Bills are sent out at the end of each month for a billing period that is normally 30 days, but can vary from month to month. Holidays, weekends and extreme weather may cause fluctuations in when your meter is read. As OPALCO transitions to Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI), meters will be read remotely, on a more regular schedule and, eventually, members will be able to view their meters in real time online. Stay tuned.
The most efficient and cost-effective way to pay your bill is with eBill/AutoPay. With eBill, your bill arrives via email, saving the cooperative postage, paper and staff time. AutoPay allows OPALCO to collect your bill payment electronically from a checking or credit card. With eBill and AutoPay in effect, the cooperative saves time and money – which translates to lower operational expenses and rates.
Check and cash payments are accepted at our Eastsound and Friday Harbor offices, or you can drop your payment into one of our drop boxes at the following locations:
Orcas Island: Rainbow Services, Islander’s Bank
Lopez Island: Lopez Island Pharmacy
San Juan Island: Islanders Bank, Key Bank, Wells Fargo
Shaw Island: Shaw General Store
Late Bill Payments
Everyone has financial problems from time to time. If you are having problems paying your electric bill, please call us. We will work with you as much as we can to help you resolve your problem. Project PAL can help qualified applicants to pay their bill during a hardship. We disconnect power for non-payment only as a last resort. Your payment history with us is one of the criteria that is considered when we are looking at each individual account. We also look for an unpaid balance that is more than 30 days overdue. It is unfair to our other members to continue to provide service without payment.
If electrical service is terminated for non-payment, requirements for restoration are:
- Payment of the total amount due
- A reconnect fee
- A deposit (if none exists) of 1.5 times the highest monthly usage or an increase to an existing deposit (if there is not sufficient on account)
- Any other charges authorized under OPALCO policies.
For more information, please contact us.