If you choose you may arrange for SBEC to charge your VISA, MasterCard, American Express or DISCOVER card OR withdraw funds from your checking or savings account each month for the amount of your electric bill. Your account will bill monthly and the bill will be mailed to you as usual. The bill will state “Credit Card Charge” or “Bank Draft” DO NOT PAY. The total amount of the bill will be charged to your credit card or drafted from your checking or savings on the electric bill due date. If you have questions regarding your bill please contact the cooperative 48 hours prior to the due date on the bill. The AUTOPAY program will begin with the next monthly billing. Please pay any current charges due prior to signing up for the program. Members can now enroll in AUTOPAY on the website. Click the Sign up for Online Account Portal located on the left side of the screen to register now (you will need your SBEC account number to register). Choose Service my Account and Update my Financial Info; then proceed to choose Bank Draft or Credit Card. You will continue to receive a paper bill unless you choose the option to "stop print bill".
Contact your local office if you have further questions about these programs.
Average Monthly Payment (AMP) is offered to all Cooperative residential and small general service accounts with 12 months of history.
AMP is not a reduced electric rate. Each month the member is billed for the actual kilowatt used;however, the monthly payment is an average based on the most current 12 months of billing history. The AMP payment will change slightly each month because the oldest history drops off while the newest history month is added, giving the Average Monthly Payment.
Terms and Conditions
Only accounts with a current balance of zero are eligible to participate in the program.
Catch-up month will be six months after the initial program begins, and each year thereafter. If the account is under-collected, then this amount will be added to the AMP payment that one month.
If the member wants to be removed from the program, the actual account balance becomes due with the current due date.
Members should contact SBEC to inquire about the account balance.
Payments not received by the due date will be considered late. A termination notice will be mailed and late fee assessed. The program may be suspended and the account becomes subject to disconnection. Balances on the account will become due and payable upon notice.
How do I sign up for AMP?
Call any of the SBEC offices and talk to your Customer Service Representative. They will answer any questions, determine if you are eligible and help you sign up for the program.
POWER PAY- The Prepay Your Way Program
If monthly electric bills leave you feeling shocked—power up with POWER PAY from SBEC. Prepay the amount you can afford and track your usage, putting the control of power in your hands. With this easy pay as you go electricity plan you can pay for energy on your schedule.
What is Power Pay?
The Prepay Your Way Program is an optional pay-as-you-go program available to new or existing residential members. It’s an alternative to the traditional monthly billing that allows members to determine how much and how often they pay.
A minimum electricity purchase of $125 is required to set up a Power Pay account. As energy is consumed, the account balance is reduced until either the balance is exhausted or additional payments are made to the account. It’s just like putting gasoline in your car.
When you are out of gas your car stops, when your Power Pay account is empty, your electricity service is disconnected. Once you put more money into your account your electricity is automatically restored with no reconnection fee and no deposit.
Members can monitor their daily account balance or make payments by logging into SmartHub or by calling 844-201-7199.
So go ahead and call your local SBEC branch office at 1-800-364-3171 and power up with Power Pay!
View and pay your monthly electric bill online with your checking account (Electronic Check) or use your VISA, MasterCard, American Express or DISCOVER credit card. Click the SmartHub Online Account Portal link, located below, to register now (you will need your SBEC account number to register).
SmartHub Online Account Access
SBEC has four different office locations. The area where your meter is located determines which office your billing and outage questions are handled from. Billing takes place 4 times monthly, with each office area billing separately.
A bill is considered delinquent if not received in the SBEC office by 5:00 p.m. on the due date stated on your bill. A bill is subject to disconnection if not paid within 26 days of issuance. Payments may be mailed, using the return envelope provided. You may pay your bill at any of the SBEC business offices, our lobby and drive-through window are open Mon-Fri 8-5. For those making payment after hours, all offices have a night depository located at our drive-through.
Pay-By-Phone:
Pay by Check or credit card on our automated system.
1-855-941-3519*
*New Phone Number beginning June 5, 2024.
Payments may also be made at the following banking institutions:
- Columbus State Bank - Columbus
- The First State Bank - Columbus
- Peoples State Bank - Hallettsville
- Prosperity Bank - Waller and Hempstead
All bank payments must be accompanied by a CURRENT bill stub.
Walmart stores in your area - Customer Service Counter
Payment must be accompanied by a current bill stub.
Pay by cash or debit card - a service fee of .88 cents will be added. Allow 3-4 days for the payment to post.
Contact Local Office:
- Bellville Office 979-865-3171
- Columbus Office: 979-732-8346
- Fields Store Office: 936-372-9176
- Hallettsville Office: 361-798-4393
Please Note: SBEC personnel will no longer accept payments from members in the field or Credit Cards over the phone.
You can now manage your account right from your smartphone with SmartHub. Make payments, check your monthly usage and communicate directly, all at the touch of a button. Download the FREE smartphone mobile app or tablet app in the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace. Go to our Smart Hub page for more information.
All SmartHub Alerts will come from phone number 8559413519 as of June 10, 2021. We suggest you store that number in your phone as "SmartHub".