Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation Rate Selection Guide
Lumbee River EMC is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 67,000 accounts across five counties in southeastern North Carolina. The cooperative runs the NISC SmartHub platform with full 15-minute AMI interval data, Green Button Download/Connect My Data, and OAuth 2.0 third-party API access for energy managers and aggregators.
Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-2A Small Three-Phase GS | Commercial | $45/mo + 9.60 cents/kWh | Small three-phase commercial under 50 kW |
| H Medium General Service | Commercial | $100/mo + $6.40/kW + 6.60 cents/kWh | Mid-size C&I, 50-1,000 kW |
| I-2 Large General Service | Industrial | $850/mo + $12.10/kW + 5.02 cents/kWh | Large industrial, 1,000-10,000 kW |
Market Overview
North Carolina retains a vertically integrated, regulated electricity market with no retail supplier choice. As a member-owned electric cooperative, Lumbee River EMC is the sole electricity provider in its certificated service territory; rates are set by the cooperative's member-elected Board of Directors and filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (Docket EC-51). Commercial and industrial members cannot shop for a competitive supplier and purchase both energy and delivery from the cooperative.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Lumbee River EMC files retail rate schedules with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (Docket EC-51). The figures below are verified from the tariff effective with bills on or after January 1, 2024. The cooperative implemented an approximately 10% rate increase in January 2025 (residential energy rose from 10.00 to 11.25 cents per kWh) and announced a further 2026 adjustment; per-schedule C&I figures should be confirmed against the latest published schedules.
Effective: January 1, 2024 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule G-2A - Small Three-Phase General Service | commercial | Three-phase commercial consumers whose demand has not exceeded 50 kW in the past 12 months. | Service charge $45.00/month; energy 9.60 cents per kWh (all kWh); subject to WPCA. (Effective 2024-01-01) | — |
| Schedule A-2 - Single-Phase General Service | commercial | Single-phase consumers whose demand has not exceeded 50 kW in the past 12 months (small commercial and residential general service). | Service charge $31.00/month; energy 10.00 cents per kWh (all kWh); subject to WPCA. Increased ~10% in Jan 2025 (to ~11.25 cents/kWh). (Effective 2024-01-01) | — |
| Schedule H - Medium General Service | commercial | Consumers with demand exceeding 50 kW but less than 1,000 kW. | Service charge $100.00/month; demand $6.40/kW of billing demand; energy 6.60 cents per kWh; reactive demand $0.50/billed kVAr; 1.5% primary-voltage discount; subject to WPCA. (Effective 2024-01-01) | — |
| Schedule I-2 - Large General Service | industrial | Consumers with demand exceeding 1,000 kW but less than 10,000 kW; 5-year minimum contract. | Service charge $850.00/month; demand $12.10/kW of billing demand; energy 5.02 cents per kWh; reactive demand $0.50/billed kVAr; 1.5% primary discount; subject to WPCA. (Effective 2024-01-01) | — |
| Schedule D - Outdoor Lighting Service | commercial | Commercial/industrial members needing outdoor, flood, or parking-lot lighting (dusk-to-dawn photocell control). | Per-fixture monthly rates (e.g., 400W HPS street light $23.38; 1,000W parking lot $65.35); subject to WPCA. (Effective 2024-01-01) | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (50-1,000 kW)
Office parks, retail centers, and light manufacturing on Schedule H where demand and reactive charges drive the bill.
At $6.40/kW demand plus a $0.50/kVAr reactive charge, peak and power-factor management deliver the fastest savings. Pull 15-minute interval data via SmartHub to target peaks.
- Export 12 months of 15-minute data and find your coincident peaks
- Add capacitor banks to keep power factor at/above 90%
- Evaluate primary-voltage service for the 1.5% discount
Large industrial plant (1,000-10,000 kW)
Manufacturing or processing loads on Schedule I-2 with a 5-year contract and the highest demand charge.
Demand at $12.10/kW makes load-factor improvement and peak shaving the dominant savings lever; interval data and COG participation can materially cut the bill.
- Continuously monitor 15-minute demand via the SmartHub API
- Maintain high power factor to avoid kVAr penalties
- Consider COG enrollment for $2.25/kW demand credits
Small three-phase business (<50 kW)
Small commercial and three-phase shops below the demand threshold.
Energy-only pricing means total kWh and the WPCA are the main drivers; efficiency and behavioral measures cut costs directly.
- Use the Usage Explorer and Bidgely insights to find high-use end-uses
- Shift discretionary load and improve HVAC efficiency
- Monitor the WPCA component on bills
Multi-site portfolio / energy manager
Organizations managing several LREMC accounts that need automated data.
