Electric and Water Accounts
The City of Penticton is pleased to supply electric and water services to its residents. We understand that the billing process can be confusing, and we are here to help! If you don't find answers on our website, please don't hesitate to contact us through our Staff Directory.
Billing Inquiries
City Utility bills are mailed monthly with electric accounts read or estimated each month & water accounts billed a basic charge monthly & actual consumption twice yearly (usually June & October). If there appears to be an error on your bill, please contact our utility staff at (250) 490-2489 within five (5) days of receipt of your bill. Current rate schedules are available by viewing our Fees & Charges Bylaw or at the Electric & Water counter in City Hall.
Payments
The City offers the following payment options to customers:- Pre-authorized Payment Plan; a convenient way to have your utility bill withdrawn from your bank account each month (Pre-Authorized Payment Plan Authorization Form [PDF - 79 KB])
- Telephone or Internet Banking (sign up with your financial institution)
- Payment by Mail or Courier
- In Person to the cashiers at City Hall (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Monday - Friday, except holidays)
- City Hall External Drop Box (24 hours/day, 7 days per week)
- Drop Boxes in the Shopping Centre Financial Institutions (CIBC in Cherry Lane, Valley First in Peachtree - during banking hours)
Please note that payments are applied firstly to any arrears owing & secondly to current charges. The due date shown on your bill is the date when Current Charges are due. Any Arrears should be paid as soon as you receive your bill.
Discounts
A 10% discount will be applied to current charges (excluding taxes) providing payment is received by the due date shown on your utility bill. Please allow sufficient time for payments to reach City Hall by the due date; payment must be received by the City on or before the due date shown on your utility bill in order to qualify for the discount.Utility Policies
There a number of upcoming changes to our utility policies that we would like our customers to be aware of.
The City of Penticton is changing its meter reading dates to be in alignment with the bill printing schedule. Some customers may see an impact with additional consumption days on their March and April bills while this realignment takes place. The potential impact on the customer will depend on when the utility account is normally read; some customers will see no change in consumption days, and some will see up to 14 additional days phased over the two months.
This change is meant to provide better customer service by decreasing the time between consumption use and billing as well as try to time readings more consistently throughout the year. This realignment will also ensure final billing time frames are kept to a minimum.
Payment and Disconnection Changes
The City is making changes to the utility policies, with respect to payment and disconnection changes, and these begin taking effect on March 31, 2013.
Residential customers will now have 22 days to pay their utility bill and receive the discount. This makes due dates the same for both residential and commercial customers.
Unpaid accounts will now be in arrears 23 days from billing date, as opposed to the original timeframe of 30 days. Disconnection notices will be mailed the day after the due date shown on your utility bill. Disconnections will be processed the first and third Wednesday of every month, depending on which billing cycle you fall into. Customers who have had excellent credit with the City may receive an automated phone call as a warning, providing they have a working phone number in the utility system. Customers receiving such a call will have two days to make their payment before receiving a regular disconnection notice.
For full utility policy details, you can view the City of Penticton's Utility Policy [PDF - 65 KB] online. Utility Policy details include things like meter readings and billing, cold weather policies, after hours call outs, NSF cheques, disconnection procedures, and so on.
Forms
Looking for more information?
You can reach us via email through our Staff Directory, by phone at 250-490-2489, by fax at 250-490-2422, or via mail and courier at:
The City of Penticton
c/o Utilities Staff
171 Main Street
Penticton, BC - V2A 5A9
