DURANGO, Colo. – New technology has been installed at La Plata Electric’s Durango headquarters, designed to help those member-customers in Durango and Archuleta Counties on LPEA’s “Pre-payment Metering System” avoid disconnection of their electric power.

Operating in similar fashion to a pre-paid debit or telephone card, the EZ-Pay service, featuring touch-screen kiosks located in LPEA’s foyer, is useful to landlords with a transient renter base, as well as those customers who have difficulty paying their electric

LPEA Customer Service Representative Jeanne Dittmar shows off the new EZ-Pay kiosks.

bills.

“The last thing LPEA wants to do is disconnect service for lack of payment,” said Dan Hammond, LPEA chief financial officer, noting that, in addition to inconvenience, reconnection fees are often more than the delinquent bill. “This is one more tool to ensure reliable and uninterrupted delivery of electric power to our member-customers.”

Customers who sign up for the program receive an empty EZ-Pay card coded solely for their account. The card is inserted in the kiosk and the customer pays for a desired dollar amount with cash or credit card. To then pay for electricity, the customer swipes the EZ-Pay card through the specially-installed equipment at their residence or business. That dollar amount worth of electricity is then available for use. When the dollar amount remaining reaches $5, a monitor in the home or business signals a warning. The customer then revisits the LPEA kiosk to purchase additional power on the EZ-Pay card.

“LPEA has friendly disconnect hours,” assures Hammond. “If, during the night, the dollar amount left on the meter drops to the disconnect level, LPEA won’t take action until after 9 a.m. the next day, which hopefully will give the EZ-Pay cardholder time to get to the kiosk and purchase more power.”

The EZ-Pay kiosks, located in the front foyer of LPEA’s Durango headquarters, 45 Stewart St., Bodo Industrial Park, are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and monitored by closed circuit camera. When LPEA technology staff members have thoroughly tested the equipment, one of the two kiosks in Durango will be moved to the Pagosa Springs LPEA office.

At this time, the kiosks are not configured for regular bill payments, though it will be an added feature in the coming year. Until that time, those member-customers wishing to pay their electricity bills in person must do so during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the drive-up window or walk-in front desk.

To learn more about LPEA’s variety of bill pay options, visit, www.lpea.coop or call 970.247.5786.

LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative established in 1939, provides reliable electrical power and related energy services to its nearly 30,000 members, with more than 40,000 meters.

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