Consumer Information Center

We're Here to Help!

Need help understanding your utility bill or resolving a dispute with your electric, natural gas, water or telecommunication service provider? The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) can help. Submit your questions or complaint by email, or call Consumer Services at 503-378-6600 or 800-522-2404. Read below for additional information.

NOTE: email is the best way to contact our Consumer Services Team at: puc.consumer@puc.oregon.gov.

For in-person assistance from the Consumer Services Team, please make a reservation by calling 503-378-6600.

PUC Seeking Comments on Idaho Power's B2H Project

Learn more about Idaho Power's application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity as part of their proposed Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line and how to comment.

Utility Service Complaint

If you have a complaint about your utility service, please first try to resolve the issue with your service provider. Below is contact information for select utilities for your convenience.

Natural gas customers, if your service needs to be restored , it's important to note that your service provider will need to enter your home to ensure this is done safely.

Avista Utilities – 800-227-9187
Cascade Natural Gas – 888-522-1130
CenturyLink – 800-244-1111
Frontier – 866-499-4271
Idaho Power – 800-488-6151
NW Natural Gas – 800-422-4012
Pacific Power – 888-221-7070
PGE – 800-542-8818

If you are a customer of a water association and have concerns about service quality, you may be eligible to submit a petition for the PUC to regulate your service provider. Learn more.

If unable to resolve the issue, please contact the PUC:

By Phone:

503-378-6600

800-522-2404

TTY users dial 711

By email:

puc.consumer@puc.oregon.gov

File online

Unable to pay your utility bill?

Electric and Natural Gas

Contact Your Service Provider!

Always contact your utility service provider first to ask about their bill payment assistance options. Below are the links to the assistance programs and phone numbers to call for the investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities for your convenience.

Avista Utilities – Oregon assistance or call 800-227-9187
Cascade Natural Gas – Assistance Programs or call 888-522-1130
Idaho Power – Oregon Assistance or call 800-488-6151
NW Natural Gas – Assistance Programs or call 800-422-4012
Pacific Power – Bill payment assistance or call 888-221-7070
PGE – Energy Assistance Programs or call 800-542-8818

Contact the Commission’s Consumer Services to register a complaint if you have not been able to reach satisfactory payment arrangements with your utility. Call 503-378-6600 or 800-522-2404, or email us.

Citizen's Utility Board of Oregon offers a listing of resources for utility customers

Learn more about local community resources

Learn about low-income energy programs

Access OHCS energy and weatherization resources to reduce bills

Additional bill payment assistance programs:

Emergency Medical Certificate Program

If you qualify, this program may allow you or someone in your household who is under a doctor’s care the option of a more lenient utility bill payment plan. A qualified medical professional must submit the request on your behalf, indicating how the loss of electric or gas utilities would negatively impact the patient. Learn more about the Emergency Medical Certificate Program.

Telephone

Oregon Lifeline reduces the monthly cost of phone or broadband service for qualifying low-income households.

Potential Changes to Energy Rates

Learn more about select pending rate cases and other dockets of interest to the public before the Commission.

For Water Utility Customers

The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulates a portion of the state’s 3,500 water systems. The PUC oversees some investor-owned water utilities, as well as select mobile home parks and associations providing water service. The PUC does not regulate any of the 1,100 municipalities and publicly-owned water systems that serve a majority of Oregonians.

All regulated water utilities must comply with PUC service rules and regulations, such as water quality, pressure, customer service, plant repair, and maintenance. The PUC investigates complaints to ensure customers are receiving safe and adequate water service.

A small number of these regulated water utilities must also comply with PUC rules governing rates to ensure residents are receiving service at just and reasonable rates.

Which water utilities are regulated?

Learn which water utilities are regulated for service only or regulated for both rates and service.

Petition for Regulation

Water utility customers of associations or providers serving 500 customers or less can submit a petition for the PUC to regulate your service provider. Learn more.

COVID-19 Impacts

Learn about the work of the PUC to lessen the burden on customers due to COVID-19. Learn more.

Telephone Assistance Programs

If you are low-income or have a disability, learn more about Oregon Lifeline, the Telecommunication Devices Access Program, and Oregon Relay.

