Efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 have disrupted life’s routines for just about everyone in Clark County. As individuals the impacts on our lives range from inconvenience to incredible hardship; for all of us things are far from normal right now.
If one of your usual routines included visiting a Clark Public Utilities customer service office, don’t worry. Although the utility’s customer service lobbies are currently closed to protect customer and employee health, representatives are still available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 360-992-3000 or mailbox@clarkpud.com.
This is also a good time to sign up for MyAccount, the Clark Public Utilities customer service portal, at clarkpublicutilities.com. It’s a helpful tool to monitor energy usage, update text and email notifications, and manage your account. MyAccount is secure and convenient, and designed to work on computers, smartphones and tablets.
If you need help getting started, call customer service at any time and a representative can walk through the MyAccount sign up process on the phone.
MyAccount offers flexibility that puts you in control. Through MyAccount, accountholders can update account and contact information and grant or restrict account access to another person at any time.
Customers can also catch up on utility news by reading a digital version of Currents, the Clark Public Utilities newsletter.
As an essential service provider, the utility is continuing to process mail during this time. But signing up for paperless billing and notifications is an easy way for customers to avoid the hassle of writing checks, buying postage and cutting back on the paperwork in their lives. Plus, it helps the utility keep materials expenses down. Through MyAccount, notifications can be customized to send emails or texts when a new bill has been generated, payment reminders, processed payments and updates on outages and restorations.
With the home energy calculator feature of MyAccount, customers can better understand their own energy usage and learn about ways to reduce their consumption. Users create a profile of their account by answering a few basic questions about their home, which the system combines with usage information from the utility. Customers are then presented with a detailed analysis of a household’s energy usage and numerous suggestions on ways they can save energy and money.
While we do ask that customers with stable income continue to pay utility bills, those experiencing a financial crisis are encouraged to call Customer Service and talk through payment assistance and arrangements options. Recent adjustments in assistance program eligibility requirements will allow more customers to qualify during this declared emergency.
We’re all looking forward to the day life gets back to normal. Until then, Clark Public Utilities customers can be assured their public, nonprofit utility will continue to work around the clock to keep the lights on.
In the event an outage does occur, customers can report it through the online outage reporting tool on the website, or by calling 360-992-8000.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
