As it prepares for storm season, Seattle City Light is asking its customers to update the contact information on their accounts so the utility can better respond when outages occur. As it prepares for storm season, Seattle City Light is asking its customers to update the contact information on their accounts so the utility can better respond when outages occur.
Many customers have cell phones that have not been included on their account records. If a person calls to report an outage from a phone number not linked to their account, City Light’s automated voice system will not accept the report.
“We know that we have customers who have had a City Light account for many, many years, says Customer Service Director Kelly Enright. “And, we know that their account information probably hasn’t been up-dated since the originally opened their account. Now that many people only use cell phones, it’s very likely we don’t have that information.
“Additionally, many of our customers have indicated that they would like to receive e-mails from us on account information or outages,” adds Enright. “Knowing where and how our customers want to hear from us will help us provide them with better service.”
Updated customer information also will help City Light as it installs a new outage management system, which is scheduled to be ready for the 2010 storm season. The new system will allow the utility to identify outage locations faster, provide better estimates for when their service will be restored, and improve customer follow-up.
To update your information, visit www.seattle.gov/light. From the home page you can follow the link near the top of the page under the headline “Update Your Account Information” or use the “Your Account” menu on the navigation bar and select “Update Account Information.”
City Light customers who want to make paying their bills easier can also sign up for electronic billing. The free service delivers billing notices by email. Customers then sign in to their accounts to access an electronic copy of their bills and make payments. Links are available from City Light’s home page or visit http://www.seattle.gov/light/accounts/onlinepayment.asp .
Seattle City Light is the ninth largest public electric utility in the United States. It has the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to nearly 1 million Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.