Goals and Objectives

A one-time courtesy billing adjustment for water leaks is available to residential utility customers who have experienced a significant increase in water consumption due to a fixture leak, pipe break, vandalism or similar occurrence(s). The billing adjustment is limited to a maximum of $500 and over a maximum of a three-month period. If an adjustment is warranted, the customer will be billed for the actual water consumption but the tiers will be adjusted.

Billing Adjustment for Water Leak Application

Criteria and Procedure

• The customer must submit a Billing Adjustment for Water Leak Application and all required supporting documents. The City does not reimburse for labor or parts.
• An adjustment will be considered if the water consumption for the billing period(s) is 100% more than the property’s historical corresponding quarterly average. For new utility customers without sufficient usage history, it may be necessary to establish additional consumption history before an adjustment can be made.
• Water/sewer utility account must be non-delinquent.
• Repairs must be permanent and made within 60 days of the due date of the utility bill in question.
• Application must be submitted within 90 days of the due date of the utility bill in question.
• Properties under construction/renovation, abandoned or vacant without proper care do not qualify.
• Adjustments will be credited to the customer’s utility account.
• Applications for adjustments can take up to 6 weeks to process.

Goals and Objectives

Periodically the City will be unable to obtain a meter reading on a property owner’s account for a number of reasons. It is the goal of the City to obtain accurate readings. For meters where a reading is not obtained, it may be necessary for the City to schedule an appointment with the property owner to determine why the meter is not reading.

Confirmation of Account Discrepancy

Prior to taking action to rectify estimated readings, the Public Works Utilities Division and/or Utility Billing staff in the Finance Division will try to determine why an actual reading was not obtained.

Notification to Property Owner

The property owner will be notified in writing that an actual reading was not obtained on their account. The letter will further advise the property owner to schedule an appointment with the Public Works Utilities Division. A letter will be sent to either the service address or the mailing address of the property owner with each billing that has an estimated reading.

Corrective Administrative Procedures

If the property owner has three consecutive estimate readings, has received letters notifying the property owner of the estimated readings and has not scheduled an appointment with the Public Works Utilities Division, a non-refundable $50 compliance fee will be added to their bill. The property owner will be charged a $50 non-refundable compliance fee with each billing until an appointment has been scheduled with the Public Works Utilities Division.

Goals and Objectives

Prior to transfer of ownership, the homeowners must notify Utility Billing of the move in order to receive accurate information to close an account and set up a new account.

Information Required for Moving Out

• Account Number
• Effective Date of Closing
• Service Address
• Meter Reading
• Forwarding Address for Final Bill
• Email Address

Information Required for Moving In

• Effective Date of Closing
• Service Address
• Meter Reading
• Homeowner’s Name
• Email Address

Method of Communication and Timing

The property owner can initiate the bill change by completing the start or stop request form online.

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities START Service Request

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities STOP Service Request

Tenant Water and Sewer Utilities Start Service Request

The City does not read meters between normal billing cycles. Failure to provide a reading could result in delayed or estimated billing. The City does not generate final bills when tenants move in/out.

Goals and Objectives

Payment for service and charges shall be the primary responsibility of the property owner of the premises served and shall be billed to the property owner. If the property owner wishes for a duplicate copy of the bill to be sent to the property management or tenant, the property owner must authorize in writing.

Administrative Processes

• The account will be set up in the property owner’s name.
• If requested in writing by the owner, duplicate copies of the bill will be sent to the property management team or tenant. The duplicate bill sent to a tenant will not have a specific name but will be addressed to “Resident.”
• When a tenant moves out, a final reading will not be obtained. It will be the responsibility of the property owner to divide the utility bill proportionately between parties. When an owner sells a property, a final meter reading will be obtained and the account billed proportionately.

Goals and Objectives

From time to time, a property owner could have financial or extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to pay. The City offers a payment agreement for the payment of arrears.

