Connect Service

Your first electric bill will include a $25 nonrefundable Service Application Charge. The charge covers expenses for processing your paperwork and obtaining a reading to begin your service.

All new customers are assessed a refundable security deposit, but it can be waived by providing SMECO with one of the following:

• A letter of good credit from another utility company
• A credit report run in the last 12 months with a FICO score of 650 or higher

A letter of good credit from your former utility must show all of the following:

• You were a customer of the utility within the past two years
• You do not currently owe any outstanding bills
• You did not have service disconnected for nonpayment during the last 12 months that service was provided
• You did not have more than two late payments during the last 12 months that service was provided
• You did not have any returned checks for non-sufficient funds

Credit reports or letters of credit can be sent to SMECO using our Secure Message Center. Click the Compose tab to send an encrypted e-mail to "collectionsclerical@smeco.coop". Please be sure to include your name and SMECO account number so we know the associated account.

If you are unable to provide the required information to waive the deposit within 30 days, it is automatically billed to you in two or three installments, beginning with your second bill.

If you have an active account or have had an account with SMECO in the past and you do not meet the above criteria, a deposit may be assessed on your new account and billed to you in two or three installments.

Prospective nonresidential members may also be required to establish credit by any one of the following methods:

• Showing that the applicant has been actively engaged in his or her current business as a proprietorship, partnership, or corporation for at least four years;
• Demonstrating creditworthiness by showing that the applicant has made payments on credit accounts when due;
• Furnishing SMECO with a satisfactory guarantee in writing;
• Furnishing an irrevocable commercial letter of credit or providing a surety bond acceptable to the co-op; or
• Otherwise establishing the applicant’s credit to the co-op’s satisfaction

One year from the date your deposit is paid in full, it may be refunded with interest, if all of the following conditions are met:

• The service was not disconnected for nonpayment
• No more than two late payments
• The account is not past due at the time of review
• No returned checks for non-sufficient funds

If your account does not meet these conditions, it is reviewed annually and the deposit is retained until the above criteria are met. The current interest rate is 5.38% for the year 2024, according to the Maryland Public Service Commission.