Summary of Oregon utility consumer’s rights and responsibilities
Pacific Power and the Consumer Services Division of the Oregon Public Utility Commission (also called OPUC) have prepared this summary of your rights and responsibilities when you apply for an account with or are a current customer of a utility company in Oregon.

Pacific Power’s main responsibility is to provide you with reliable services at rates approved by the OPUC. Your main responsibilities are to pay for the services you use, not to damage or tamper with our equipment, and to let us know if you move, would like to change your service or have a problem.

Customer responsibilities

• Use services safely and pay for them promptly
• Contact Pacific Power when you have a problem with payment, service, safety, billing or customer service
• Notify Pacific Power about billing or other errors
• Contact Pacific Power when you anticipate a payment problem to try to set up a payment plan
• Notify Pacific Power when you are moving to another location
• Notify Pacific Power about stopping service in your name or about stopping service altogether
• Allow safe, unobstructed access to your property for meter reading, tree trimming and other essential Pacific Power personnel and equipment
• Provide notice to Pacific Power if you are making any significant change that may affect the electrical character of your load affecting you or others

Deposits
We may ask you to pay a deposit. If a deposit is required, you may be able to pay it in several installments. Our customer service representatives can work with you to make deposit arrangements. Your deposit will be refunded after one year when you have established satisfactory credit according to company regulations.

Third party notices
You may ask that another person receive your bills and notices if you are unable to receive or understand them. You can also ask us to provide notices in another language if you do not understand English.

Financial help
There are programs that give financial help to pay utility bills, depending on your circumstances. The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides money to qualified customers who need help with winter heating bills. Pacific Power also partners with nonprofit organizations like Oregon HEAT to offer energy assistance to qualified customers.

Disconnection notices
Before Pacific Power can disconnect your service, we must notify you. We will give you a 15-day notice, another notice five business days before disconnection and we will try to contact you the day the disconnection is scheduled.

Medical certificates
If you or a member of your household has a serious health problem and you are having trouble paying your utility bills, you may get a medical certificate from your doctor or other medical professional who provides your health care. A medical certificate will prevent immediate disconnection of your service and allow you to set up a payment plan to pay any overdue bill.

Payment plans
We have several special payment options designed to make it easier to pay your electricity bills. You may pay your bills through our Equal Payment Plan that spreads your payments out evenly over a one-year period. If you are unable to pay your electricity bills and we notify you that we are going to disconnect your service, you may also make special arrangements with us to pay the overdue amount over a set period of time.

Late charges
Consumers are responsible for paying their bills on time. Under some circumstances, Pacific Power may add late-payment charges to bills that are paid late.

Collection charges
If you move or stop service with Pacific Power, it is important to pay your closing bill on time. Pacific Power will assign accounts that are unpaid by their due date to a collection agency. Customers are responsible for all reasonable fees and charges associated with the collection of balances owed following the due date of their closing bill.

Moving
You need to let us know as soon as possible if you plan to move. It’s a good idea to do this yourself and not depend on someone else to do it for you. We can’t close your account or process your closing bill until you let us know your move-out date.

Consumer organizations
We have lists of consumer organizations that provide assistance in the various communities we serve. If you would like a list of the organizations in your community, call us at 1-888-221-7070. The OPUC Consumer Services Division has a list of consumer organizations that participate in PUC proceedings. To get this list, call toll free at 1-800-522-2404.

If you have questions about anything in this summary, please call Pacific Power toll free at 1-888-221-7070 or the OPUC Consumer Services Division. If you do not speak English, please try to arrange before you call for an interpreter to help you.

PacificPower and the OPUC understand that you may need special help if you do not speak English, but our offices may not have someone available who speaks your first language.

Complaints and disputes
Pacific Power will promptly investigate every complaint or dispute we receive, and we’ll report to you on the results. Contact us through our toll-free phone number at 1-888-221-7070. This number is also printed on your bill.

If you’re not satisfied with the assistance you received from the first person you talked to at Pacific Power, you have the right to request that your problem be handled by that person’s supervisor, and we’ll give you the supervisor’s name and how he or she can be reached.
If you talk to the supervisor and still aren’t satisfied, you can call the Oregon Public Utility Commission’s Consumer Services Division. Their toll-free phone number is 1-800-522-2404. Pacific Power will not knowingly disconnect your service while you are honestly pursuing a complaint with a supervisor or the Commission.

We’ve tried to tell you in a way that’s easy to understand what Oregon’s laws say about your rights and responsibilities as a utility customer. We aim to keep this information up-to-date, but please see copies of Pacific Power's actual filed tariffs , including rate schedules and general rules and regulations, in their original wording or call 1-888-221-7070.

We take pride in our efforts to provide you with a high level of customer service. Learn more about our Customer Service Guarantee  program.

Working to keep prices down

Delivering safe and reliable power at reasonable prices is a responsibility we take seriously. We continuously work to keep prices down by lowering our operating costs and improving how we do business. See how rates compare across the U.S.