How to Pay Your Petersburg Utilities Bill Online

Paying your utilities bill is an essential responsibility for all residents and businesses in the city of Petersburg, Virginia. The city’s Public Utilities department provides vital water, sewer and wastewater services that must be paid for each month to avoid disruption. This guide covers everything Petersburg utility customers need to know about paying bills online, including account registration, payment options, managing your account, and avoiding late fees.

Overview of Petersburg Public Utilities

The Petersburg Public Utilities Department is responsible for:

• Providing safe, reliable drinking water to over 12,000 customer accounts
• Collecting and treating approximately 15 million gallons of wastewater per day
• Maintaining the water and sewer infrastructure serving the city
• Reading meters and sending accurate monthly utility bills
• Providing wholesale water and sewer services to surrounding counties

Paying your monthly Petersburg utilities bill funds these essential services while keeping your own accounts active

Why Pay Your Bill Online

Paying online offers Petersburg utilities customers many advantages

• Convenience: Pay anytime, anywhere in just minutes from your computer or mobile device.

• Payment options Pay by credit/debit card, bank account, or set up autopay

• Account management: View billing history, update details, go paperless, and more.

• Control: Schedule one-time or recurring payments to avoid forgetting.

• Security: Online payments are secure and remove risks of lost/stolen checks.

• Confirmation: Get instant payment confirmation when paying online.

• Saves money: Online payments avoid postage costs.

• Speed: Electronic payments post faster than mailing in a check.

How to Pay Your Petersburg Utilities Bill Online

Paying online only takes a few minutes each month, but first requires completing a quick one-time setup:

Step 1: Register Your Account

Begin by registering your account on the city’s online payment portal. You’ll need your account number and any verification details from your latest bill.

Step 2: Select a Payment Method

Choose whether to pay by debit/credit card, electronic check from your bank account, or set up autopay payments.

Step 3: Schedule Payments

For convenience, you can schedule one-time or recurring payments to be processed automatically on their due dates.

Once registered, making a payment only takes moments:

1. Log into your online account portal
2. Review amount due
3. Enter payment info
4. Submit payment
5. Save/print the confirmation

The portal allows full bill payment management in just a few clicks.

Tips for Managing Your Account

Follow these tips for smooth bill payment:

• Update your contact info to get reminders about bills.
• Go paperless by enabling email-only billing.
• Routinely check your balance and payment history.
• Report any errors immediately to customer service.
• Pay a few days early to avoid last minute website traffic.
• Set up autopay as a backup against forgetting a payment.
• Keep payment information current to avoid disruptions.
• Contact support if you have any payment issues.

Actively monitoring your account helps ensure on-time, headache-free payment.

Alternative Ways to Pay Your Bill

If needed, Petersburg offers other ways to pay besides online:

• By phone: Call (804) 733-2349 to pay over the phone using a debit/credit card.

• By mail: Mail in a printed check or money order to the payment address listed on your bill.

• In person: Visit the utilities office at 144 N Sycamore St to pay by cash, check or money order.

• Drop box: A secure drop box is available outside the utilities office.

Note these methods take longer to process and don’t provide the same account management tools.

Avoid Late Fees and Disconnection

To avoid penalties, your Petersburg utilities bill must be paid in full by the due date printed on the statement, usually around the 20th of the month. Consequences of paying late include:

• Late Payment Fee – A 10% penalty fee is added to past due balances.

• Disconnection – Services may be discontinued if your account becomes delinquent.

• Reconnection Fee – A $30 fee is charged to restart disconnected service.

• Collections – Severely past due accounts are sent to collections agencies.

• Credit damage – Missed payments can lower your credit score.

Don’t let a late payment result in expensive fees and headaches down the road. The online portal makes it easy to pay on time, every time.

Get Payment Reminders

Since it’s easy to forget due dates, set up reminders:

• Email reminders through your online account.

• Text reminders by signing up through the city website.

• Phone call reminders by providing your phone number.

• Calendar reminders that you manually add and set alerts for.

With one or more reminders in place, you’ll never miss another due date.

Financial Assistance Programs

If you are struggling to pay your Petersburg utility bill on time, the city offers programs that may be able to help, including:

• Payment arrangements – Set up a customized monthly payment plan.

• One-time adjustments – Qualifying customers can receive a bill adjustment.

• Assistance referrals – Get referred to organizations that provide bill payment assistance.

Contact customer service to discuss bill payment assistance options if needed.

In Summary

• Paying your Petersburg utilities bill online provides the fastest, most convenient payment option.

• Register your account on the online portal to access a suite of account management features.

• Schedule one-time or automatic recurring payments to always pay on time.

• Use the online tools to monitor your balance, go paperless, and get payment reminders.

• Avoid late fees and disconnection by paying your full balance by each due date.

• Contact customer service if you need help with your account or bill payment.

Paying online allows quick, stress-free payments that support Petersburg’s vital utility infrastructure. Just a few minutes each month helps maintain uninterrupted service.