(KANSAS CITY, Ks) — The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Board of Directors voted unanimously on a one-month moratorium on residential utility disconnections. Effective immediately, BPU will suspend disconnecting utility service for non-payment through July 31st. This temporary moratorium is for residential customers only.
Customers are encouraged to stay current with their bills to avoid getting too far behind and if anyone has any BPU billing or customer service questions, they can call 913-573-9190 and a utility representative is available to assist.
One of the main reasons for this moratorium was to allow more time for some customers to take advantage of the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program.
The KERA program is funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which provided the state of Kansas nearly $200 million in rental assistance funding. The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) serves as the administrator of the majority of these funds through the KERA program.
Those eligible to apply include tenants who rent their home, tenants whose 2020 household income did not exceed 80% of the area’s median income, households where at least one member is experiencing documented financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or at least one member of the household is uncertain of where they will stay or may become homeless without housing assistance.
To apply for the program, both the tenant and their landlord must apply online via a joint application process. The landlord completes online certification and the tenant submits the online application. The landlord and tenant are then notified when the application is processed. If approved, the landlord and or/service provider receive funds directly from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). The landlord and or/service provider than applies assistance to the tenant’s account.
To learn more about the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the
qualification and application process, visit the KHRC website at https://kshousingcorp.org/emergency-rental-assistance/
A reminder for BPU customers, there are a number of quick, easy, and convenient ways for customers to pay their monthly utility bill. These include:
- On-line at www.bpu.com – available 24 hours a day, seven days a week using a credit card or savings/checking account. Available in English and Spanish, payments are posted the next day.
- By Phone – dial 1-855-278-2455 (1-855-BPU-BILL), using a credit card or savings/checking account.
- Auto-withdrawal – automatic check withdrawal allows your payment to be made from your savings or checking account on a monthly basis. Call 913-573-9190 to enroll.
- U.S. Mail – mail your payment to BPU at P.O. Box 219661, Kansas City, MO 64121-9661 in the return envelope provided with your monthly bill.
- FlexPay - allows customers to monitor their electricity and water on an “as-needed” basis, with services purchased on a pre-paid basis. There are no deposits and no late fees. Call 913-573-9190 to enroll in this program.
- Self-Service Payment Kiosks and Payment Drop Box – available 24/7, just inside the BPU lobby doors located at 540 Minnesota Avenue, KCK.
- Grocery store Pay Site kiosks in the greater Kansas City area. Go to www.bpu.com for a list of participating locations or call 1-877-876-7076.
- BPU has temporarily waived fees to use PaySite kiosks to make payments. PaySite kiosks accept cash and checks.
Residential customers can set up payment arrangements by calling
913-573-9145.
Even though we have discontinued utility disconnects, customers will continue to receive reminders, including collection notices and calls as these notifications are important to remind customers of past-due balances and status of their accounts.