What PSO actually covers on your Oklahoma electric service

You flip a breaker in August and nothing changes. The porch light is out, the fridge is quiet, and it’s 104 outside. You call it in and start the same questions I hear every storm season. What does Public Service Company of Oklahoma cover at my house, what do they not, and what are those charges on my bill paying for? Here’s the straight talk, from the pole to the meter to the line items.

Where PSO’s wires actually run in Oklahoma

Public Service Company of Oklahoma, or PSO, is the investor‑owned electric utility that serves much of eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. If you live in places like Tulsa, Lawton, McAlester, Broken Arrow, Bartlesville, Elk City, or dozens of smaller towns strung along that footprint, PSO is the electric company that bills you and restores your power after a storm. If you’re in the Oklahoma City metro, you’re usually in OG&E territory; different utility, different tariffs. PSO is headquartered in Tulsa and is regulated by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

On your property, PSO owns and maintains the meter itself and the lines up to the point of delivery. For typical overhead service, that point is where our service drop connects to your service mast at the weatherhead. The parts on your side of that connection are yours: the mast, weatherhead, meter base, and the wiring into your panel. If a storm pulls your weatherhead off the wall, you hire a licensed electrician to repair it before we can safely reconnect. If our line is down in the alley or the transformer is out, that’s our repair.

Trees cause more outages here than anything else, so PSO trims along primary distribution lines on a set cycle. We do not routinely trim trees along the small span that runs from the pole to your house, called the service drop. If limbs are on that service drop and you’re having a tree crew take them, we’ll come out to drop the service line clear while they work, then we’ll rehang it. You schedule your crew; we handle the line.

If your lights are out, report it and get a ticket number using PSO’s outage channels or by phone at 1‑833‑776‑7697 (that’s 1‑833‑PSO‑POWR). The outage map updates as we patrol and make repairs, which is why your neighbor might show “restored” while your ticket still shows “assigned.”

What do PSO’s residential rates look like today?

Every PSO bill starts with a flat monthly customer charge and then stacks your energy charges, riders such as fuel cost adjustments, and taxes. Residential customers have a few different rate options. The names below are the exact PSO tariff names, and every number shown is from the current published schedules.

Each of these rates still adds PSO’s riders. The most visible is the fuel cost adjustment that tracks actual fuel and purchased power costs. You’ll also see taxes and any municipally‑approved franchise fee where you live. Bills unpaid by the due date get a 1.5 percent late fee on the unpaid balance. That percentage is printed right on the tariff sheet.

PSO’s summer on‑peak season is defined as the billing months of June through October. On the time‑of‑day rates, on‑peak hours are 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the tariff specifically excludes Juneteenth, Independence Day, and Labor Day from that window. If you can shift heavy use out of those hours, RSTOD or RSEV can fit like a glove. If your household is home and cooking at 5 p.m., the simple RS tier may make more sense.

Does PSO buy back power from home solar in Oklahoma?

Yes, but not at retail. PSO’s current small‑scale interconnection options are written into two tariffs for systems up to 300 kW.

Net Energy Billing Option (NEBO)

NEBO lets you operate your solar or other small power system in parallel with PSO and net your energy each month. Any surplus you generate in a billing month is credited in dollars at PSO’s avoided energy cost, which the tariff defines from the Southwest Power Pool day‑ahead market. The on‑peak period used for that calculation matches the same 2:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, June–October window. Credits carry forward month to month as dollar credits. NEBO requires a separate production meter, and PSO caps installed capacity at 125 percent of your site’s annual peak demand.

QF Standard Purchase Schedule (QF SPS)

If you’d rather sell all or part of your generation as a qualifying facility, PSO will purchase energy under a published buyback rate. As filed effective April 30, 2026, the firm energy purchase rate is $0.04171/kWh and the non‑firm rate is $0.03187/kWh. Those rates are subject to change by order, but they’re printed on the current sheet. This path also requires a production meter and the standard purchase agreement.

The bottom line for solar in PSO territory is that you offset your own usage first, then any extra is credited at an avoided cost rate tied to the market, not the retail rate you pay. If your system is sized to your actual use and you manage daytime loads, that structure can still pencil out, but it isn’t one‑for‑one retail net metering.

Fees, deposits, and reconnects: what shows up besides energy

Some charges on a PSO bill are steady and predictable. Some show up only if you trip a wire on the rules. These are defined in the tariff, and they don’t change without an order.

The residential base service charge is $17.00 per month on each of the residential schedules above. That’s your minimum bill before any kWh, and it helps cover the fixed costs of keeping the meter, service, and account in place. If you pay late, the late payment charge is 1.5 percent of the unpaid balance. Returned checks add a $22.00 returned‑payment fee.

If you’re disconnected for non‑payment, the tariff lists a Service Reconnection Fee. During normal working hours, a standard reconnection at a typical residential meter is $22.00. If it requires a pole or subsurface box crew, the normal‑hours fee is $66.00. After‑hours reconnection charges are higher: $56.00 for a standard meter and $171.00 if a pole or subsurface box is involved. Those figures are exactly as stated on PSO’s Service Charges schedule.

