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Water and Sewer Bill Assistance:
Financial assistance for water bills is available through City and County programs: Utility Customer Assistance Programs
Making Payments and Rates
What is the billing cycle and how long do I have to pay my bill?
The billing cycle is monthly for all customers. Payments are due 20 days from the bill date.
How do I sign up for E-Billing?
Sign up for E-Billing by registering through the Customer Care and Billing Services site. Paperless billing provides an electronic version of your utility bill and is an exact replica of your paper bill. Each month when your bill is ready to be viewed, you will receive a notification email.
Can I pay my bill online? By phone?
Yes, you can make a payment using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, E-Check, Venmo, PayPal and PayPal Credit online or by phone using 888-905-3169, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. These payments are applied to your account real time. The City of Raleigh does not add any additional credit card fees to process these payments.
Can I have my utility bill paid automatically out of my bank account each month?
Yes. Our AutoPay option does just that. Go to Make a Utility Payment to learn more. Enrollment is quick and easy when you select the Automated Payment option after logging in to Customer Care and Billing's Online Services, or fill out and submit the AutoPay Bank Draft Authorization form.
Why do I mail my utility payment to Charlotte?
The City of Raleigh currently contracts with Wells Fargo’s Remittance Processing Center in Charlotte, NC to process utility bill payments. Utilizing a remittance processor is a standard practice for most business entities and allows us to ensure that payments are accurately posted to customer accounts in a timely manner.
Where should I go to pay my bill in person?
When making your payment in person, you should ALWAYS go to one of the City's Official Payment Sites located at the town halls of Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, Zebulon, or at the Raleigh Municipal Building. The Official Payment Locations accept payments by cash, check, money order, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Note: Cash payments can only be made in person.
*Locations not listed are NOT AUTHORIZED. If you pay at any unauthorized payment center, you may be charged a handling fee and your payment could be delayed several days or weeks.
Will the City of Raleigh increase utility rates this year?
Utility rates are reviewed and any increases are effective July 1st of that fiscal year. For more details, visit the Utility Billing Services Rates, Deposits & Fees web page.
Can I reference the City of Raleigh's ordinances that govern utility services and payments?
For your reference, the City's ordinances can be found at the City of Raleigh Code of General Ordinances.
Meters, Water Usage, Savings and Bill Adjustments
Was my bill calculated using an actual or an estimated meter reading?
On rare occasions (less than 1% of the time), a meter reading used to calculate a monthly utility bill is an estimated reading. If it was necessary for your reading to be estimated, it will be indicated on your bill with an "E" printed next to the meter reading.
Can I save money for using less water?
Tiered billing is a method of billing that rewards customers for lower consumption. Rates are calculated using average consumption figures across the service area and customers are charged based on consumption, as they move from tier to tier.
My bill is really high this month. Is it possible I have a leak?
Yes, it is quite possible. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that most leaks within homes go undetected.
Fixing a leak can be quick and easy, and often doesn’t cost much. For example, a leaky toilet flapper can cost less than $5 to fix, but can save more than 200 gallons per day. For more information about pinpointing and fixing household leaks, read the Fix-a-Leak information section and view the Fix-a-Leak Brochure.
If you find and fix a leak, you may be eligible for a leak adjustment to your bill. Review the Leak Adjustment guidelines to determine if you may qualify, and how to submit a leak adjustment request to Customer Care and Billing.
Can I get an adjustment to my water bill if I had a leak on my property?
Yes, under certain conditions water leak adjustments may be made for leaks that have been repaired or for exceptional unexplained increases in consumption that have been validated by a plumber and/or Public Utilities Meter Operations staff. A leak adjustment may occur only after a leak has been repaired and may require a verified meter read by the City of Raleigh's Public Utilities Department. Administrative fees will not be adjusted. Leak adjustments will cover no more than a two-month consecutive period. Only one financial adjustment associated to billed usage will be allowed each year per customer per premise.
Water leak adjustments must be requested by contacting the Utility Billing Division and be accompanied by a plumber's receipt or other proof of repair (as applicable). An exceptional unexplained increase in usage must be verified. A determination will be made and a letter will be sent to the mailing address on file within the billing system stating approval or disapproval of the leak adjustment request and the details.
Contact Customer Care and Billing to determine if you qualify for a leak adjustment.
What circumstances will cause a water leak adjustment request to be denied?
No adjustments will be granted where the following situations exist:
- Usage above the customer's average monthly consumption is due to seasonal usage such as watering of sod, gardening, washing vehicles, etc.
