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From time to time, you may have questions about your bill,
payment options or simply about ways to save money by using energy or water
efficiently. Answers to most frequently asked questions are below. If you cannot
find the answer to your question here please e-mail us
at
cservice@ci.tacoma.wa.us.
Utility bill payment options
What is
Budget Billing?
Can I pay my utility bill using a credit card?
Can I pay my utility bill online?
Can I change the due date for my bill?
Where can I pay my utility bill?
What can I do when I can't pay?
Understanding your utility bill
When is my payment due?
What is the customer charge and the energy and delivery charges on my
electricity bill?
Can I read my own meter and call in the readings?
Miscellaneous
Do I have to pay a deposit?
How do I read my electric meter?
How do I read my water meter?
Do I need to be present to have my service connected or reconnected?
If my trees are growing into power lines, will you cut them?
How can I save energy?
How can I save water?
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What is Budget Billing?
Budget billing is a plan to help
residential customers level out their utility bills throughout the year. For
more information about Budget billing click here.
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Can I pay my utility bill using a
credit card?
Yes. Residential customers may call
our Service + automated telephone system to pay your residential utility bill
over the telephone. The telephone number is 253-502-8608. You can
pay using your Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card. All you need is
your account number, the last four digits of the primary account holder's Social
Security Number and your debit or credit card. You will receive a
confirmation number after the transaction has been completed.
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Can I pay my
utility bill online?
Yes. The City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities
now offers a new program called Internet Self Service. It allows you
to view your bill and pay your bill online. You can pay by either
automatic draft from your checking or savings account or by a Visa or MasterCard
debit or credit card. The web site is
www.tacomaservices.org.
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Can I change the date my
bill is due?
Yes, we now offer preferred payment dates of the 10th,
20th and 30th of the month. Please contact Customer Service at (253)
502-8600 to request a preferred payment date.
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Where can I pay my
utility bill?
There are several options:
- By Mail -- The easiest way to pay your bill is to mail it in the
envelope that comes with your utility bill.
- PayStations - click here for locations and maps
- Internet Self Service - new payment option click
here for more information.
- Auto Pay - Use Internet Self Service option
- Service+ - Automated telephone system credit card
payments for residential customers
- In person -- You can pay in person at the Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building at South 35th Street and
Union Avenue.
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What can I do when I can't pay?
To make arrangements on your utility
bill, you can call our automated line at 253-502-8608. If the arrangements are
outside of our general guidelines, your call will automatically be routed to a
Customer Service representative, who can discuss other payment options to assist
you. We will be glad to work with you to make arrangements for payment. Keep in
mind:
- Tacoma Public Utilities and the City
of Tacoma provide customers with a reasonable amount of time to pay utility
bills or make arrangements.
- We will make payment arrangements to
help customers who need a little more time to make their payments.
- Late payment charges are added if
bills are not paid on time. The charge is $3.00 or 1% of the outstanding
balance, whichever is greater.
- Unpaid bills and deposits may result
in service being discontinued. Additional fees are charged to start service.
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When is my payment due?
Utility payments are due 10 days after the bill is mailed.
If you need an extension, please call our automated line at 253-502-8608 to make
arrangements.
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What is the customer charge and the energy and delivery
charges on my electricity bill?
The customer charge is a monthly charge that covers
administrative costs, such as reading and servicing of the meter, preparing and
mailing bills and maintaining and updating billing records and applicable
franchise fees. The delivery charge reflects the costs relating to poles, lines,
transformers, etc. associated with delivering electricity from its source to
your home. The energy charge reflects the costs of producing electricity.
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Can I read my own meter and
call in the readings?
No. With more than 180,000 customers, we do not have the
staff to answer the volume of calls that would be created. We also need to
ensure that meter readings are accurate.
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Do I have to
pay a deposit?
Applicants may be required to pay a deposit for electric,
water and/or commercial solid waste. Security deposits may be waived for
property owners and for those customers who have established a satisfactory payment
history with Tacoma Public Utilities. Various waiver options for residential and
commercial customers offer alternatives to paying the deposit. A deposit is
required for electric, water, and/or commercial solid waste customers who do not
meet the established criteria.
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How do I read my
electric meter?
Reading your electric meter is a great way to track how
your home is using electricity. Read all the dials from left to right. Record
the smaller of the two numbers on either side of the pointer. To figure out how
much electricity you have used, subtract the previous meter reading from your
present meter reading. Most residential meters have signs that say, "multiply by
10." This will give you the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity you have
used since the last reading.
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How do I read my water meter?
Reading your water meter is a great way to track how your
home is using water.
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Do I need to be present to have my
service connected or
reconnected?
In most cases you do not have to be present when your
service is connected or reconnected.
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If my trees are growing into power lines, will you cut
them?
If your trees are growing into the transmission or
distribution power lines, please call Tacoma Power Tree Trimming/Removal line at
253-502-8729. Tacoma Power will not trim trees on private property,
that is between the utility pole and the home.
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How can I save energy?
For information on how to save energy
click
here.
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How can I save water?
For information on how to save water click
here.
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