cords
when not in use and keep them out of the reach of little hands and
mouths.
Keep your family safe during the holidays
• Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for hanging indoor
and outdoor light displays.
• Keep greenery safe and fresh with frequent watering.
• Do not run extension cords under carpeting.
How to reset a breaker
1. Identify the breaker that needs to be reset. It usually appears
red on the toggle handle, and is not in the OFF position.
2. Move handle to OFF position.
3. Push handle past OFF position.
4. Return handle to ON position. If the breaker does not
reset, contact an electrician.
Voltage protection
A brief, sudden increase or decrease in voltage (spike) can at the
very least cause a loss of data on computers, and on a few occasions,
damage sensitive electronic equipment such as microwaves, VCRs and
televisions. Prolonged increases (surges) or decreases (sags) in
voltage can cause significant damage to the equipment if not properly
protected.
Computers are very sensitive to variations in the power supply.
While these “glitches” are rare, they can damage your
computer’s hardware, crash programs or scramble data.
To guard against power glitches, you should:
• Copy and file data periodically (save your work at least
every hour). It is also wise to back up your system
periodically, such as once a month.
• Make sure your home or business is properly “grounded”
to send “stray” voltage into the ground, not into the
computer.
• Buy a quality voltage surge protector to help protect against
spikes in voltage. Ensure that the product is UL- tested and labeled
as a surge-protection device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Perhaps someone can explain to me why
there are "winter and summer rates". Also when will this rate
cease. I thought all utilities stopped using this form of
billing?
Answer: Going back probably as far as the
mid-1970's, policy of the State of Vermont was to charge more for
electricity in the winter than in the summer. The objective of
this policy was to motivate homeowners to change their heating
systems from electric to some other fuel; oil or propane for
example. Electric utilities in Vermont are regulated by the
State and we were required to charge our customers different rates
for the two seasons.
Recently-within the last few years-the State changed their policy
and no longer mandates higher winter rates. Morrisville Water
and Light is planning to "deseasonalize" our rates sometime
in 2007. After that, you will be
paying the same rate for electricity each month of the year.
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