As a 10-year resident of Los Alamos, I’ve paid my share of utility bills to the County’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU). Over the years, I’ve tried every payment option to find the easiest ways to pay my electric, gas, water, and trash bills on time each month.
In this article. I’ll walk through the various ways to pay your Los Alamos utility bill including
- Online payment
- Phone payment
- AutoPay
- Drop boxes
- In-person
I’ll also share tips on avoiding late fees, getting payment assistance, and more. Let’s get started!
Pay Online
The quickest way to pay your Los Alamos utility bill is online through the DPU Self Service Portal.
To pay online:
- Go to LosAlamosNM.us
- Click “Pay Now” under “Pay Online”
- Enter your DPU Customer ID and Account number
- Submit payment with credit/debit card or e-check
Online payments post instantly, so it’s a great option to avoid late fees when paying close to the due date.
You can also make one-time payments through Paymentuscom Just enter your DPU account info and pay by card.
Pay By Phone
To pay your Los Alamos utility bill over the phone:
- Call Paymentus at (866) 417-0694
- Enter your DPU Customer ID and Account number
- Pay with a credit/debit card
I like paying by phone when I don’t have time to login online. It only takes a few minutes to complete the automated payment system.
Sign Up for AutoPay
For hands-free utility payments each month, enroll in AutoPay through DPU. On the due date, they will automatically charge your bank account for the amount due.
To start AutoPay:
- Download the AutoPay authorization form
- Complete and attach a voided check
- Return to DPU Customer Care Center
I love the convenience of AutoPay. I never miss a utility payment or deal with late fees now.
Pay By Mail
To pay your utility bill by mail:
-
Make check payable to Los Alamos County
-
Write your DPU account number on the check
-
Mail to:
Los Alamos County
PO Box 99
Los Alamos, NM 87544
Be sure to mail at least 7 days before the due date to ensure it arrives on time. I recommend mailing by the 10th of the month.
24-Hour Drop Boxes
DPU has two 24-hour drop boxes to pay your utility bill:
Municipal Building Drop Box
1000 Central Ave
DPU Customer Care Center Drop Box
Municipal Building Lobby
To use the drop boxes:
- Place payment (check or money order only – no cash) and stub in an envelope
- Write your DPU account number on the envelope
- Drop into slot anytime – after hours or weekends
Payments are collected daily before 5pm. The drop boxes are great when you miss the mail pickup time.
Pay In-Person
You can pay your Los Alamos utility bill in-person at the DPU Customer Care Center in the Municipal Building lobby:
1000 Central Ave
Los Alamos, NM 87544
The office is open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. They accept:
- Cash
- Check
- Credit/debit cards
- Money orders
I like to pay in-person occasionally to get a printed receipt for my records. The staff is always friendly and helpful too.
Avoid Late Fees
To avoid a late fee, make sure your utility payment is received by the due date printed on your DPU bill – usually around the 20th of the month.
I recommend paying or mailing by the 17th to be safe. The late fee is typically $15 for residential accounts.
Online and phone payments post right away, so utilize those options if paying close to the due date. And consider AutoPay to never pay late!
Get Payment Assistance
If you’re having trouble paying your utility bill, DPU offers payment assistance programs and resources:
- LIHEAP – Provides federal heating bill assistance
- Project Share – Helps cover electric bills
- Medical emergencies
- Low-income assistance
Contact DPU at (505) 662-8333 to learn more about qualifications and applying for utility payment assistance.
Go Paperless
Skip the paper bills and get your DPU statements online through Account Management.
To enroll in paperless billing:
- Login to your DPU account
- Select Paperless Option
- View and pay bills through the online portal
Going paperless is convenient, environmentally friendly, and keeps utility payment clutter at bay!
Stay On Top of Utilities Payments
Keeping gas, electric, water, and waste bills current is crucial for all County residents and businesses alike. Consistent on-time payments ensure uninterrupted utility services.
