Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation Rate Selection Guide
Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 54,200 customers across north-central Tennessee as a TVA distributor. Data access is via the NISC SmartHub portal and mobile app; UCEMC offers no Green Button, EDI, or public API, so granular interval data and third-party access require a manual records request.
Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSA Small (Tier 1) | Commercial | $34.67/mo + 11.035¢/kWh (no demand charge) | Small commercial accounts ≤50 kW and ≤15,000 kWh/mo |
| GSA Medium (Tier 2) | Commercial | $86.97/mo + $16.76/kW (over 50 kW) + 13.423¢/8.125¢ per kWh | Mid-size commercial, 50-1,000 kW |
| GSA Large (Tier 3) | Industrial | $225.28/mo + $15.63/$15.43 per kW + 8.367¢/kWh | Large facilities over 1,000 kW |
| Manufacturing (MSB) | Industrial | $1,500 + $350 admin + $10.70/kW onpeak + 6.034¢/kWh onpeak (summer) | Manufacturers 5,000-15,000 kW at transmission voltage |
| EV Charging (EVC) | EV | $100/mo + 21.113¢/kWh (23.321¢ with fuel) | Dedicated EV charging stations 50-5,000 kW |
Market Overview
Tennessee is a regulated market with no retail choice. UCEMC is a member-owned cooperative that purchases all wholesale power from TVA and resells under TVA-prescribed retail rate schedules. Base demand and energy charges are adjusted monthly through TVA's Total Monthly Fuel Cost (Adjustment Addendum), so all-in prices track TVA fuel costs.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
UCEMC resells TVA power under standard TVA-prescribed retail schedules. Figures below are base charges from UCEMC's published rate schedules dated August 2024 and are subject to TVA's monthly Adjustment Addendum (fuel) and Adjustment 4 of the wholesale schedule — so the all-in price exceeds these base values. Verify current values against UCEMC's published schedules.
Effective: August 1, 2024 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Power – Schedule GSA (Small, Tier 1) | commercial | Commercial/industrial/governmental/institutional customers with contract or highest billing demand ≤50 kW and monthly energy ≤15,000 kWh. | Customer Charge $34.67 per delivery point/mo; Energy Charge 11.035¢/kWh. No demand charge. Subject to TVA monthly fuel adjustment. | — |
| General Power – Schedule GSA (Medium, Tier 2) | commercial | Demand greater than 50 kW but not more than 1,000 kW (or billing demand <50 kW with energy >15,000 kWh). | Customer Charge $86.97/delivery point/mo; Demand Charge: no charge on first 50 kW, $16.76/kW on demand over 50 kW; Energy Charge 13.423¢/kWh for first 15,000 kWh, 8.125¢/kWh additional. Demand = highest 30-minute average. Subject to TVA fuel adjustment. | — |
| General Power – Schedule GSA (Large, Tier 3) | industrial | Contract or highest billing demand greater than 1,000 kW (up to 5,000 kW). | Customer Charge $225.28/delivery point/mo; Demand Charge $15.63/kW for first 1,000 kW and $15.43/kW on excess (plus an additional $15.43/kW above the higher of 2,500 kW or contract demand); Energy Charge 8.367¢/kWh. Subject to TVA fuel adjustment. | — |
| Manufacturing Service – Schedule MSB | industrial | Manufacturing (SIC 20-39 / specified NAICS) customers with onpeak or offpeak contract demand greater than 5,000 kW but not more than 15,000 kW; delivered at 161 kV where available. | Customer Charge $1,500 + Administrative Charge $350 per delivery point/mo; Summer onpeak demand $10.70/kW, maximum demand $2.29/kW; Summer onpeak energy 6.034¢/kWh with seasonal/time-of-use blocks. Subject to TVA fuel adjustment. | — |
| Electric Vehicle Charging – Schedule EVC | ev | Separately metered EV charging stations with demand greater than 50 kW but not more than 5,000 kW. | Customer Charge $100 per delivery point/mo; Energy Charge 21.113¢/kWh base, or 23.321¢/kWh including the stated $0.02208 fuel cost. Subject to TVA fuel adjustment. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial account
Shops, offices, and small businesses under 50 kW and 15,000 kWh per month.
Tier 1 has no demand charge, so the flat 11.035¢/kWh energy rate plus a $34.67 customer charge is simplest and cheapest for small loads.
- Watch the 50 kW / 15,000 kWh thresholds that trigger Tier 2 demand charges
- Download monthly bill PDFs from SmartHub for tracking
- Use the mobile app usage graphs to spot consumption trends
Mid-size commercial / light industrial
Facilities with demand between 50 and 1,000 kW.
Tier 2 introduces a $16.76/kW demand charge over 50 kW and a declining-block energy rate, so peak management and load factor drive the bill.
- Shave the highest 30-minute peak; the ratchet holds 30% of it for 12 months
- Maximize kWh in the lower 8.125¢ block by managing demand
- Stagger large equipment startups to avoid coincident peaks
Large industrial facility
Plants and large facilities over 1,000 kW (up to 5,000 kW on GSA; 5,000-15,000 kW manufacturers on MSB).