- Leak was caused by a third party from whom the customer is able to recover their costs, or it is covered by insurance.
- Leak continues for three or more months.
Contact Customer Care and Billing to determine if you qualify for a leak adjustment.
If I use 5 CCF’s of water, is all of the consumption billed at Tier 2?
No. The first four CCF's are billed at the Tier 1 rate and the fifth CCF is billed at the Tier 2 rate.
Is irrigation billed in tiers?
No. All consumption on irrigation meters is billed at Tier 3 rates.
If my meter is read late or the billing period is longer than 30 days, will my consumption be billed in the next tier?
The billing system automatically bills consumption at the proper tiers if there is additional consumption due to a bill cycle greater than 33 days.
The system will adjust the tiers and prorate the calculations accordingly.
Is there a way that I can pay an equal amount each month, like I do for my electric bill?
Yes. The City of Raleigh is now offering Budget Billing to its customers. This plan allows customers to budget for their water bill in advance which helps to eliminate higher payments in peak usage seasons. You must have 12 months of continuous metered services at your residential home to be eligible for this program. There will be at least an annual review to check if usage has changed significantly, if so, your budgeted amount may be subject to change. For more information, visit our Budget Billing page.
Bill Extensions, Disconnections, and Reconnections
Why did I receive a service disconnection notice or a door hanger?
A service disconnection notice is a courtesy notification for accounts that are past due or delinquent.
A door hanger may be left at the premise location if a trip has been made to disconnect services for nonpayment.
If services are interrupted, additional fees may be applied.
Does the City offer financial assistance for utility customers?
Yes, the City does have a Utility Customer Assistance Program (UCAP) to help customers who qualify with their water and sewer bill. More information about program criteria and application process can be found on the UCAP webpage.
What do I do if my services are interrupted for nonpayment?
You will be required to pay your FULL past due balance prior to reconnection of services (Municipal Code Sec 2-3004).
When full payment is received by the City of Raleigh, utility services will be automatically restored as quickly as possible. There is no need to call Customer Care and Billing to advise that payment has been made.
In the rare event of a public utilities emergency (such as a water main break, etc.), it may take up to 24 hours after receipt of the payment for services to be restored.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover payments can be made online or by calling 888-905-3169. These payment methods post to your account in real time and are convenient for most customers. The City of Raleigh does not add any additional credit card fees to process these payments.
In addition, you can pay in person at any of our Official Payment Locations.
Ensure that all faucets are turned off and stoppers in sinks and tubs are open prior to service reconnection to prevent accidental flooding.
I made my payment. When will my services be reconnected?
If your services were disconnected for non-payment and you have made your payment online, by phone (888-905-3169), or in person at an Official Utility Payment Location for the full delinquent amount, your utility services will be automatically restored as quickly as possible. There is no need to call Customer Care and Billing to advise that payment has been made.
If your payment was made during normal business hours (weekdays before 5 p.m.), services will be restored next business day. However, in the rare event of a public utilities emergency (such as a water main break, etc.), it may require the emergency to be resolved prior to service restoration.
If your payment was made after 5 p.m. on a weekday, every attempt will be made to restore service by the next business day. Payments received on Saturday, Sunday or a holiday will result in restoration of service the next business day.
Any other method of payment will delay when the City of Raleigh receives your payment, which will also delay the reconnection of your utility services.
What if I need more time to pay my bill? Can I get an extension?
Yes. If your account is eligible, you can set up a Payment Plan online. For more information visit.
(Note: You can also contact a Customer Service Representative at 919-996-3245 to to set up a Payment Plan.)
Late Fees and Returned Payments
Why am I being charged a late fee and how is it calculated?
A late charge of $5 is applied to any account with a past due balance. An account with a past due amount is also subject to disconnection of water or waste water (sewer) services. To avoid late charges and service disruptions, be sure to pay the total amount due on or before the due date.
What happens if my payment is returned by the bank?
The payment will be cancelled off of your utility account, and a returned payment fee will be included in your next bill. Also, your credit rating with Customer Care and Billing will be negatively affected.
Multiple returned payments will result in payment restrictions that require future payments to be made by other secured methods such as credit card, certified check, money order, or cash.
If the returned payment was made to restore disconnected services, upon notification by the bank of the return, the City of Raleigh may disconnect your water or waste water (sewer) services immediately.
For more information, see the About Returned Payments section.
