Welcome. Xcel Energy HOME. Contact Information. Tear off this portion. Keep for future reference. Customer Service. 24-hour Emergency Hotlines

Transcription

1 Xcel Energy Contact Information Tear off this portion. Keep for future reference. Welcome HOME Customer Service --- -hour Emergency Hotlines Electric Emergency/Lights Out --- Gas Emergency/Gas Odor --- Low Income Assistance --- Utility Notification Center of Colorado -- Product Information Line --- Correspondence Address P.O. Box Amarillo, TX Remittance Address P.O. Box Minneapolis, MN - Website Address xcelenergy.com xcelenergy.com Xcel Energy Inc. Xcel Energy is a registered trademark of Xcel Energy Inc. Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy Company. -- CSS# CO-RES-C-

2 Welcome to Xcel Energy We understand how important energy is to your home environment and quality of life. And, we re dedicated to bringing you the best energy service available. This handbook was written with your needs in mind. It provides important information on how to save energy in your home, answers to frequently asked questions, safety tips and contact numbers for future reference. Renewable Energy Opportunities We work hard to ensure you have reliable, affordable energy, including energy from renewable sources. Our Solar*Rewards program allows you to receive cash back for installing a PV system at your home or business in Colorado. We offer our Colorado customers Windsource, an easy way to purchase clean energy generated by renewable resources, like wind, for a small additional monthly charge. We also use renewable hydro, wind, refuse-derived and biomass-fueled technologies to generate some of the electricity delivered to your home. We look forward to providing your household with reliable, high-quality energy service. Save money on your energy bills It s easier than you might think to save money on your electricity bills and help preserve our natural environment. Switching to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), installing a programmable thermostat and ensuring that your heating and cooling systems are energy efficient are just a few ways to save energy in your home. Did you know? If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR -qualified bulb, we could save enough energy to light more than million homes a year, save more than $ million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than, cars. We offer a variety of rebates and other incentives for energy conservation. For more information on Evaporative Cooling rebates, Saver s Switch, AC Tune-Up, compact fluorescent lighting and other programs that can help you save energy, be sure to visit xcelenergy.com.

3 BILLING AND PAYMENT Paying your bill has never been easier You can pay your energy bill in many convenient ways, in person, online, on the phone or by mail. Here s a snapshot of some of the options. Use My Account with ebill. Together, these tools give you an easy way to manage your Xcel Energy account and pay your bills online whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Sign up for My Account and get answers to your account management questions, anytime, anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection. Then add ebill and get online payment options that help you pay your bill, your way; from your desktop, laptop or mobile device. My Account with ebill provides a complete suite of user-friendly options that help you take charge... absolutely FREE. Visit xcelenergy.com/myaccount to enroll. Auto Pay If you d rather save money on stamps and eliminate check writing, sign up for Auto Pay at xcelenergy.com. Your payment will automatically be withdrawn from your checking or savings account each month. Averaged Monthly Payment To make payments more predictable, you can also enroll in Averaged Monthly Payment. We average your actual energy costs from the previous months so you can pay about the same amount each month for the next year. Give us a call or sign up online at xcelenergy.com. out running errands. A transaction fee applies, however, Xcel Energy does not benefit from this fee. Pay by Mail With traditional billing you ll automatically receive a billing statement in the mail each month and your due date will be clearly stated. When you send back your payment, be sure to include your account number on your check. And, for your own protection, never send cash through the mail. Credit/Debit Card With Credit/Debit Card Payment, you can pay your energy bill online or by phone with your credit or debit card. No more check writing, postage or trips to the mailbox. Plus, you can choose when you want to pay. For this convenience, our partner charges a small transaction fee. For additional information on these and other options, visit xcelenergy.com or call ---. Will I have to pay a security deposit? A security deposit is not required if you have been an Xcel Energy customer within the last three years and your: Account is in good standing Service has not been discontinued for nonpayment in the last year Account received fewer than three notices of discontinuance in the last months of service NOT SURE WHICH OPTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU? LEARN MORE BY VISITING XCELENERGY.COM. Custom Due Date Set your own billing due date. Works with all other billing and payment programs. Call --- to learn more. Pay by Phone You can quickly and securely transfer your payment directly to us from your bank account, hours a day with just a phone call. Just call --- and follow the simple prompts. Or pay your energy bill at a Pay Station location while you are

