LPEA members have multiple payment programs, making paying your bill easy and convenient.
Budget Billing helps you avoid seasonal highs and lows with an even monthly payment.
To be eligible for this free program you must:
- have had an account in your name for at least one year at the same service address
- have an acceptable credit history
- have a residential account (commercial accounts are not eligible)
- enroll in the program in May or June of each year
Budget Billing amounts are calculated in May based on your average utility bill across 12 months of use. Any bill credits, or amounts remaining at the end of each year, must be settled before restarting the program for another year.
If your use patterns dramatically increase or decrease during the billing year, please contact us to recalculate your monthly average (970) 247-5786.
Do you have more than one LPEA service account? If so, get rid of those extra billing statements and have all your charges billed on one detailed invoice. You can then pay your bills in one easy payment. Call us to see if you qualify for this service (970) 247-5786.
PrePay accounts allow you to pay upfront for your electricity use and avoid monthly bills. Text and/or email notifications will alert you when your balance is low and needs to be recharged.
To qualify for a PrePay account, LPEA members must:
- have an automated meter installed on their service
- get verbal consent from the landlord before establishing prepay for the tenant (if a standing order exists on the account)
- pay a $25.00 to $65.00 non-refundable start-up fee
Should a PrePay account go into a negative balance, no extra fees are required to reinstate power. Power will turn off automatically when the account goes into a negative balance and will turn on again when the account has a balance of more than $5.01.
Enjoy the convenience of having your bill automatically paid each month from your bank account or card when you enroll in Auto Pay. With Auto Pay, you no longer have to worry about due dates or late fees since your payment is automatically deducted from your account each month. Please note - when you sign up, Auto Pay will begin with your next bill. Any outstanding balance will need to be paid or it will show past due on your next bill. Please do not sign up for the Auto Pay Program if you have scheduled a future payment. Please call us at 970-247-5786 if you would like to choose your monthly payment date.
We understand life can be unpredictable. That's why we do our best to work with you and your situation. We have programs that may help you with your past-due bill. Our policies on late payments are outlined below.
An LPEA bill is considered past due when not paid by the date printed on the bill. If payment is not received three days prior to the next billing date, a reminder/disconnect notice is mailed out for the first two occurrences in a one-year period.
Should a third notice be required, a disconnect notice will be sent and a late fee will be levied for either $4.00 or 1.75% of the past due balance, whichever is greater.
If payment is not received by the due date on the disconnect notice, the service will be terminated. Additional charges are required to restore service after it has been disconnected.
If you are having trouble paying your bill, please call us at (970) 247-5786. We can evaluate your situation and suggest payment plans, budget billing options, or rate changes. We can also refer you to local agencies with funds available for utility bill assistance.
Additional Resources:
- Southwest Colorado Disaster Assistance: swcoda.org
- Pine River Shares: pinerivershares.org and (970) 884-6040
- Housing Solutions of the Southwest: swhousingsolutions.com and (970) 259-1086
- Durango/Bayfield Family Center: lpfcc.org and (970) 385-4747
- Colorado Department of Human Services Low Income Energy Assist: colorado.gov/pacific/cdhs/leap and (866) 432-8435
- Discovery Goodwill: LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org and (719) 635-4483 (available November-April and will only cover your main source of heat)
- Aid to All: aidtoall.org
- Southern Ute Tribal Assistance: (970) 563-4718