Simplifying Bill Payment with Otter Tail Power

Paying your electricity bill can be a hassle – searching for the bill, writing a check, buying stamps, remembering to mail it Who has time for all that these days? Fortunately, Otter Tail Power offers easy and convenient ways to pay your bill online, saving you time and trouble In this article, we’ll explore the different online payment options Otter Tail Power provides its customers.

Overview of Otter Tail Power

First, a quick overview of Otter Tail Power for those unfamiliar with this electricity provider. Otter Tail Power is an investor-owned electric utility company based in Fergus Falls Minnesota. They provide electricity to more than 130000 customers in 470 communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Otter Tail Power has been around for over 100 years, having been founded in 1907. Today they operate 9 generating facilities fueled by a mix of coal, natural gas, diesel fuels and renewable sources.

Now that we know a bit about the company, let’s look at the ways you can easily pay your Otter Tail Power bill online.

Electronic Bill Pay

The most full-featured option for paying your Otter Tail Power bill online is to sign up for Electronic Bill Pay through their My Account portal.

To use Electronic Bill Pay, you first need to register for a My Account on the Otter Tail Power website. Registration only takes a few minutes. You’ll need your account number and an email address.

Once registered, you can login anytime to view your current Otter Tail Power bill as well as previous bills going back 24 months. You can see your usage and charges broken down.

In addition to viewing bills, My Account also allows you to:

• Schedule one-time payments or recurring autopay
• Make a payment by credit/debit card or checking account
• Sign up for paperless billing
• View payment history
• Update account information
• Subscribe to email/text alerts (payment reminders, outage notices, etc)

So with Electronic Bill Pay you get complete control and visibility over your Otter Tail Power account and payments. It takes just minutes to login and pay your bill. And setting up autopay means you never have to worry about late payments again.

Quick Pay

If you don’t want the full My Account access but still want the convenience of online payments, Otter Tail Power offers a Quick Pay option through their third-party partner Paymentus.

With Quick Pay there is no registration required. You simply go to the Otter Tail Power website and click on the “Pay Now” link anytime you want to make a payment.

To use Quick Pay you’ll need your Otter Tail Power account number and service address zip code. You can make a one-time payment up to $800 using your credit card, debit card or checking account.

The payment posts to your Otter Tail Power account immediately, so it’s a fast and easy way to pay your bill. No more writing checks, managing stamps or remembering to mail it.

While Quick Pay doesn’t offer all the features of Electronic Bill Pay through My Account, it’s great for times when you just want to log in and pay your bill quickly without having to register for anything.

Pay By Phone

You can also pay your Otter Tail Power bill over the phone using their automated pay-by-phone system. Simply call 1-877-999-3412 anytime 24/7 and use the automated system to make a payment.

You’ll need to enter your 10-digit Otter Tail Power account number and zip code. The automated system will tell you your current account balance and you can choose to make a payment.

Pay-by-phone allows you to pay by debit/credit card or checking account. There is a $3.95 fee per transaction for using the pay-by-phone system.

So in a pinch, you can call in your payment if you don’t have time to login and pay online. But overall, the online options tend to be faster and more convenient than paying by phone.

Pay In Person

You can also pay your Otter Tail Power bill in person at any Western Union location across the U.S. Take your bill with you to reference your account number.

In person payments can be made by cash, check or money order. Western Union charges a convenience fee for this service, so it’s not the most economical option. But it can be useful if for some reason you cannot pay online or by phone.

AutoPay

One of the best ways to simplify bill payment is to enroll in Otter Tail Power’s AutoPay program. This automatically deducts your payment each month from your bank account or credit card, so your bill gets paid on time without you having to do anything.

To sign up for AutoPay, you just need to register for a My Account as described above. Once logged in, you can complete the AutoPay enrollment process.

With AutoPay, you still receive a bill each month for your records, but the payment happens automatically on the due date so you don’t have to take any action. This prevents any late fees and frees you from having to remember when your bill is due each month.

Budget Billing

For customers who want predictable monthly bills, Otter Tail Power offers a Budget Billing program. With this, your payment stays the same each month based on your average annual electricity usage.

At the end of each year, your account is reconciled and your monthly budget amount may be adjusted up or down accordingly. This helps avoid the fluctuation in bills month to month.

To enroll in Budget Billing, you need to have a zero account balance. Sign up through your My Account or contact customer service.

Budget Billing prevents surprises by keeping your bill consistent and manageable all year long. And you still have all the convenient online payment options to pay each month.

Payment Assistance Programs

Facing financial hardship? Otter Tail Power understands extra help may be needed at times. They offer several assistance programs for qualifying customers, including:

• Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – Provides federal money to help pay bills

• Low Income Rate Assistance (LIRA) – Offers lower monthly rates

• CARES act funding – Temporary bill payment help due to COVID-19

• Payment arrangements – Customized payment installment plans

• Non-profit assistance referrals – Connects you with local non-profit energy assistance

If you’re struggling to keep up with payments, contact Otter Tail Power at 1-800-257-4044 to learn about bill help that may be available. Don’t let an overdue bill spiral out of control. Call early to understand your options.

Mobile App

For maximum convenience, download the Otter Tail Power mobile app (available for iOS and Android). This allows you to access your account, view bills, make payments and more all from your smartphone or tablet.

Key features of the Otter Tail Power app include:

• Pay your bill immediately with just a few taps
• View billing history and account balance
• Monitor energy usage
• Report power outages
• Access energy saving tips
• View current outages on a map
• Receive notifications from Otter Tail Power

No matter where you are, the Otter Tail Power app makes it easy to stay on top of your account and payments. Download it for free from the App Store or Google Play.

In Summary

As you can see, Otter Tail Power offers their customers numerous convenient bill payment options:

• Electronic Bill Pay through My Account allows online bill viewing and payments
• Quick Pay provides fast one-time online payments without registration
• Pay by phone using their 24/7 automated system
• AutoPay signs you up for automatic monthly payments
• Budget Billing gives you a predictable amount each month
• Mobile app lets you manage your account and pay on the go

So go ahead and skip the checks, stamps and mailings by signing up to pay your Otter Tail Power bill online or through the mobile app. Their online payment system is fast, easy, and secure – giving you peace of mind that your bill is paid on time.