Citizens Electric Corporation

They were very helpful and friendly. They explained a pay as you go option which I'd never heard of before and you get a notification daily to show your balance. So u can pay just enough to get thru a day, a month or year. It feels like you have a little control over what has become one of the most expensive services out there. Electricity! Thank you for turning me on to this program. It just makes me feel a little more secure.

Worker Bees:
Thank you for getting the power on as quickly and safely as possible after the snow storm. Highway K, Perry County, MO.

I get a general sense that the education level of many reviews is rather poor based upon their wording. Citizens Electric has always been reasonably priced. Years ago I was living in a poorly insulated trailer that required window units in addition to the main A/C in order to be comfortable, and my bill never exceeded $300. It seems to me that some of these people leaving reviews are either leaving windows open or perhaps, just maybe they are being dishonest.

I can’t for the life of me understand why power from this company is so expensive. I inquired as to if they could do an inspection but of course they no longer offer this service (I wonder why)… $500 electric bills should not be normal- especially when you make an effort to barely turn on the heat during winter. Too bad there is no other option here.

Place is an absolute joke, I was a few dollars negative because I couldn’t check it. I couldn’t log into the new app. What else can I do? I didn’t think I was negative but I was. I go home and my power is disconnected. It’s below freezing and I have animals inside my home. I guess they forgot about the no disconnect law under freezing.
Not to mention, the lady inside is just absolutely rude. She made the remark “this is why you don’t go negative”..

Keeping the lights on is extremely challenging. Thanks to the many hard working men and women of Citizens Electric who keep us warm on these extremely cold days!!!

Sooo I wish I would have researched electric companies before I moved to st gen county. They are so so expensive and every winter we struggle so much to pay it. We are honestly thinking of leaving at gen county because of it- 600 plus a month is ridiculous when we keep the heat on 68 and huddle under blankets and the air at 80 and sweat.

The ladies who take payments at the drive thru window are so friendly and professional. It’s a pleasure to go pay my bill!

Used smart meters to intrude on my privacy and. My meter had been shut off it had been hacked I called and asked about this the rep referred to me as a squatter on "MY PROPERTY"
& hung up on me. I went to east missouri action agency for assistance and the same rep lied saying I owed some fine of $110 that never existed to keep me from receiving help. Look up smart meter privacy and issues before excepting one! I've since turned this experience in alongside real-estate fraud related problems into the Department of Justice

Very expensive per kWh. Certainly the most expensive and we have owned homes in 11 states. Minimal residential support or incentives for solar or other green energy. I will add that we do have very reliable electricity with all the storms we get though and that is the only reason I didn't give them one star.

Two weeks ago, i would have given a scathing review. But, they finally came out and fixed a leaning pole that was causing a power line to hang dangerously close to my roof. I am very happy to have the pole fixed and no longer have to worry about ice or wind storms. Thank you.

I wish I would have looked into this company before I put my manufactured home on a lot that uses this company. I own a brand new manufactured home with great insulation and a brand new heat pump and I am being charged around 10 dollars a day for usage. And that is with my smart thermostat set at 68. When we aren't home I keep it at 64 and still use 6 or 7 dollars a day. I lived in a older mobile home in cape before moving here and had ameren and my bill was never this high. My bill has doubled. I'm going to beg ameren to hook up meters where I am at. Lol.

400.00 deposit sounds reasonable and I’ve lived in 3 different states and 6 different towns. Only place I’ve lived with cheaper rates was Jackson. I was paying twice the kWh in Mississippi than I do now. The girls in the office have treated me with respect and twice I’ve needed a line crew and both times the crews were here promptly, fixed my issue, even explained what they did. The whiners can stick a solar panel to their roof or go without electricity like my grandparents did.

They want a $400 deposit to start service. A service that you have to have. A service that they're the only provider of in the area. That is a lot of money in the middle of a pandemic. Our credit isn't even bad and they're still requiring this kind of deposit. This is my first experience with them, but right off the bat they don't seem very ethical.

