Understanding Your Bill

Billing Dates

The City of Alcoa Utilities uses seven billing cycles each month that are geographically arranged to make meter reading as efficient as possible. Your billing date is determined by your location within these billing cycles. Your actual billing date will vary monthly because of weekends and holidays. If you do not receive your bill near the normal billing date, it is your responsibility to call the City of Alcoa.

If you pay before the penalty date, you may pay the "Net Amount to Be Paid" as indicated on the bill. If you pay after this date, you pay the "Gross Amount to Be Paid." This larger amount includes a 5% penalty. Your account is credited when payment is received at the City of Alcoa. Delays caused by the postal service do not affect the date your bill is due.

Electric Billing Terms

This glossary of billing terms will work best if you see the How to Read Your Utility Bill (PDF) document outlining where to find these items on your billing statement.

A - Account / Location Number

Your account number is used for billing purposes. Please use this number when contacting the City of Alcoa to discuss any billing problems.

B - Net Amount to be Paid

This is determined by the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed, multiplied by Alcoa Electric’s current rate, plus the maximum demand times the demand rate where applicable. It is the cost of the electricity used plus applicable taxes, previous balance, customer service charge and other miscellaneous charges. There is a 15-day period during which it may be paid without a 5 percent penalty.

C - Due Date

This is the date your bill must be paid before any penalties are added.

D - Applicable Penalties

This is the 5 percent penalty for payment after the Due Date. If you pay on the Cut-Off Date, (11 days after your due date) you must pay an additional $15 late fee. And, your service is subject to get cut off on that date.

E - Gross Amount to be Paid

This amount is due if the bill is not paid before the penalty date. A five percent penalty is added to the current month’s charge.

F - Mailing Address

This is the address where your bill will be mailed monthly. If you have a change in mailing address, please call (865) 380-4700 or click here.

G - Service Address

This is the address where your utility service is setup.

H - Service Period

This is the period of time in which your usage is being billed. This is usually the days within previous calendar month, but it can vary depending upon the billing cycle.

I - Meter Readings

This section shows what the meter reading was for the Service Period. Your bill amount is calculated based on the Amount Used in the second to last column.

J - Special Notes for Your Account

If you are signed up for Bank Draft or are receiving a second or final billing notice, this area will include notes on your specific account.

K - Account Summary

This area shows both your previous payments and your current charges.

L - General Message

This box includes information on City of Alcoa Utility services, community activities the city participates, and other general information.

M - Compare Your Usage

The usage comparison chart allows you to view the current, last month, and last year’s consumption for water and electric as well as the daily average for each. This chart can be used as a reference tool to see if your consumption increases or decreases and to see if any action needs to be taken to improve your consumption.

Other Common Definitions

Minimum Bill

The monthly bill under this rate schedule shall not be less than the sum of the base customer charge.

Class

This number designates Residential or Non-Residential service.

Kilowatt (kW)

This is a unit of measurement of electric power. Commonly referred to as demand, this quantity is a measure of the maximum power required in any given 30-minute period of time.

Kilowatt-Hour (kWh)

This is a unit of measurement for electric energy. A kilowatt-hour is 1,000 watts used for one hour. As a reference, a 100-watt light bulb operating for 10 hours would use a kilowatt-hour of electricity.