Payment Options
Drop Box For Paying After Hours:
For customer convenience, a drop box is located at our Remote Office located at 407 S. Griffin Street, Ste. B. For added security, please do not deposit cash in the after-hours depository. Payments deposited in the box after 2:00 p.m. are considered next-day payments.
Options In Billing Payments:
To better serve the needs of customers, the City offers many options to bill payments. They are described below. To begin any of these options, please call a Customer Service representative.
- Equal Payment Plan
- Bank Draft
- On-line/Telephone Credit or Debit Card
Equal Payment Plan:
The purpose of this plan is to spread the cost of electric service as evenly as possible on a monthly basis over an annual period and to assist customers with home budgeting. Billing under this plan will not result in any greater or lesser payments to the City than would be the case with customary monthly billings.
To qualify for the Equal Payment Plan, accounts should be paid in full prior to beginning the Equal Payment Plan.
Late Payments: If a customer is late in paying his/her monthly bill, he/she may be removed from the equal payment plan.
Rate Adjustment: When an electric rate adjustment is approved, the equal payment amount will be adjusted by the same percentage.
Termination of Equal Payment Plan: The agreement remains in effect until the customer or the City decides to end the payment option.
The City reserves the right to request a payment adjustment conference with the customer between anniversary dates if it appears that the amount billed and the amount paid will vary by a substantial amount.
Bank Drafts:
Bank drafts offer customers the option of having their bank accounts drafted on a set date of the month. This relieves the customer from having the possibility of lost or late payments and saves a trip to the Customer Service Office or the cost of an envelope and stamp.
The draft date will be on the bill's due date. This will allow the customer time to verify or question his/her bill.
The customer should supply the City with a VOIDED check. This gives us the necessary account number, routing number, etc. for the purpose of drafting.
Any draft returned by the bank because of insufficient funds or a closed account will be treated as a returned check and the procedures for a returned check will be followed.
Online/Telephone Credit Card/Debit Card and Check Payments:
Open Edge processes all phone and on-line payments, (check by phone, credit and debit card). You may call 1-866-222-0694, choose option 1 and follow the prompts. This service is available to residential and commercial customers. Credit and debit card payments are not accepted in the office.
Payments can be made 24 hours a day, using the automated phone or on-line service.
Open Edge does charge the following fees for each transaction. Credit Card or Debit Card Fee of 2% of the bill amount and an E check fee of $1.25. The City of Elizabeth city does not receive any of the convenience fees charged by Open Edge. These are merchant fees charged by banks to help defray the transaction processing costs along with the cost of extending the credit.
Kiosk:
Payments can be made at the Kiosk 24 hours a day. The Kiosk is located at the City Hall office in Lane 3 of the Drive Thru. There are no fees associated with this payment method.
Extensions of Time For Payment of Bills:
Customer Request: All requests must be made by the person (or their authorized, legal representative) in whose name the account is opened.
The customer requesting the extension must call or come into the Customer Service Office and request the extension prior to the scheduled cut-off date.
Maximum: Maximum extension will be 5 working days from the cut-off date.
Valid Reason: The Customer will be required to give a valid reason as to why the extension is needed.
Agreement: If payment is not made by the specified time, service will be disconnected without further notice.
Approval of Extension: An extension is a privilege and will be granted based on customer need and circumstances. An extension will not be guaranteed and may be denied for excessive abuse.
Partial Payments:
Partial payments are accepted on an account. A partial payment does not waive an involuntary discontinuance of service. A partial payment is first applied to sewer service, then to water and then to electric.
Payment Option Forms Available:
The following forms listed below require Adobe Acrobat Reader which may be download for free at www.adobe.com.