1.  Why is my electric bill so much different than my neighbor’s bill?

2.  When will CMP be trimming the trees along my road?

3.  What if I need to move my electric meter?

4.  Why does the number of days that I am billed for vary each month?

5.  Why are there two charges on my bill, one for delivery and one for supply?

6.  Why are my digital clocks blinking when I come home?

7.  I am painting and want to be safe around the power lines and connection to my home. What should I do?

8.  I received an estimated bill because you were unable to access my meter. Why?

Q. Why is my electric bill so much different than my neighbor’s bill?

A. Every home (and family!) is different.  Here are some to consider:

• Number of people living in your home, their ages, and your lifestyle
• Some people cook at home while others eat out
• Some people take a 5 minute shower while others may take a 15 minute shower
• The age, size, and efficiency of your appliances 

Our Home Energy Calculator may help you understand how you use electricity in your home.
 

Q. When will CMP be trimming the trees along my road?

A. To ensure system reliability, our team of licensed arborists and qualified contractors carefully trim trees along hundreds of miles of public roads each year. Because protecting the health of trees is important, our contractors adhere to standards endorsed by the Tree Care Industry Association. We schedule our Tree Care crews to rotate throughout the service area to maintain all 20,000 miles of power lines. So, every few years, they will definitely be in your neighborhood! Of course, trees that pose an immediate hazard to power lines will be reviewed by an Arborist. 

Emergency Trim will be completed when there is:

• A broken limb directly over wires
• An uprooted tree directly over primary wires, burning or sparking lines

Questions? Take a look at more information on our Tree Care Program.

Q. What if I need to move my electric meter?

A. We can “float” your meter so that you can paint, repair or complete a construction project at your home or business. Please call our Customer Service Center and we will respond to your request in 5 business days.  Once your project is completed, give us a call and we’ll have the meter back in place within 5 business days.

Q. Why does the number of days that I am billed for vary each month?

A. The number of days in a billing cycle may vary between 28 to 33 days, depending on holidays and number of days in the month. You can avoid any fluctuations in your bill from month to month with our SimplePay Plan. We’ll look at your bills over the last 12 months and calculate one, level payment for the next 12 months. No more surprises. You pay the same amount every month. Check out our SimplePay Plan today.

Q. Why are there two charges on my bill, one for delivery and one for supply?

A.  CMP is your electricity delivery company. We take care of the electricity delivery system and make sure that the electricity you buy from other companies gets to you.  This can be a little confusing because our customers still enjoy the convenience of one bill. But, if you look at the second page of your bill from the electricity supplier, you will see that these are not CMP charges for electricity supply. We simply bill on behalf of the suppliers.

Questions?  Please see more information on CMP pricing and billing. 

 
Q. Why are my digital clocks blinking when I come home?

A. Your clocks are blinking because of a momentary power interruption, most likely caused from a tree branch coming into contact with electrical wires. Sometimes, a small branch that comes in contact with a wire will clear on its own (fall to the ground for example). A device called a recloser is used to protect the circuit and help prevent a longer power outage. Reclosers open and close the circuit up to three times, before they stay open, stopping the power flow.  If the problem can not correct on its own, a line worker must manually close the recloser, after clearing whatever caused the contact with the wires.

Q. I am painting and want to be safe around the power lines and connection to my home. What should I do?

A.  We will install a cover-up for your protection where the service connects to your home or business.  Please call us in advance of your project and allow 5 business days for us to install the cover-up. Also, please call us when you are done with your project so that we can remove the cover up.

Residential customers 1-800-750-4000
Commercial customers 1-800-565-3181

Q. I received an estimated bill because you were unable to access my meter. Why?

A. We make every attempt to read your meter every month.  There are times when we are unable to access your meter to obtain a reading.  Here are some helpful tips for making sure your meter is accessible:

• Ensure a minimum of three foot clearance at all times around your meter box
• Keep pathways to your meter free of debris, and other obstacles
• In the winter, please shovel a path to your meter
• In the spring to fall, trim bushes and shrubs from around your meter
• Make sure your pets are secured and not obstructing access to the meter