COVID -19 Update

SCAM ALERT: The following message is being sent via text to City of Lancaster Utilities Collection Office customers:

!Lancaster REFUND ALERT! You are owed $87.20 from a old water deposit. Reply: 666 to receive or you risk forfeiting it to the state Reply Stop to Opt Out Please do not reply to this text message. The City of Lancaster Utilities Collection does not send text messages to current or former customers.
​
​In an effort to lower the risk for City of Lancaster Customers, we have closed our lobby and instituted a moratorium on gas and water shut-offs until further notice due to the threat of the COVID-19. During the moratorium, customers who need assistance or who have general billing questions are encouraged to contact the Lancaster Utilities Collection Office at 740-687-6627, press 3 for Customer Service. Customers can also email us at utilities@ci.lancaster.oh.us. For the safety of the public and our employees we will be estimating all "inside" meters until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak. Reminder: Payments can be dropped off in our “night deposit box” located near the Broad Street entrance of City Hall. Payments deposited after 7 a.m. each week-day will be posted the next business day.”

​Notice: Effective, March 19, 2020, Fairfield National Bank is limiting access to their lobby locations. However, Lancaster Utility payments, made in full, can still be made at any of their Drive Thru locations. Please note, they do not accept partial payments or Notice of Disconnect payments.
​

Payments on Disconnection Notices/Walk-In Payments

During this moratorium, we WILL accept personal checks after the due date on disconnection notices. Please place all payments in a sealed envelope in our “night deposit box” located beside the Broad Street entrance of City Hall. Be sure to include the stub so we know which account to apply your payment to. If you don’t have the stub, please make sure your name, address, and phone number is included with your payment to assure proper credit. Customers required to make a “co-payment” in order to receive agency assistance should note on their stub or envelope that payment is for a “co-payment” for correct processing.

Payments can also be made by credit/debit cards and e-checks by calling (740) 415-3099, however, a $4.25 convenience fee will be charged by the processing company for each transaction. If you wish to mail your payment, please mail to Lancaster Utilities Collection Office, PO Box 1099, Lancaster, OH 43130.

Transferring Service/New Service Go to www.ci.lancaster.oh.us, click on Government at top beside logo, under Departments click on Utilities Collection. Go to bottom of page under Helpful Documents, click on Establishing Service Checklist and review

for faster processing. Print the Residential Contract for Service for individuals or the Commercial/Industrial/Government Contract for Service for businesses. Complete form thoroughly and return in “night deposit box” with applicable fees (deposits, service charges, past due balances) and documentation (copy of lease or settlement statement) as per the Establishing Service Checklist.

Restoration

Please call customer service at (740) 687-6627 and press 3 to speak with representative regarding amount and steps required to restore. (Payment must be in the form of cash, money order or certified check.) Customers will be asked to schedule an appointment with our office to make payment in person along with updating their account data. After this process has been completed we will schedule the reconnection of services. (Making restoration payments at a scheduled time will allow our office to take the necessary steps to sanitize after each customer reducing the spread of the virus.)

Readings

Providing proper staffing, we plan to read all outside meters monthly as normal. All inside meters will be estimated until further notice or the pandemic has diminished. We will not be scheduling inside readings of any kind.

Billing

Monthly billing will continue as normal providing we have staffing.

Penalties (late fees)

Late fees will be suspended for the next two months.

Disconnection Notices (aka Minimum Amount Required)

The minimum amount required will still display on the regular bill at the top in red writing. This will allow our customers to keep track of what is needed each month and pay accordingly eliminating getting to far behind resulting in future disruption of services once the shut-off suspension is lifted. It is recommended that customers continue to pay the minimum amount required each month.

Courtesy Calls

Calls will continue to go out as normal to remind you what is past due so customers do not get to far behind. Again, it is recommended that customers continue to pay the minimum amount required each month.

Shut Offs

Suspended until further notice. Minimum monthly payments are highly recommended to prevent the disruption of services when shut offs resume.

Property Owners/Management Companies

In order to speed up the process of getting your tenant signed in, please submit the signed lease via e-mail to utilities@ci.lancaster.oh.us or faxing to (740) 681-5040.

​For the safety of the public and our employees we will be estimating all "inside" meters until further notice due to the coronavirus outbreak.​​Reminder: Payments can be dropped off in our night deposit box located near the Broad Street entrance of City Hall. Payments deposited after 7 a.m. each week-day will be posted the next business day.”
​