What To Do When You Can’t Pay Your CL&P Bill
CL&P, otherwise known as Connecticut Light and Power is an electric company that services more than 1.2 million customers across 149 cities. A power bill will likely fluctuate every month as usage changes with temperature, so it is understandable that there may be some times when you cannot make the payment on time as determined by the company. Learn what to do in the event that you cannot pay your bill in full on the due date.
How To Pay The Bill
CL&P offers several different ways to pay your bill. Customers have the option to pay their bill by U.S Mail, online using the CheckFree service, with a bank account either one time or on a recurring basis, a Mastercard credit card payment through J.P. Morgan Chase, by phone, or in person at one of the payment locations.
Pay by mail: To pay your CL&P bill by mail, send the payment with the stub on your bill to the following address:
Connecticut Light & Power
PO Box 150493
Hartford, CT 06115-0493
Pay online: To use the CheckFree service to receive and pay your bill online visit: https://mycheckfree.com/br/wps?sp=10001&rq=bftl&esc=94276911
Automatic deduction: You can also set up a payment to be drafted from your bank account, either on a one-time or recurring basis. You can call customer service, or use your online account to set this up. This service is free to use.
Pay by credit card: MasterCard holders can make a credit card payment as a courtesy of J.P. Morgan Chase bank, but to do this, must pay a fee of $2.50 per $500 payment made to CL&P.
Pay by phone: Customers who wish to do so, can pay their bill by phone with a customer service agent, for free, by calling 1-888-783-6618 and following the prompts.
Pay in person: Those who need to pay their bill in person, may do so by using the payment center locator to find the location nearest them. Authorized payment locations will not charge a fee for this service, but there are some payment locations not authorized by CL&P that may charge a nominal fee to use the service.
Questions About Your Billing Statement or Account?
The Frequently Asked Questions page for CL&P offers general information, but no information on service fees. Service fees, including late payment fees and returned payment fees are described in Rates and Delivery Document. This document must be downloaded to your personal computer before being viewed. Customer service is available to answer questions about your bill at 1-800-286-2000.
How The Penalty Fees Work
Those who cannot pay their bill by the date listed will incur late fees. If service is disconnected, there will be a fee to reconnect.
- Late payment fee: 1% of the past due balance, computed monthly.
- Returned check charge: $22 per returned check.
- Reconnect fee (at meter): $35 per instance.
- Reconnect fee (at pole): $60 per instance.
I Can’t Make A Payment
If you can’t make a payment, the best thing to do is to contact customer service and see if you can make a payment arrangement. If you are having trouble, you can elect for an average payment plan, with equal payment amount throughout the year. There is an Operational Fuel fund you can contribute to on a monthly basis in increments of $1, that will help pay bills for people who are not able to make their payments.
- Payment arrangements: CL&P allows customers to log-in to their online account to request a payment arrangement. Registration is required before logging in.
- Budget billing: Bill spikes and valleys even out with budget billing. Customers pay more during off-peak seasons, but bills are lower during peak seasons like summer and winter.
- LIHEAP home energy assistance program: Customers can call customer service at 1-888-783-6618 in order to receive the requirements for LIHEAP. The program is available for qualified low-income customers.
Will They Work With Me To Pay My Bill?
Yes, the company will work with you to pay your bill. Call them and talk to them about making a payment arrangement or agreement of some sort to keep your account in good standing while you make the payment. You can also ask to see if you qualify for assistance with paying your bill.