My experiences are similar to others complaining here.

I've had Citizens since I moved to Ste Gen county in 2016. They are absolute crooks. I don't understand their math. I see KwH go way up on days no one is home for 8+ hours. I also see different charges for different KwH usages. I never get Bill's. I always get disconnect notices 2-4 days prior to the disconnect. They say to use the app or online, but the app has never been able to accept a payment. And the online is always wanting me to reset my password. They are non-profit, but appear to make more than Ameren. I never see their money go anywhere useful except their fancy office buildings and company cars.

I would like to go solar sooner rather than later.

Very rude, not helpful staff. No compassion, I've been a customer here for over 11 years, I got laid off, 4 days after my bill was due, they shut off power and refused to work with me, and charged me a reconnect fee. I'm already paying over 300 a month for an 1100 square foot house. Rates are way too high " non profit" making so much profit all new office buildings and new Chrysler cars for all the top employees. Power purchase rates are almost double what ameren ue charges. PLEASE COSIDER THESE ALARMINGLY HIGH RATES BEFORE MOVING INTO STE. GENNIVIEVE COUNTY.

So freaking expensive, like I can't even begin to understand why or how they charge what they do! I'm on the pay as you go plan because of high deposit prices and I get charged OUTRAGEOUS prices every single day! Tell me how I can use 34 kWh get charged somewhere between 3 or 4 dollars, then the next day use 19 kWh and get charged 6 or 7 dollars? I'm using less kWh but getting charged more? Every time I call they tell me they have a $2 minimum a day and everything on my account looks normal.... They totally avoid the question and avoid the problem!! Than they tell me something in my house is causing the high price..... Yet I'm using less kWh! If Perry County had a different/better company I would drop these guys! Buyer beware!

Update:a year later: They switched to "on demand hours" so it's just another excuse to surge prices. I've currently been freezing myself because some how I've been using almost 100 kWh per day which amounts to about $13 a day for electric. Most days I'm not home over half the day. This company is monopolizing Perryville and surrounding areas.! This needs to be stopped.

Update: 2023- since certain people seem to think others don't understand electricity, or billing or how to understand basic living. I used to live in a poorly insulated trailer, and my bill was always above 300. I've also lived in a brand new apartment and guess what, my bill was also over 300. I'm not home all of the time, I don't leave a million things running. I keep track of pricing that citizens electric sends out everytime there's a price update. So take it how you will. I still stick to my word. If there was a different electric company I would definitely switch over. We need a new one!

Never receive bills on time, but mostly not at all. I receive disconnects 3 days or less before the disconnect date. They charge an outrageous amount in the winter. They pretend they don't make an arrangement, then ask a large amount to turn it back on since they turned it off prior to the arrangement date. RECORD YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. Otherwise you have no proof you set an arrangement. Luckily I'm nearly done with my solar so I can tell his shady company to take their pole and line back.

There bills are outrageous. We are on a fixed income and when we have really cold weather, we have to turn the heat down and huddle under blankets. A $485 electric bill is ridiculous when you have your thermostat at 68 degrees. But in the summer we can keep it as cool as we want and it doesn't make the bill go up. I don't understand their billing at all.

Horrible. The monthly bill is horrendous. Upwards of $800 a month in the winter time. If our children weren’t in such a great school, my husband and I would consider relocating. They will threaten and/or disconnect if you are three days late on Payment. They WILL NOT work with you. I witnessed It happened to my elderly disabled neighbor.

Supposedly this company is a "non profit" organization... But somehow charges $30 per month (over the $9 Ameren UE) to provide service; which is interesting for a company who isn't in it for the profit. Also they force you on a prepaid account or pay an outrageous deposit that doesn't even go towards your bills. They are a big reason why no one will live in Sainte Genevieve or Perry County. Avoid at all cost; these people are thieves.