Payment Agreements

Based on the property owner’s financial circumstances, any extenuating circumstances of the household, and/or prior payment history, the City will develop a payment plan that works for both the City and property owner. Once a payment plan has been worked out between the City and property owner, a letter of understanding will be sent to the property owner. The property owner will sign and send the letter back to the City. The letter shall state:

• Length of the agreement
• Payment amounts
• Payment due dates
• Circumstances if payment is not received

Default on Payment Agreement

If payment is not received by the due date of the agreement, the agreement will be revoked and penalties will begin to accrue on the unpaid balance. Utility Billing staff will send a letter notifying the customer they are in default.

Goals and Objectives

The City of Eden Prairie instituted an increasing block water rate structure to encourage water conservation among our customers, and to more accurately reflect the cost of providing water service during peak usage periods. As a result, the City has received numerous requests to install separate meters for residential irrigation, swimming pools and condo/townhouse units. These requests demonstrate that customers want to be acutely aware of how they are using their water, and they want to be responsible for their individual water use rather than communal usage.

Allowing customers to install additional meters will in many cases align with the City's sustainability goals. However, an overabundance of meters can negatively impact the City through additional asset management and administrative costs.

Administrative Processes

• The City will only read meters (and transceivers) that have been purchased by the property owner from the City.
• The City will only be responsible for administering a maximum of one customer invoice per meter read.
• Each meter being read by the City will be assessed a monthly or quarterly fixed fee. This includes, but is not limited to, well meters, irrigation meters, domestic meters, cooling tower meters and blow-down meters. Fire meters are exempted from monthly or quarterly fixed-fee charges.
• For single-family and multifamily domestic usage, no more than one meter will be read by the City per customer account.
• For irrigation purposes, additional meters can be read by the City on common property shared by multiple PIDs, or for a system irrigating multiple PIDs. In these instances, the property owner should attempt to limit the number of meters installed and should separate irrigation usage from domestic usage.
• Additional metering for irrigation tracking on a single residential lot is discouraged as it most likely results in increased monthly usage costs for the customer and provides little additional information about water usage.
• For 1½-inch meters and greater, the following equipment shall be purchased by customers from the City and installed by a licensed plumber.
  • Flange Pack
  • Pressure reducing valve (if necessary)
• For 1-inch meters and smaller, the following equipment shall be purchased by customers from the City and installed by the City.
  • Meter
  • Meter Horn
  • Transceiver
• The attached standard plates shall be used for plumbing installations.
  • Standard Plate No. XX – Irrigation meter interior
  • Standard Plate No. XX – Irrigation meter exterior
  • Standard Plate No. XX – Domestic meter
  • Standard Plate No. XX – Fire meter
  • Standard Plate No. XX – PRV
• Deduct metering should only be allowed when a significant amount of water passes through a primary meter and will not be introduced into the sanitary sewer system.
• All meters, transceivers, pressure reducing valves, flanges, meter horns and other equipment shall be maintained by the homeowner and kept in good working order.
• Meters shall be located in a secure environment accessible only by the City, homeowner and/or homeowner's association.
• All plumbing installations shall be in accordance with the State of Minnesota Plumbing Code.

Yes, simply go into your profile and uncheck the auto pay box that you had previously checked when you elected to opt into Auto Pay. If you had signed up for Auto Pay before the transition to EP Bill Pay, the City will maintain your banking information, and you need to contact Utility Billing to cancel. You will not be able to see the auto pay information in EP Bill Pay.

Yes. You can set up a future payment at any time prior to the bill due date.

Yes, your bill can be paid in any of the following ways:

• Email notification-based payment – click the “View Invoice or Pay Now” button in your email.
• Web based online payment – login to EP Bill Pay.
• Phone payments – call 952-949-8382, option 1.
• Paper check – sent by whatever means you choose, including US Postal Service (note: many paper checks today are converted into electronic transactions once they are received) to:
  City of Eden Prairie
  8080 Mitchell Road
  Eden Prairie, MN 55344
• Cash – in person at the City Center. If paying by cash, please note the City does not accept bills greater than $20. Do not send cash through the mail.