Meter tampering is a fast way to turn an expensive month into a very expensive one. The tariff lists a $50.00 fee for a broken meter seal plus the documented cost to repair damage. If we have to test a meter at your request and it turns out to be accurate, the meter test fee is $48.00 for a self‑contained residential meter. If a customer requests extra meter reads between normal cycles more than once in a 12‑month period, there’s a $20.00 special meter reading fee during regular hours.

Deposits are regulated, and PSO files a Deposit Plan the same as every other investor‑owned utility in the state. For a new or at‑risk residential account, the deposit is capped at no more than one‑sixth of your estimated annual bill. There are also clear rules for how interest accrues on deposits and how it gets credited to your account annually. Pay your bills on time for 12 consecutive months and you can qualify to have the deposit returned or credited, per the plan.

Programs PSO runs that actually help

First tool in the box is the Average Monthly Payment plan. It does exactly what the name says. PSO takes the past 12 months of your usage and averages it into a steady monthly amount, then recalculates it periodically so it tracks your actual consumption. That keeps summer peaks from blowing up your budget. There is no discount built into AMP; it’s a billing smooth‑out so you can plan.

The one that changes the game for a lot of folks who’ve already tripped the disconnect wire is Power Pay, PSO’s prepaid service. It skips the security deposit and reconnect fees and lets you pre‑fund your usage daily. The minimum to start is a $40.00 balance. If you’re carrying a past‑due balance when you enroll, each payment is split 80 percent to future usage and 20 percent to that carryover until it’s paid down, with a carryover cap of $1,500. Low‑balance alerts can be set as low as $10, so you see trouble coming before the lights go out. To enroll, call the dedicated Power Pay line at 844‑769‑7729.

PSO also partners with community groups for bill assistance. The utility’s donation‑funded program with the Salvation Army directs contributions to help households in a disconnect spiral. Customers donate and PSO covers the administrative costs so the donations go to assistance. That’s not a rate discount and not guaranteed, but it’s real bill help that exists in PSO territory and is run with a local partner.

Last, PSO has efficiency rebates and tips through its customer programs. Insulation, smart thermostats, and HVAC upgrades are steady, low‑drama ways to cut your kWh. Programs change by budget year, so check your account portal for what’s live.

Key things to know before you call

• PSO’s residential base service charge is $17.00 every month before kWh. That’s on all three residential schedules.
• Time‑of‑day on‑peak is 2:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, only in June–October. Holidays Juneteenth, July 4, and Labor Day are excluded from on‑peak.
• Standard reconnection for non‑payment during normal hours is $22.00. After‑hours residential reconnection is $56.00.
• Deposits are capped at one‑sixth of a year’s bill. Interest on deposits is credited annually according to the plan on file.
• Power Pay starts with $40.00, uses an 80/20 split to pay down old balances, and has no reconnect fee. Enroll by calling 844‑769‑7729.
• Solar surplus under NEBO is credited at an avoided cost tied to the market, not retail. The QF buyback schedule currently lists $0.04171/kWh for firm and $0.03187/kWh for non‑firm energy.
• Outage reporting is fastest through PSO’s tools or at 1‑833‑776‑7697. A ticket number helps you track your status.

Reader Q&A

What’s the difference between PSO’s regular residential rate and the time‑of‑day plan?

On the regular Residential Service rate you pay seasonal tiered kWh prices with no clock involved. On the Residential Service Time of Day plan you pay a much higher price during 2:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, in June–October, and a much lower price the rest of the time. Same $17.00 base charge on both. If your heavy use lands outside the on‑peak window, RSTOD can lower your energy line item.

My limbs are on the wire from the pole to my house. Will PSO trim them?

PSO trims along primary lines to maintain system reliability but does not routinely trim trees along your individual service drop. If your tree crew needs it dropped, we will temporarily lower the service line so they can work safely, then rehang it after. If limbs are on the main line in the alley or street, that’s in our trimming program.

Can I avoid a deposit if I’m starting service with PSO?

Yes, by choosing the Power Pay prepaid option. It requires a starting balance of $40.00 and has no deposit or reconnection fees. On a standard post‑pay account, the deposit is capped at one‑sixth of an estimated annual bill and earns interest until it’s credited or returned.

How does PSO credit extra solar generation at my home?

Under the NEBO tariff, any monthly surplus is credited at PSO’s avoided energy cost based on the Southwest Power Pool day‑ahead market. The on‑peak hours for that calculation match 2:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, in June–October. It’s not retail one‑for‑one netting.

Here’s how to choose. If you can push laundry, dishwashers, and EV charging later in the evening, look hard at RSTOD or RSEV. If your schedule pins you to late‑afternoon use in summer, the standard RS rate’s seasonal tiers are the simpler, safer fit. And if you’re behind and facing a cutoff, Power Pay with the $40.00 start buys you time while you pay the balance down.

Published: September 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the Oklahoma editorial team