Help family, friends in need with power bills
Reading between the lines of annual holiday cards and letters may have revealed that some of your relatives or close friends could use a special gift this holiday season–the gift of heat and light.
“Getting help to pay their electric bill is not something people ask for in their stocking, but if you know someone who is struggling or could just use a boost this season, it is a great way to show you care,” said Pat Egan, Pacific Power’s vice president for customer and community affairs. “We have other assistance programs and ways for you to help your neighbors, but this is a very personal way to help someone directly.”
The gift program has been available for years, but has taken on more resonance in the recent years of economic trouble.
Giving a gift is simple. You don’t even need to be a Pacific Power customer to help out. There are three very easy ways to make a gift payment:
1. Mail a gift payment by mail
Write a check to Pacific Power and indicate “Gift Payment” on the memo line. Please include a note with the following information:
* Your contact name and phone number
* The name and address of the customer receiving the gift payment
* An indication if you would like the payment to be anonymous, or if you want an acknowledgment letter sent to the customer.
Send to:
Pacific Power
Attention: Gift Payments
PO Box 5504
Portland, OR 97208-5504
2. Pay by phone (using a check)
If you want to make a check payment over the phone, there is a $2.80 convenience fee charged by a third-party vendor. Pacific Power does not receive any portion of this fee. Please call toll free at 1-888-221-7070 and have the name and address of the receiving party as well as the following information ready:
* The numbers across the bottom of your check.
* The dollar amount you wish to pay.
3. Pay by phone (using credit or debit cards)
If you want to make a payment by phone using your credit or debit card, there is a $2.80 convenience fee charged by a third-party vendor. Pacific Power does not receive any portion of this fee. Please call toll free at 1-888-221-7070 and have the address of the receiving party as well as the following information ready:
* Your credit or debit card number and expiration date.
* The zip code where your card statement is mailed.
Customers who need bill assistance themselves can talk with Pacific Power representatives who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs or direct them to agencies that may be able to help. Pacific Power’s customer service number is 888-221-7070. For more information, go to: http://www.pacificpower.net/res/fa.html.
