City of Forest Grove - Utility Billing

SERVICES QUICK LINKS

Utility Billing

City Hall
1924 Council Street
PO Box 326
Forest Grove, OR 97116

Phone: 503.992.3221
Fax: 503.992.3207

Office Hours
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed weekends and holidays

Services Billed
The City bills for electric service, water service, surface water management and sewer. Sewer is a combination of services provided by the City and by Clean Water Services.

Payment
The City accepts cash, checks, cashiers checks, money orders, and electronic funds transfer. VISA and MasterCard, either debit or credit card payments, are accepted for up to the amount billed only at the counter at the utility billing office located at 1924 Council Street.

Customers can pay via mail, in person, or through the City’s 24 hour drop box. Please do not mail cash or place cash in the drop box. For those paying by mail, include the payment stub to ensure proper credit. A return envelope is provided with the utility bill for your convenience. When paying in person at City Hall, please bring your entire bill. The utility bill drop box is located across the street from City Hall, and is available 24 hours a day for payments.

Many banks offer a bill pay service, where the customer requests that their bank mails payment to the City via a check. This service often takes seven to ten business days from the time the customer makes the request of their bank to when the City receives payment. When using this service, it is important to plan accordingly so that the utility account does not become delinquent.

If you would like to pay your utility bills by automatic electronic fund transfer from your bank account or by recurring payments from VISA or MasterCard, please call the City’s Utility Office to request an application, 503.992.3223, or complete the form on the back of your bill and return it with your payment, along with a pre-printed voided check, or use the following link, print the form, complete it and return it to the Utility Office. Utilicheck Application Form

UB Online
The City of Forest Grove has a secure website that allows you to view up to 1 year of history, as well as your current and any past due balances. Use the following link to access this information. UB online You can also choose to make a payment using your VISA, MasterCard, or debit card with either logo. (A fee of $1.25 per transaction will be charged to your credit or debit card at the time of payment.) You will need your email address and the amount of the last utility payment you made to set up an account. Instructions can be found by using the following link. Instructions

Payment Timelines
Customers typically have 14 days to pay their utility bills. If a bill remains unpaid after 15 days of receipt, a reminder notice will be mailed. This notice will serve as a reminder your bill is due and will provide the date your service is subject to disconnection. Before the disconnection date you will be mailed a cut-off notice as a last reminder to pay your bill. If you do not respond, a service fee will be assessed and your service will be discontinued. Payment of the past due bill in full, plus the service fee, will be required before service is restored. Services that have been discontinued due to non-payment will be charged the regular service fee if reconnected during the normal office hours. Services reconnected after normal office hours will be charged an after hours service fee.

Average Pay Program (A.M.P.) for Residential Customers
We figure an average payment based on your past 12 bills. That amount becomes your new Average Pay amount that you'll pay every month. Annually, accounts are reviewed to determine if your actual use differed from the Average Pay amount. Accounts are adjusted one time per year, at which time you may be expected to bring your account to a zero balance. To qualify and receive an application, call 503.992.3223.

Customer Assistance Program For Energy (C.A.P.E.)
Qualified limited or fixed income customers who need assistance paying their electric bill may apply for these funds. Eligible households may apply at City Hall located at 1924 Council Street. Call 503.992.3223 to make an appointment or for more information.

You can contribute to the Customer Assistance Program (C.A.P.E.). By contributing to this program, you are helping individuals and families in our community pay their electric bills. Please send your donations to: C.A.P.E./City of Forest Grove, PO Box 326, Forest Grove, OR 97116-0326.

Washington County Community Action (LIEAP)
Community Action has a low-income energy assistance program (LIEAP) that helps Forest Grove electric customers with wintertime heating bills. In order to qualify, customers need to meet household income guidelines. Funds are limited, so there may be times when immediate assistance is not available. For additional information call the Hillsboro office at 503.615.0771 or visit their website at www.caowash.org and click on 'how we help'.

New Service/Changing Account Information
To sign up for new utility service, you may call the Utility Billing office at 503.992.3221. New service will be effective the following business day. To add or delete a person from an account, or change your address, you may call the Utility Billing office at 503.992.3221.

Moving?
Please contact the Utility Office before you move. Meters will not be read on weekends or holidays. Please notify the City's Utility Office at least two business days in advance to schedule the reading of your meter(s). For additional information call 503.992.3222.

Other Services
Protect your home electronics from power surges. The City offers whole house surge protection for a monthly fee. Call 503.992.3251 for details.

The City has information on conservation, home weatherization, and new home and commercial energy efficiency. For additional information, call 503.992.3251.

The City is offering a voluntary green power purchase option for customers interested in offsetting their carbon usage by supporting the purchase of renewable energy. Multiple units of 200kWh/month may be purchased for a monthly fee per unit. For more information, contact the Light and Power department at 503.992.3250.

Service Reconnections
To reconnect your service during the normal office hours of Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm, call 503.992.3223. Regular service fee will apply.

For service after normal office hours, Monday through Friday 5:01pm - 8:00pm, call 503.412.2444. An additional fee will be charged for after hours service reconnection.

Electrical and Water Outages
Power outages during business hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, call 503.992.3250.

Water outages during business hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, call 503.992.3258.

After hours outages, call 503.412.2444 for our current Service Repair Line.

Fee Schedule as of July 1, 2009

Item	Fee
Utility Billing Account Set-Up In-City	$16.00
Utility Billing Account Set-Up Out-of-City	$32.00
Door Hanger Service In-City	$11.00
Door Hanger Service Out-of-City	$22.00
Reconnection Service	$40.00
After-Hours Reconnection Service	$126.00
Electric Meter Tamper/ Damage	$115.00 plus cost to repair/replace
Online Payment Maintenance Fee	$1.25

Additional Administrative Service fees can be found on the Finance Department page.

Electric rates can be found on the Light & Power page.

City Liens
All properties within the City of Forest Grove that have outstanding liens will be listed on a third party website for instant online inquiries by title companies. In order to gain access and search the website, a title company must be registered with This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to receive an authorized log in. They can be reached either by clicking on their name above or by calling 541.485.8876. Please call Accounts Receivable at 503.992.3269 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.

Lien search fees are $21.00 per search. Fee effective 7/1/09 - 6/30/10.