Knowledge Base

As of April 26, 2022, the RPU Board adopted an updated Billing, Credit, and Collections Policy. The policy includes information on: Billing, Late Payment Fees, Payment Options, Deposits, Delinquent Accounts and Disconnection of Service, Cold Weather Rule, Deceased Customer, Disputes and Appeals, and Meter Tampering.

Billing

Monthly bills are issued for the following utility services; electric, water, and/or any billings on behalf of the City or other City Departments. All utility charges for the services RPU provides are calculated in accordance with the Rate Schedule approved by the RPU Board of Directors and Rochester City Council. All billing statements are due and payable on or before the due date. For more detailed information, read the complete policy here.

Late Payment Fees

All billing statements are due and payable on or before the Due Date. Bills not paid by the Due Date are subject to a late payment fee equal to .65% of the average outstanding balance for the current billing period or $5, whichever is greater. The late fee will be added to the Customer's outstanding account balance. If the average outstanding balance amount is $20 or less, a late payment fee will not be added. In the event of a billing error, late payment fees will be removed from the account as determined by RPU staff.

Payment Options

RPU offers convenient options ways to receive and pay your monthly utility bill. Choose from paperless bill, autopay, and elect to receive monthly billing notifications. To sign up for any of these options, register your account on RPU Connect or complete this enrollment form. You can return the form by email to customercare@rpu.org, by mail, or by bringing it to the RPU Service Center.

Budget Billing Plan

RPU offers a Budget Billing Plan for qualifying residential and small general service customers. This program provides a more predictable monthly payment by averaging a customer’s utility costs over the year.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for Budget Billing, customers must:

• Have at least 12 months of billing history at their service address.
• Have a current account balance paid in full.

Each year, RPU will review the account and adjust the monthly payment amount based on actual usage. Any credit or outstanding balance may be factored into the new budgeted amount.

Program Guidelines

• If an account becomes past due, it will be removed from Budget Billing and returned to standard billing. Delinquent accounts may be subject to further collection actions.
• Customers who voluntarily leave the program must maintain 12 months of acceptable credit history before re-enrolling.
• Additional payment arrangements are not available while enrolled in Budget Billing.
• Customers who are disconnected for non-payment are not eligible but may reapply after re-establishing acceptable credit history.

To enroll in Budget Billing, or for more information, email customercare@rpu.org or call 507-280-1500.

For more information, visit: 

Billing & Payment Options | Rochester Public Utilities