Yes, simply log in to your account and select “View paid or closed invoices.” If you are a registered customer, you will receive an email notification.

Yes, you may use one payment method for part of the transaction and another payment method for other parts of the transaction.

There are two ways that payment responsibilities can be shared. If the other payer is part of your household, you may choose to share your login information with that individual.

In a situation where personal financial data is not shared, you may forward your email notification to the individual, who will then click on the “View or Pay Now” button and elect to make a one-time payment. The payer will need to enter their name, email address, mailing address and payment information. They will receive the payment confirmation and you can verify their payment by viewing the invoices in your account.

Yes, an email address is required for payment confirmation. The payment receipt is sent via email.

You may need to register to receive electronic bills by email, but registration is not required for One Time Payments. One Time Payments require that you enter your payment information each time you make a payment. By registering, you avoid that step and gain access to your payment history.

Simply log in to your account on EP Bill Pay and change any of your personal information under the My Profile tab. If you are unable to change some of your information, you may need to contact Utility Billing and have them change it for you.

Registering is easy and can be done when you make a payment. There are two ways you can make a payment:

1. When you receive an email notification that your bill is ready to be paid, simply click on the “View Invoice or Pay Now” button. You will be directed to the EP Bill Pay site. Once there, you will be given the opportunity to register or make a One Time Payment. If you choose to register, you will be asked to provide a password and accept the terms and conditions to use the system. The payment information you enter in your profile will then be securely encrypted and saved for your next visit.
   
   
2. You can go directly to EP Bill Pay. Once there, you will need to locate your customer number and account number, and you can register or make a one time payment. If you choose to register, you will be asked to provide a password and accept the terms and conditions to use the system. The payment information you enter in your profile will then be securely encrypted and saved for your next visit.

Here are the three simple steps:

1. Customer receives email notification or accesses account via EP Bill Pay.
2. Customer locates and views bill and either enters payment information for a One Time Payment or registers to schedule a payment.
3. Customer receives an email confirmation with their payment amount and payment process date.

Can I use an Apple/Mac to use the service?
Yes, many customers use a Mac.

Can I use EP Bill Pay with my phone or other mobile device?
Yes.

What browsers are supported?
All commonly used browsers are supported on EP Bill Pay.

Credit card transactions typically take 48 hours to settle. An authorization is issued immediately; however, it takes 48 hours for the money to be transferred.

EFT transactions typically take 48 to 72 hours to settle.

18 months is the standard retention period.

The information you enter on the Payment screen must be exactly the same as it appears on your credit card. This information collected will be used to authorize your payment.

After you submit your payment, you will see a payment confirmation screen. It will contain your payment confirmation message. It will show an approved number for credit cards or a processed number for electronic check. You will also receive a confirmation email after your transaction is submitted. The email will include your customer number, account number, invoice number, amount paid and confirmation message. If your electronic check does not pass through the bank, you will receive an email informing you of the rejected payment. You may need to contact Utility Billing in order to pay again.

You should click on “Forgotten Password?” at the bottom of the login screen. You will need your customer number, account number and email address to retrieve your password. If you’re unable to locate this information, you may contact Utility Billing during business hours. After your identity is verified, the information will be provided.

No, but you can call 952-949-8382 option 1 to make an electronic payment over the phone, or mail your check in and it can be converted into an electronic payment transaction.

To complete the online payment process yourself, you will need an email address so that the system can deliver your payment confirmation. If you do not have an email address, you can obtain a free email account from Yahoo or Google.

Scheduled payments are scheduled individually by you for each bill on your specified date.

It is convenient, saves time, reduces errors, allows you to receive bills anywhere at any time and reduces paper use. You can continue to receive a paper bill, but if you elect to go paperless, you can always print out a copy of the bill if needed.

Paying online with a credit card or electronic check saves time, gives you the flexibility to pay how and when desired, and saves money (no more stamps, paper checks or envelopes). And EP Bill Pay will store your information for future use – but only if you choose to store it.

There are no sign-up costs, subscription or transaction fees.

