Collections, Disconnections, and Unauthorized Utility Use

If the account balance is not paid in full by the due date indicated on the bill, it becomes delinquent. We will notify the account holder by monthly bill, a phone call, and postcard delivered by US Mail. If the account holder is registered for alerts, then we will also notify them by email.

Beneficial Use of Service: JEA may refuse or discontinue service for failure to settle, in full, all prior indebtedness incurred by any Customer(s) or Beneficial User at any one or more premises of such Customer(s) or Beneficial User. JEA may establish that a Customer or Beneficial User previously resided at a premises through the use of mortgage, deed or lease information or commercially available consumer credit reporting service or other methods for the purpose of determining the Customer’s liability for any outstanding balance.

The Utility may assign all indebtedness incurred by any Customer or Beneficial User of the service at any one or more premises of such Customer or Beneficial User of the service to the Customer or Beneficial User of the service. The Utility may require the payment of an outstanding balance or portion of an outstanding balance if the Customer or Beneficial User of the service resided at the property for which service is requested during the time the outstanding balance accrued and for the time the applicant resided there, not exceeding four years from the date of the debt occurred.

JEA reserves the right to discontinue service without notice for any of the following reasons:

• Repairs required by JEA to resume or maintain safe operations (noncustomer-related)
• Depletion of resources/lack of electricity availability
• Unforeseen circumstances or events including but not limited to riots, strikes, lockouts, insurrections, acts of federal, state, municipal or other authorities, acts of God, acts of war, terrorism, acts of the public enemy and all other acts beyond the control of JEA
• Fraudulent representation in relation to the consumption of current amount or securing the same.
• Violation of Florida Statute 812.14, (trespass and larceny with relation to utilities).
• Using electricity without making proper application.
• Unauthorized use of electricity.
  
  
  
  
  

JEA reserves the right to discontinue service upon reasonable notice for any of the following reasons:

• Non-payment of bills for services when due.
• Suspected illegal or unsafe wiring.
• Issuing two or more checks which are refused by the bank within a nine-month period.
• Non-conformance with state or local codes or ordinances.
• Violation of any of the JEA Rules and Regulations for Electric Service.

JEA may withhold a new service or discontinue existing service unless all past due indebtedness to JEA at any one or more other service locations of the customer has been settled in full; provided however, that said past due indebtedness may at the option of JEA, be transferred to any active account of the customer and upon so being transferred becomes a part thereof.

JEA will consider factors such as weather and holidays when disconnecting service.  

Any payment not received by the due date may expedite disconnection activities. We will make every effort to notify you, the account agent, or occupant of impending disconnection. The advance notification is delivered via one or more of the following methods: 

• Postal mail;
• Email;
• Telephone call;
• Visit to the service address; or,
• Message on the monthly bill statement.

JEA will provide a 48-hour notice for all collection events with the exception of broken payment arrangements, broken payment plans, instances of theft or unauthorized use of service. Payment arrangements or payment plans not paid by the due date will result in the disconnection of service without notice. Any rejected payment made toward a payment arrangement will also result in the disconnection of service.

JEA will disconnect service at the service connection e.g., weather head, pole, or tap connection when unable to terminate at the service point (meter).

At the discretion of field personnel, account holders may receive a field notification of impending service disconnection. JEA charges $5 for field notifications.This action may also adversely impact an account holder's JEA Credit Score. 

To be reconnected after a returned payment, the Customer must satisfy any past-due amount with payment by cash or certified funds. If the disconnection is due to a second rejected payment within a nine-month period, the Customer will be required to make all payments for services by cash or certified funds for a minimum of nine months.

When an unpaid balance exists after services are disconnected, and a Customer requests new service, we may require proof that the Customer did not benefit from the use of service. Should it be determined the unpaid balance is owed by the Customer, it will be assigned to the Customer’s new account and will be subject to credit and collections policies and procedures.

Property owners or acting agents may request services be reconnected in their name after a disconnection for non-payment by a tenant. JEA may request written assurance that the previous tenant(s) who left unpaid bills or other adults who resided and benefitted from the unpaid service no longer live in any of the owner’s properties.

JEA takes utility theft and fraud seriously. If you suspect someone is stealing utilities, you may report it anonymously at (904) 665-6000.

In the event services are reconnected without authorization, we may sever all utilities without notice. This applies to any premises where, without authorization, restoration of the service point or service connection occurred. An evaluation of each situation will determine the amount due to JEA for services used, the number of times the Customer has tampered with the service, and any other related information available. Where appropriate, the State Attorney’s Office of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida will issue a warrant and handle subsequent prosecution.

Evidence of fraud or unauthorized use of service includes but is not limited to:

• Unauthorized receipt of utility services by theft, diversion, tampering or unauthorized connection;
• Unauthorized use of service without having contracted with JEA to do so and refusing to establish service in a Financially Responsible Party’s name
• Direct benefit from the use of a utility with the knowledge, or under such circumstances as would induce a reasonable person to believe, that such direct benefits have resulted from any tampering with, altering of, or injury to any connection, wire, conductor, meter, pipe, conduit, line, cable, transformer, amplifier, or other apparatus or device owned, operated, or controlled by such utility, for the purpose of avoiding payment
• Falsifying information in an application for service;
• Making an application in the name of another member of the family or household or other occupant or other individual which assists in avoiding payment or avoiding a prior outstanding debt to JEA; or,
• Obtaining a utility service connection without paying JEA all monies due by the Customer.

JEA may decline to provide service to a Customer or to a premises if it is determined prior service was delivered to that Customer or premises as a result of an act of fraud or unauthorized use of service.

JEA will not accept credit card, debit card, or Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments from Customers who have committed payment fraud. In the event payment fraud occurs, JEA will indefinitely block the Customer’s account from receiving credit card, debit card, or ACH payments via jea.com or phone. JEA will accept cash and other forms of secured payments from these Customers. Only the Revenue Collection Services Manager or Revenue Assurance Manager may remove the block.

JEA may report delinquent accounts or accounts in bankruptcy to the credit bureau after the final bill is rendered. We will not notify the credit bureau if you satisfy the final bill balance within 60 days. If you satisfy a write-off balance, we’ll also notify the credit bureau.

It’s important to note that the timeframes noted above only apply to Customers who request their service terminated and do not pay their final bill. Customers whose accounts are terminated for non-payment and who do not pay their final bill will be reported to both the collections agency and credit bureau and shall receive an infraction to their JEA Credit Score. The infraction will appear on their JEA Credit Score 30 days after the final bill.