4 If you are a new customer we can waive your security deposit if you ll authorize us to obtain your satisfactory credit information. We ll also waive your security deposit with a written guarantee for payment from an Xcel Energy customer who has a satisfactory credit rating. This agreement means the guarantor s service will be subject to a discontinuance if your bills are not satisfactorily paid. For more information about security deposits, give us a call. Rate Information Please review the enclosed rate brochure for information regarding electricity and natural gas rates. READING YOUR METER An Xcel Energy meter reader will visit your home once a month. If meter readers are not able to get to your meter for monthly readings, they will leave a form behind with instructions on how to read your meter yourself. You then can call Xcel Energy with the readings. A timely reading is important. If you call us too late with a reading or choose not to read your meter we will estimate your bill. If you do not live in the metro area, the following alternative meter reading options are available: You can read your meter yourself. We have a form for you to record your readings and mail to us. Call us at --- to request a supply of meter reading cards. Xcel Energy still must read your meter once a year. You can provide us with an entrance key so we can read your meter when you aren t home. Call us at --- to make arrangements and learn about measures we take to ensure that your key is safe. By learning to read your meter, you can track how much electricity/gas you re using and estimate your use. You can easily read electric and natural gas meters. Simply read from left to right on the dials, and record the number that each dial pointer has just passed. If the pointer is between two numbers, record the smaller one. On the dials above, the reading is. We determine the amount of energy you have used by subtracting the previous reading from the current one. An electric meter registers your energy use in kilowatthours (kwh) and a natural gas meter records energy use in hundreds of cubic feet (CCF).

5 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Be sure to call us if you use life-sustaining equipment. If you or any member of your household depends upon electric life-sustaining equipment such as a dialysis machine or respirator, please let us know. We ll make a note to provide you with assistance in the event of an unexpected power outage. You should also have a hand-pumped mechanism or standby generator to use during an outage. And because no one can predict when an emergency outage might occur, we also recommend that you install an alarm so that someone will be awakened if electric service is interrupted during the night. What should I know about electrical safety? Always look up for electrical lines around your home. Whether trimming trees or climbing on your roof, stay away from any lines you see. Never carry ladders, poles, irrigation pipes or other long objects upright when you are near electrical lines, and stay at least feet away. Don t let children climb on poles, towers, trees or any equipment that may come in contact with electrical lines. Never fly kites or model planes near electrical lines. And, never retrieve a kite, other toys or anything from an electrical line or substation. Recognize Danger High Voltage signs and stay away from switch cabinets or pad-mounted transformers (green metal boxes found in some backyards and behind buildings). If you notice any tampering, missing seals or locks, or unsafe conditions involving electrical lines or equipment, call us immediately. What about natural gas safety? If there s a natural gas leak, your nose will know. Because natural gas is odorless, a harmless, distinctive odor has been added to it to make it easier to detect leaks. If you smell a strong odor (some say similar to a skunk or rotten eggs), follow these precautions:

6 Alert others and immediately leave your house, leaving doors you pass through open to help ventilate the area. Do not turn lights on or off, use any telephone, or use anything operated by electricity (television, garage door opener, etc.) Any electrical current can cause a spark which may ignite the gas. Never light a match. Go to a neighbor s home and call the fire department or Xcel Energy immediately to have the odor investigated free of charge. Our personnel are on-call hours a day, seven days a week to ensure your safety. Do not re-enter your home until someone from Xcel Energy or the fire department tells you it is safe to return. If you have older gas appliances, the flexible metal connectors may need to be replaced because the connectors can deteriorate over time. If appliances are moved, the metal connectors may break, resulting in gas leaks, fires or explosions. DO NOT move older appliances yourself. Instead, contact Xcel Energy or your local plumbing and heating contractor to check their condition. And, if you are replacing appliances, it s also a good time to replace the connectors. Who maintains buried gas lines? Property owners are responsible for maintaining buried gas lines that go from the outlet of your gas meter (either above or below ground) to any natural gas-burning appliances including: Outside natural gas lighting Natural gas heaters for pool or hot tub A natural gas barbecue Detached structures containing natural gas appliances A meter located away from your house or building If you have buried gas lines on your property, be sure to have the lines inspected periodically for leaks and corrosion. For professional help in inspecting and repairing your buried gas lines, call a plumber or heating contractor. Dig safely, call -- first It s common to find buried lines in all communities. Your community is no exception. Gas lines and possibly the electrical lines that provide service to your home are buried underground. If you are digging a hole or trench, planting trees or installing a sprinkler system, you might come in contact with these lines. This could be dangerous, expensive and could result in a service interruption. That s why it is important and required by law to call --, the Utility Notification Center of Colorado (also known as Colorado ) at least two business days before you dig. Your call arranges for Xcel Energy to identify our underground natural gas and electrical lines, as well as other utilities to locate and mark their telephone, water and cable lines, all for free. Call -- or visit Colorado at uncc.org/web/ to arrange for the free location of utility-owned lines. Wait the required time, then dig safely and avoid digging near the marks. For your safety, hire a professional to locate and mark non-utility owned lines such as customer-installed lines that deliver gas to a garage heater, etc.