OAuth 2.0 Green Button Connect My Data and the NISC REST API enable automated 15-minute interval and billing feeds across all sites without password sharing.
- Register for SmartHub API access via Key Accounts
- Use Green Button CMD for ongoing authorized feeds
- Or pull data through Nectar's API — see docs.nectarclimate.com
Historical Rate Trends
The cooperative adjusts rates through its Board and NCUC filings, driven primarily by wholesale power and distribution equipment costs recovered via the WPCA.
January 1, 2025
Board-approved increase of about 10%; residential energy rose from 10.00 to 11.25 cents per kWh to cover rising wholesale power and distribution equipment costs.
+10%January 1, 2026
Board-approved 2026 rate adjustment effective January 2026: residential energy charge rose to 12.00 cents/kWh and the residential facility charge to $36, with energy and facility charges increasing across all rate classes. An average residential member using 1,000 kWh sees about +$12.50/month (8.71%); commercial/industrial impacts vary by schedule.
+8.71% (avg residential)Overall trend: Rising - successive increases in 2025 and an announced 2026 adjustment.
Next expected change: A Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) of $0.0075/kWh takes effect May 1, 2026; confirm current per-schedule figures on LREMC's electric rate schedules page.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Schedule H and I-2 bills are dominated by demand and reactive charges, C&I members reduce costs most by flattening peaks, correcting power factor, and taking service at primary voltage.
Peak demand management
For: Schedule H and I-2 accounts
Use 15-minute interval data from SmartHub to identify and shave coincident peaks; billing demand is set by the single highest 15-minute interval each month.
Power-factor correction
For: Demand-metered C&I (especially >200 kW on Schedule H)
Install capacitors to keep power factor at or above 90% lagging and avoid the $0.50/billed-kVAr reactive demand charge (and leading-kVAr penalties).
Take service at primary voltage
For: Schedule H and I-2
Where feasible, accept delivery at primary distribution voltage to capture the 1.5% discount on demand and energy charges.
Customer-Owned Generation (COG) participation
For: Members with backup/standby generation
Enroll dispatchable on-site generation to earn a $2.25/kW monthly demand credit plus event energy credits.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a C&I member get 15-minute interval data for all meters?▾
Yes. Lumbee River EMC has deployed AMI system-wide, so every metered service has 15-minute interval data viewable in the SmartHub Usage Explorer and exportable as CSV or Green Button ESPI XML. Multi-site businesses can manage all meters under one SmartHub login or coordinate with Key Accounts for consolidated access.
How does an energy manager or aggregator get authorized API access to our usage?▾
Two paths: (1) the customer authorizes a third party directly in SmartHub under Account Settings > Authorization > Third-Party Access, or (2) the vendor registers for the NISC SmartHub developer/ESPI API via LREMC Key Accounts and uses OAuth 2.0 Green Button Connect My Data. Both deliver 15-minute interval and billing data without sharing portal passwords.
Which rate schedules apply to commercial and industrial accounts?▾
Schedule G-2A (Small Three-Phase, demand under 50 kW), Schedule H (Medium General Service, 50 kW-1,000 kW, with demand and reactive charges), and Schedule I-2 (Large General Service, 1,000 kW-10,000 kW). Larger demand accounts on Schedules H and I-2 carry both per-kW demand charges and power-factor/kVAr adjustments, so interval data is essential for managing peak demand.
Does Lumbee River EMC support EDI for business billing?▾
EDI is not publicly advertised. As an NISC SmartHub utility it may support X12 transactions (e.g., 810 invoice, 867 usage) through NISC enterprise solutions. Contact Business Development / Key Accounts at 910-843-4131 to inquire about a Trading Partner Agreement.
Is there a demand-response or load-management option for large members?▾
Yes. The Customer-Owned Generation (COG) Rider lets members with on-site generation receive a $2.25/kW monthly demand credit plus event-based energy credits when the cooperative dispatches their generator (max 60 hours/year). It requires 15-minute interval metering and an Automation Qualification Test.
Automate Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation Rate Analysis with Nectar
Nectar continuously monitors your Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation rate options and alerts you when a better schedule is available. Save 10-30% on energy costs.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility costs for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free rate analysis — we'll review your current rate schedules and identify where switching tariffs or shifting load can save 10-30%.
Get a Free Rate AnalysisNectar for Energy Brokers & Consultants
Advising clients on rate optimization? Nectar works with energy consultants who need reliable interval data and automated rate comparison tools.
Partner with Us