If you are acquiring an existing residential property in our service area, you will need to:

• Call and talk to one of our Member Care Representatives

• Complete and submit an Application for Membership and Electric Service

• Pay a Deposit or provide a Letter of Credit (with active service within the past 12 months) from your former electric utility

• Pay the Connect fee or Transfer fees

• Provide a copy of your Photo ID

Please complete the application and

• Bring it into our office

• Fax it to 641-932-2534

• Or mail it to our office at P.O. Box 486, Albia, Iowa 52531

For more information, contact our office at 641-932-7126 or 800-475-1702.

Stop Service

It is important for you to notify our office if you are moving in order to have the electricity and billing account information switched into the new member’s name or disconnected.

To notify our office that you will be moving, please call us at 800-475-1702 or 641-932- 7126, and we will be happy to assist you.

We make every effort to stop service on the day that you request it. Please make sure the date you give us is the date that you want the service to stop. Reconnect fees will apply if we need to reconnect your service.

Change of Address

It is important that we maintain your current address and phone number in our files. You may be moving, or just changing your address, or you may no longer receive service from us. However, you still maintain a patronage dividend account at the Cooperative until the patronage capital allocated to your account is paid back to you, even after you move off our lines.

To notify our office that you will be moving, please complete the Change of Address Form.

After filling out the form you can:

• Fax it back to our office at 641-932-2534

• Mail it to us at P.O. Box 486, Albia, Iowa 52531

• Or bring it to our office

If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-475-1702 or 641-932-7126.

New Builds

Electrical inspections are required by the State of Iowa during the installation of a new electrical system and before it can be energized.

Once the new system has had a final inspection, a permit number will be issued by the State of Iowa. When CVEC receives the permit number, construction can begin on CVEC's side. 

To apply for a permit number, please click here.

Temporary Disconnects

If the member requests temporary disconnection of service and it stays disconnected for 180 days or longer, it will not be reconnected or energized until the installation passes an inspection conducted by the State of Iowa.

To apply for a permit or to find out more details about the State of Iowa electrical inspection program please click here.

At Chariton Valley Electric all of our watt-hour meters must be accurate to within plus or minus 2% at full and light load. To verify meters are operating within these parameters we test 10% of our meters each year.

If you feel your meter is not working properly you may request it be tested.

At the member’s request, CVEC will perform a field test of the meter. If the meter is accurate within the limits accepted by the co-ops meter inspection and testing program, the utility may charge $25.00 for the field meter test.

The member may request a referee test. This test requires an advance deposit of $30.00 prior to performing the meter test. If the meter is found to be within the plus or minus 2% we will retain the deposit to cover the expenses of the meter test. If the meter is found to be registering outside the plus or minus 2% we will refund the deposit and review the account.

Please call our office at 641-932-7126 or 800-475-1702 to request a meter test.

Service Line Extension Policy

1. The Cooperative will design, own, and construct line extensions following acceptable engineering practices. The route of all extension shall be solely determined by the Cooperative, after consideration of the member’s needs.

2. The member will be required to provide an advance for construction before construction begins. The amount of the advance for construction will be calculated using the continuing property records of the Cooperative. The member will be expected to deposit an amount equal to 90% of the calculated construction cost. The Cooperative will be responsible for all remaining line extension costs.

3. In calculating the contribution, the shortest practicable route shall be used for the distance regardless of the route actually constructed.

4. For overhead construction the member shall be responsible for providing a cleared right of way onto or across their property, and shall provide the Cooperative with the necessary easements.

5. For underground construction the member shall be responsible for providing a cleared right of way, re-backfill and reseeding across their property, and shall provide the Cooperative with the necessary easements.

6. Equipment or facilities installed for the Coop’s convenience shall be at the Coop’s expense.

Refunds of Advance For Construction Costs

1. No interest will be paid on a deposit made for an advance for construction.

2. Members shall receive a discount calculated monthly based on their actual kWh consumption TIMES the average residential revenue per kWh (from the December Form 7 for the prior year) less purchase power cost (from the December Form 7 for the prior year). The discount will begin the first month of service on the account and cease at the earlier of 36 months, or when the cumulative discount equals the deposit they made. The discount is nontransferable, and shall cease if the member moves from the dwelling originally taking service.

Charges Associated With Service Drops

1. For all of the Cooperative’s service area

   • Residential overhead and/or underground construction, the member is responsible for all cost associated with the purchase of proper material and the installation thereof.

   • Small Business, Commercial or Industrial, overhead and/or underground, the member is responsible for all costs associated with the purchase of proper material and the installation thereof.