Payments:
Utility bill and utility deposit payments are accepted in the form of cash, check, credit card or EFT. Credit card and EFT payments can be made in office or through our online portal. All credit card and EFT payments are subject to processing fees.
Checks can be made out to the City of Sumas. Payments can be mailed, dropped in the drop box, or brought into the office for a receipt. Any check or EFT payment returned as NSF (non-sufficient funds) or returned for any other reason, will be subject to a $30 penalty that will be added to your utility account.
Utility bills and deposits are invoiced separately. If you choose to pay your invoices through the online payment portal, you will need to make your utility bill payment and your deposit payment separately. The links for each of those payments are below.
Utility Accounts:
To begin a new service account please complete a service agreement before your move-in date, then return it to City Hall or email it to abons@cityofsumas.com.
It is the responsibility of the account holder to notify City Hall when you will be moving into or out of a residence with City of Sumas utilities. Renters are required to pay a utility deposit, to be held by the City of Sumas until the renter closes his/her utility account. The amount of the deposit depends on the property rented.
Rates:
All rates, fees, hookup charges, tax rates, etc. are subject to change without notice at any time. These rates should be confirmed at Sumas City Hall.
Assistance Programs:
Each available assistance program has specific income thresholds. Please review each program to determine if you qualify for any of the programs offered. The applications can be submitted to the utility billing clerk. The Finance Committee will review each application to determine eligibility.
Delinquent Accounts:
All utility and deposit payments are due by the 25th (or next business day) of each month. If the City of Sumas has not received payment by the end of the day on the due date, there are a couple of steps that the City takes, prior to disconnecting your services. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with our procedures, so that you can avoid being surprised by a disconnection due to an unpaid balance.
Step 1: Reminder Notice – If the City has not received a customer’s payment by 5pm on the 25th of the month, we will mail out a reminder notice the very next business day. This is done through the regular mail (USPS), so be sure to notify us of any changes to your mailing address.
There are no repercussions to receiving a reminder notice. It only serves the purpose of reminding customers that a utility bill and/or deposit payment for that month may have been forgotten. If payment is submitted after the 25th, but before the reminder is received, please call City Hall to ensure that we received your payment. Customers who receive a reminder notice need to pay special attention to the due date listed on the notice, and have payment submitted to City Hall to avoid further action.
Step 2: $5 penalty – After the reminder notices are mailed out to all delinquent accounts, the City gives a grace period until the last business day of the month. If the payment is not received before 11am on the last business day of the month, the customer’s account will be subject to a $5 late penalty.
Step 3: Utility Disconnection – If payment is not received by 11 am on the second Tuesday of the following month , the City may disconnect your utilities. We cannot make any exceptions once this process is started. If the customer’s utilities are disconnected, we cannot reconnect the utilities until the past due balances, penalties, and reconnect fees are all paid in full.