Tier 3's 8.367¢/kWh energy rate suits high-usage sites; qualifying manufacturers over 5,000 kW can move to MSB with time-of-use energy and transmission-voltage delivery.
- Evaluate MSB if you exceed 5,000 kW and are SIC 20-39 manufacturing
- Shift load to offpeak under MSB's time-of-use blocks
- Correct power factor and manage the demand ratchet aggressively
EV charging / fleet depot
Separately metered EV charging stations between 50 and 5,000 kW.
Schedule EVC offers a simple energy-only rate (no kW demand charge) tailored to charging stations, which can beat GSA demand charges for spiky charging loads.
- Separately meter charging equipment to qualify for EVC
- Compare EVC's 23.321¢/kWh (with fuel) against GSA demand charges for your duty cycle
- Sequence chargers to flatten the site profile
Historical Rate Trends
As a TVA distributor, UCEMC's base retail schedules follow TVA's prescribed rate structure, and the all-in price is adjusted monthly through TVA's Total Monthly Fuel Cost (Adjustment Addendum). The base figures shown are dated August 2024.
August 1, 2024
UCEMC published current base rate schedules (RS, GSA, MSB, EVC, LS) reflecting TVA structure and adjustments.
n/aOverall trend: Base schedules updated periodically by TVA; effective rates move monthly with TVA fuel costs.
Next expected change: No specific UCEMC rate case scheduled; effective rates change monthly via the TVA fuel adjustment, and base schedules update with TVA wholesale changes.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because UCEMC C&I bills combine a demand charge, a demand ratchet, and a monthly TVA fuel adjustment, the biggest levers are managing the 30-minute peak, choosing the right GSA tier, and improving load factor.
Manage the 30-minute demand peak
For: GSA medium/large and MSB customers over 50 kW
Demand is the highest 30-consecutive-minute average for loads over 50 kW, and a ratchet holds billing demand at ≥30% of the prior 12-month peak. Shaving the single annual peak lowers demand charges for up to a year.
Optimize GSA tier placement
For: Commercial/industrial accounts near a tier boundary
Costs change sharply at the 50 kW and 1,000 kW thresholds. Confirm you are billed on the tier that minimizes total cost for your demand and energy profile, and watch the declining-block energy rate on Tier 2.
Improve load factor
For: Any demand-billed account
Spreading consumption to flatten peaks raises load factor, reducing the demand charge per kWh consumed — especially valuable given the high $/kW demand rates.
Track the TVA fuel adjustment
For: All C&I accounts, especially MSB
Monitor TVA's monthly Total Monthly Fuel Cost adjustment when budgeting; shifting flexible load to lower-cost months and off-peak hours (notably under MSB) reduces fuel-adjusted energy cost.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a commercial customer get 15-minute interval data for load analysis?▾
Not in self-service form. UCEMC has AMI meters but does not expose 15-minute or hourly interval data; the finest documented granularity is daily usage for prepay 'Power Your Way' accounts, and monthly usage for standard accounts. For structured historical usage, file a Records Request at ucemc.com/records-request and expect PDF or paper output rather than a machine-readable interval file.
Does UCEMC support Green Button, EDI, or an API for our energy platform?▾
No. UCEMC offers no Green Button (DMD or CMD), no formal EDI trading-partner program, and no public developer API or webhooks. Integrate via customer-mediated PDF exports from SmartHub or a Records Request with written authorization. Some NISC peer cooperatives have added Green Button, so re-check periodically.
Which rate schedule applies to our commercial or industrial facility?▾
Most commercial and industrial accounts take the General Power Rate (Schedule GSA), which has three tiers by demand: small (≤50 kW and ≤15,000 kWh), medium (50-1,000 kW), and large (>1,000 kW). Facilities over 5,000 kW that are primarily manufacturing may qualify for Schedule MSB. Dedicated EV charging stations over 50 kW can use Schedule EVC. UCEMC is a TVA distributor, so these schedules and their seasonal structure are TVA-prescribed.
How are demand charges calculated, and how can we lower them?▾
Under GSA, demand is metered for loads over 50 kW as the highest average during any 30-consecutive-minute period of the month. Medium customers pay $16.76/kW for billing demand over 50 kW; large customers (>1,000 kW) pay $15.63/kW (first 1,000 kW) and $15.43/kW beyond. A ratchet sets billing demand at no less than 30% of the highest demand in the prior 12 months, so shaving your annual peak has a lasting effect.
Why does our bill change month to month even when usage is flat?▾
UCEMC's base TVA rates are adjusted monthly by TVA's Total Monthly Fuel Cost (the Adjustment Addendum) and Adjustment 4 of the wholesale schedule. These fuel and wholesale adjustments are added on top of the base demand and energy charges, so the effective per-kWh and per-kW prices move with TVA costs even when base rates are unchanged.
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