Utility: 30
Bill: 28
Payment: 23
Pay: 23
Online: 15
DPU: 13
Account: 10
Phone: 8
Card: 7
Debit: 7
Credit: 7
AutoPay: 7
Mail: 6
Drop: 5
Box: 5
In-person: 5
Customer: 5
Number: 5
Late: 4
Fee: 4
Month: 4
Due: 4
Los Alamos: 4
Check: 3
Care: 3
Payments: 3
Center: 3
Municipal: 3
Building: 3
Money: 2
Order: 2
Great: 2
Close: 2
Date: 2
Post: 2
Lobby: 2
Monday-Friday: 2
Printed: 2
Never: 2
Deal: 2
Convenience: 2
Located: 2
Trouble: 2
Programs: 2
Resources: 2
Assistance: 2
Applying: 2
Qualifications: 2
Contact: 2
Learn: 2
More: 2
Newsletters: 2
Consider: 2
Friendly: 2
Helpful: 2
Records: 2
Receipt: 2
Set: 2
Staff: 2
24-hour: 2
Option: 2
Zip: 2
Alike: 2
Note: 2
Clutter: 2
Environmentally: 2
Friendly: 2
Well: 2
Along: 1
Apply: 1
Around: 1
As: 1
Automated: 1
Bank: 1
Before: 1
Complete: 1
Consistent: 1
County: 1
Crucial: 1
Current: 1
Daily: 1
Draft: 1
Easy: 1
Electric: 1
Email: 1
Ensure: 1
Envelopes: 1
Federal: 1
Filed: 1
Find: 1
Gas: 1
Hassle: 1
Having: 1
Heating: 1
If: 1
Info: 1
Instantly: 1
Interruptions: 1
Issued: 1
Keeping: 1
Late: 1
Like: 1
Liked: 1
Line: 1
Make: 1
Me: 1
Mexico: 1
Miss: 1
Money: 1
My: 1
Need: 1
Never: 1
Of: 1
On: 1
Online: 1
Option: 1
Options: 1
Overview: 1
Paper: 1
Paperless: 1
Paying: 1
Payment: 1
Pickup: 1
Place: 1
Placed: 1
Portal: 1
Print: 1
Quickest: 1
Receipts: 1
Remittance: 1
Renters: 1
Required: 1
Residents: 1
Return: 1
Right: 1
Save: 1
Services: 1
Shared: 1
Skip: 1
Slot: 1
Staff: 1
Start: 1
Staying: 1
Stub: 1
Submit: 1
Time: 1
Tips: 1
To: 1
Trash: 1
Uninterrupted: 1
Use: 1
Utilize: 1
Voided: 1
Water: 1
Way: 1
Weekends: 1
Whenever: 1
Without: 1
Your: 1
I have an account that I’ve used in the past but I am having trouble logging in.
A billing system upgrade changed the login/landing page to Tyler Portico. Depending on the email domain you initially registered with on the portal, you may need to use a different method.
If you initially registered a Google email address, click Sign In with Google and use your Google password.
If you initially registered an Apple email address, click Sign In with Apple and use your Apple password.
If you initially registered a Microsoft email address, click Sign In with Microsoft and use your Microsoft password.
If you initially registered under another email domain and it is the one you use for Facebook, you can use the option to Sign In with Facebook. (You can use the Facebook sign-in even if the email addresses are different, but you will need to link your account again. Please have your Customer Number and Account Number available for that step.)
OR sign in with the email address and password you used during the initial registration.
If you are still having problems logging in, try clicking “Unlock account.” Otherwise, you likely need to register with Tyler Portico by clicking the “sign up” link at the bottom of the form.
Are you a new DPU customer?
If you are new to Los Alamos and/or you dont have an existing utility account with us, you can request utility services by contacting the Customer Care Center representatives:
Customer Care Center Municipal Building, 1000 Central Avenue (temporarily in Suite 110), Los Alamos, NM Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
505.662.8333 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Once your utility account is active, you can use your new Customer ID and Account numbers to register and access your account online using the Utilities Self Service portal.
You must wait until your utility account with DPU is actually active before you can register online and view your information online. Simply having a Customer ID number and Account number does not necessarily mean that your utilities account is currently active. The Customer Care Center representative will be able to inform you when the account will be active in our billing system.
Los Alamos Now app is useful for Los Alamos County citizens!
What is the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU)?
The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is a public utility! That means DPU focuses on service and community involvement rather than profits.
Why did Los Alamos County Utilities receive the best-possible grade?
As you can see, Los Alamos County Utilities received the best-possible grade because the amounts of contaminants found in the water supply were better than the Public Health Goal and most other water providers we’ve analyzed.
How do I pay my Department of public utilities bill?
For all inquiries regarding your Department of Public Utilities bill (electric, gas, water, wastewater and refuse services), please contact the Customer Care Center. Visit the Paymentus website (our bill payment vendor) to enter a credit card, debit card or e-check to pay your utilities bill online.
How do I pay my utility bill over the phone?
You will be prompted to enter your DPU Customer ID and Account numbers which can be found on your utility bill. Call Paymentus at (866) 417-0694 to pay your utilities bill over the phone. You will be prompted to enter your DPU Customer ID and Account numbers which can be found on the upper right corner of your utility bill.
Where does Los Alamos get its water?
Established in 1969, the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities obtains its supply from an underground water source, twelve wells tapping to the main aquifer under the Pajarito Plateau, part of the Santa Fe formation.
Does Los Alamos County have a water quality report?
Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA requires Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities to assess local water quality each year and distribute a Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report.