You can pay by credit or debit card, or you may issue an electronic check from your bank account (checking or savings). The City accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express.

If you elect to opt in to Auto Pay, it means that your bills will be paid automatically on their due dates using your default credit card or bank account. This will avoid any late fees and free you from having to remember when to pay.

Invoice Cloud is the web-based platform for EP Bill Pay, the City's electronic utility billing and payment system.

You can pay your current or past-due bills.

By registering, you have access to all of your bills regardless of type and all of the features of the payment portal. These features include the ability to view current and previous bills, and payment dates, update your profile information, access the online customer service system, go paperless, schedule payments for specific dates and sign up for Auto Pay. You also avoid having to enter your payment information each time you pay a bill.

Yes, each bill is available in PDF and HTML format. Electronic storage is recommended to reduce paper use.

Yes, you will have 24/7 access to your account for bill review and payment, payment history and customer service requests.

Yes, you will receive a confirmation email.

The utility budget is funded entirely by user fees, not tax dollars. The utility rate structure is designed to maintain the system as it ages and encourage water conservation.

More information can be found on the Water and Sewer Rates page.

• Web based online payment – login to EP Bill Pay.
• Phone payments – call 952-949-8382, option 1.
• Paper check – sent by whatever means you choose, including US Postal Service (note: many paper checks today are converted into electronic transactions once they are received) to:
  City of Eden Prairie
  8080 Mitchell Road
  Eden Prairie, MN 55344
• Cash – in person at the City Center. If paying by cash, please note the City does not accept bills larger than $20. Do not send cash through the mail.

Call Utility Billing during business hours at 952-949-8382, or submit a request to be contacted by our staff the next business day.

On the request form please describe why you want to be contacted and provide your account and customer numbers, in addition to your email and phone number.

Approximately two days before or after your closing, you will need to submit a request to start or stop service. We will need a meter reading and the buyer's name of your current home. We will also need a forwarding address for mailing the final bill. If there is a credit balance on the account, the refund could be delayed if we do not have a forwarding address.

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities START Service Request

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities STOP Service Request

Tenant Water and Sewer Utilities Start Service Request

Sewer charges are based upon water usage during the winter months.

To calculate sewer use, the City reads your water meter during the winter months to determine a quarterly average. This is beneficial for our customers because water use is substantially less in the winter.

However, if a customer's current actual water use is less than the winter average, then the sewer charge is based on actual water use.

For more information, submit an inquiry to Utility Billing.

A water bill is considered a lien against the property. Your real estate agent and/or title company should inform you of any outstanding water bills during the purchasing process, or you can contact Utility Billing for that information.

When you or the previous owner calls the City to change ownership information, please supply the water meter reading on the date of closing and a forwarding address for the seller. A final bill will then be forwarded to the previous owner. If you don't know the forwarding address, contact your real estate agent who can work with the previous owner's agent to take care of the outstanding bill.

If these remedies do not work, the bill must be paid by current homeowner.

Eden Prairie Water and Sewer Rates

We always work hard with our customers to avoid termination of water service.

If you cannot pay your bill, or can only pay a portion of it, please contact Utility Billing.

No, the City does not turn off water when someone moves. When moving in or out of a home that is owned (not rented) it is the buyer and seller’s responsibility to contact the City promptly.

The City will need names, move dates, forwarding address and a current reading to set up an accurate account. The City does not read meters in-between normal bill cycles. Failure to provide a reading could result in delayed or estimated billing.

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities START Service Request

Homeowner Water and Sewer Utilities STOP Service Request

Water bills are based on how much water is used. Watering the lawn or garden will increase usage, as will the addition of occupants in the home. Leaks can also lead to an increase your water bill.

If your bill is higher than usual or you have any questions about your bill, please contact Utility Billing.

It's possible your water meter’s remote data device may have stopped transmitting, or your water usage may have been flagged as unusually high or very low for your property.

If your billing statement reads “estimate” next to the water consumption reading, you should contact Utility Billing to determine the cause of the estimate.