Telephone Service for Victims of Domestic Violence

The PUC established rules for CenturyLink (Lumen) and Frontier (Ziply Fiber) for those who have active restraining orders on file for domestic violence in order to keep local telephone service from being disconnected. If your local service is in jeopardy of disconnection due to nonpayment, you can contact your telephone company to see if this program is applicable to you. If you meet the qualifications, you will be allowed to set up payment arrangements on your local service only. Note: Service can still be disconnected if you do not keep the payment arrangement current, and this program does not apply to internet, long distance, or television services.

Utility Disconnection Information

Regulated utilities are allowed to disconnect service for nonpayment. They are required to provide notices to customers prior to disconnection. Service may NOT be disconnected for non-payment on the day before or on a weekend, or national holiday. Disconnection notice requirements are as follows:

Electric and natural gas services – Require 15- and 5-day notices
Telephone service – Requires 5-business day notice
Water service – Requires 15- and 7-day notices

Regulated utilities (excluding phone) are required to offer time-payment arrangements, typically 12 months, for the past-due amount.

High Utility Bills?

Typically higher than normal energy bills are caused by one of the following:

Colder/hotter than normal weather: This typically requires additional heating and air conditioner usage.
Water heating: Colder weather affects the temperature of the water coming into your water heater, leading to higher energy usage to heat the water.
Home all day: Staying indoors during extreme temperatures leads to increased energy usage.
Extra days in billing period: At times due to severe weather, meter readers can be delayed. This can result in bills covering a longer period of time.
Estimated bills: In some areas, meters are unable to be read due to weather, so the utility is allowed to estimate those bills. The utility is required to clearly note this on your bill. Higher estimates than actual usage will be corrected once the meter is read.
Prior Arrears: If you did not pay your bill in full the prior month, there could be a carry-over amount on your current bill.

Learn more about energy saving tips from Energy Trust of Oregon.

If your water bills are high:

You may be eligible to submit a petition for the PUC to regulate your water utility for service and/or rates. Learn more.

Utility Rates

For Electric and Natural Gas – Comment on a Proposed Rate Increase

File a comment on a proposed rate increase for electric or natural gas utilities.

For Water – Petition for Rate Reviews

If you received notice of a proposed rate increase from your water utility, you may submit a petition requesting the PUC review the proposed increase. If the Commission receives petitions from 20 percent of a utility’s customers, a rate case may be initiated.

For Telephone – Petition for Rate Reviews

If you received notice of a proposed rate increase from your telephone utility, excluding CenturyLink (Lumen) and Frontier (Ziply Fiber), you may submit a petition requesting the PUC review the proposed increase. If the Commission receives petitions from 10 percent of a utility’s customers, a rate case may be initiated.

Report Utility Emergencies & Outages

If you have a utility emergency or urgent safety concern, call 911 and your utility service provider right away. If you have an outage, contact your utility directly.

Avista Utilities – 800-227-9187
Cascade Natural Gas – 888-522-1130
Idaho Power - 208-388-2323 or 800-488-6151
NW Natural - 800-822-3377
Pacific Power - 877-508-5088
PGE – 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795

Natural gas customers -- if your service needs to be restored, please note that your service provider will need to enter your home to ensure service is safely restored.

**Before an outage occurs, be sure you're prepared! Learn more.

Call 811 Before you Dig

Before you dig, know what’s below! Before planting a tree, building a fence, or using an excavator, call 811 (or toll free 1-800-332-2344) to have all underground utilities marked.

If you have a complaint about 811 service, please submit your detailed complaint online. Please provide as much detail about the situation as possible, including photos, maps, and any other documentation to demonstrate what happened. You may also submit a complaint by calling 503-378-6600, 800-522-2404. Please note, do not call this number to schedule utility marking services.

Energy Saving Tips

Energy Trust of Oregon is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Oregon utility customers save energy and generate renewable power. You can evaluate your home for current energy use, learn about home upgrades or cash incentives, or learn about low-cost/no-cost tips to save energy and money. If you meet low-income eligibility requirements, you may qualify for free or reduced-cost weatherization.

The Citizens' Utility Board of Oregon energy and money saving tips is also available.

Customer Rights & Responsibilities

As a utility service customer, you have certain rights and responsibilities. The utilities' main obligation is to provide you with reliable services at rates approved by the PUC. Your main obligation is to pay for the services you use, to not damage the company's facilities, and to notify the utility service provider if you move or wish to change your service. To receive notices in languages other than English, contact your service provider. To learn more about your rights and responsibilities, view the Oregon Administrative Rule 860-021-0010 (6).