CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
(CIP)
Now Available: Financial
Assistance for Commercial, Industrial, Multi-Family Housing, and
Community Organizations to implement energy savings programs and reduce
utility costs.
Provided by: Energy
Management Solutions, Inc.
Click HERE
for more information
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Sign up now to view
and pay
your bills online!
-
You will receive an
email when your bill is ready to view
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You can pay online
anytime (24/7)
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Make a one-time
payment, schedule a payment or set up recurring payments for the
amount of your monthly bill
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Set up a customer
profile so that future payments are fast and easy
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Avoid late
payments; your payment posts the day you make the payment
Click on the links
below to start the process or to make a payment.
NEW Online Bill Pay Users
Returning Users
If you have any
questions, please call PSN, our payment processor, at 877-885-7968. You
can also email questions to:
CustomerService@PaymentServiceNetwork.com
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Customer Reminder Regarding Dogs
The Department of
Public Utilities strives to keep its employees safe while they perform
their daily tasks. Customers are reminded that dogs and other pets may
sometimes react in an unfriendly manner to a Meter Reader or a member of
our Service Crew when they come onto your property.
Please take the necessary precautions to
ensure that your pet is not placed in a situation where it may feel
threatened by a Meter Reader or Serviceman when they have to enter your
property in order to read or service meters.
If you have recently added a dog to your
family, you may call our Customer Service Desk at 748-7545 so that the
presence of your new dog can be noted on your account and our employees
will know to proceed with caution when reading or servicing your
meters.
The Virginia Department of Public
Utilities thanks you for your cooperation in ensuring that our employees
and your pet(s) are not placed in an uncomfortable situation.
Meter Sealing Policy
Reminder
Customers
are reminded that meters are sealed by Utility personnel and cannot be
tampered with for any reason. If you need to have your meter seal
removed, please call our office at 218-748-7545 and we will send an
employee to remove your seal.
A
seal is any wire, lock, cable, padlock, or other device used to secure,
prevent the
opening of, or access to a metering device, steam condensate system,
water system, gas system, or electrical system to ensure proper
metering.
A
seal that is found to be damaged, cut, or broken in any manner as to
make the seal ineffective may result in a fine. Questions regarding the
Department’s Meter Sealing Policy can be obtained by calling
our Business Office at 218-748-7540.
Taking Utilities Without Paying is a Crime!
The
Department of Public Utilities reminds customers that taking utilities
without paying for them, or with no intention of paying for them, is a
crime.
The
Virginia Utility put a program into place several years ago to ensure
that revenue from all commodities supplied to customers is received and
lost revenue is kept at a minimum.
Remember,
if a customer uses utilities and does not pay for them, those customers
who do pay have to shoulder the expense. If you suspect someone may be
using electricity, steam, water, or natural gas provided by the Virginia
Utility without paying for its use, call the Utility’s Business Office
at 218-748-7540 immediately. Stopped utility theft will have a direct
impact on your home or business - it will keep your costs for utilities
down!
Questions
regarding the Department’s program to stop utility theft can be answered
by stopping at our office or contacting the Director of Operations
Distribution as soon as you suspect utility theft may be occurring.
The 2009 Water Report is available
here
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Effective May 2010, Virginia Public
Utilities will no longer accept 75% of the delinquent amount due as
sufficient payment to avoid final notices and/or disconnection. All
delinquent utility bills must be paid in full (or a written payment
arrangement must be made) by the delinquent due date.
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Sign up NOW for the EQUAL PAYMENT PLAN for June 2010 - May
2011. If you participated for year June 2009 - May 2010, you will
automatically be signed up for this year.
The deadline to sign up is April 26, 2010.
Click
HERE for more information.
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NEW UTILITY RATES IN EFFECT JANUARY
1, 2010
See the new
rate brochure and the
articles in the January 2010
Customer Newsletter
for more information
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Notice for Virginia Utility Customers
Allowing Access by Utility Employees
All
Virginia Utility employees carry a Department Identification Card
containing their picture. Should someone request access to your property,
home, or business for a utility-related issue, be safe, and ask to see
their identification card.
If you are still unsure, call our business office at 218-748-7540 to
verify that utility service has been scheduled for your address. The
Virginia Utility, in conjunction with the Virginia Police Department,
strives to keep our City and its residents safe.
The Virginia Police Department should be contacted if Virginia citizens
see anything suspicious. 911 should be called anytime there is an
emergency and/or you need an officer to respond. The non-emergency Police
phone number is 748-7510.
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NOTICE TO CITY OF VIRGINIA WATER CUSTOMERS
The Virginia Department of Public Utilities will begin flushing fire
hydrants on or about October 4, 2009.
This work will continue for approximately 4 – 6 weeks. Water customers
may experience periods of cloudy or discolored water when hydrants are
flushed in their area. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause
our customers as we prepare for the coming winter.
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Third Party Notification Available for
Virginia Utility Customers
The Virginia Utility offers a service to customers and property owners
that may assist in being sure utility bills are paid. A “Third Party” can
be notified if your bills are running late - it may help you!
If you have been served a notice of proposed disconnection by the
Virginia Utility, you may want to alert a third party (friend, relative,
church group, or community agency) that a disconnection notice has been
issued to you. The third party will not be responsible for paying your
bill but does have the right to contact the Utility and provide
information or work out a payment agreement for you. Any payment agreement
must be signed by the customer, but the terms of the agreement can be set
up for you by your designated third party.
If you want a third party to be notified of the potential disconnect,
please pick up a third party form from our business office - both you and
your third party must sign the form before returning it to our office. A
copy of the third party notification form is also available at the
Utility’s website -
www.vpuc.com.
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Information
on Two-Cycle Billing Change Taking Effect in July 2009
*********************
9/29/08:
MINNESOTA POWER TO RAISE RATES TO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES AGAIN
How
does this affect VPU customers? Read this
article.
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2008
Rate Comparison with Other Local Utilities
Click
HERE
New
Ulm, MN is included because they also have a steam system
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PLEASE
NOTE:
The
Gas Department will not be accepting applications for new gas
service installations for this year after October 15, 2008.
Applications
received after October 15, 2008 will be done after May 15, 2009.
Effective
November 1, 2008
, VPU will no longer be accepting payments at Northern State Bank, Wells
Fargo Bank, US Bank or Super One North. There is a convenient drop
box located at the Utility office at 618 2nd Street South.
Calendar of Events
Meeting
Notices
Virginia
Public Utilities Commission
Regular
scheduled meetings are held at 4:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
***NOTE:
Effective with May 2008, meetings will be held once a month on the fourth
Monday.***
See
"Communications" for minutes of past meetings.
Policy
Changes
Effective
January 1, 2008, additional documentation will be required when
applying for Utility service. A
valid driver’s license or photo ID must now be presented at the time of
application. Additionally,
documentation showing proof of ownership will be required in order for a
customer deposit waiver to be considered.
Please contact our Business Office at
748-7540
with questions or for a copy of the revised policy.
Check
This Out!
Click
above to link to a handy publication from Seattle's City Light department
An
Online Energy Audit from the US
Department of Energy
More
information on making your home energy-efficient and saving money
Check
out information on our BIOMASS PROJECT
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