BPU Frequently Asked Questions
- Where are you located?
- The BPU Administration Building is located at 540 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City,
Kansas.
- What are your customer service hours?
- Customers can access self-service options 24/7 at bpu.com by selecting ‘Manage
Account.’
If you need to speak to someone by phone, our phone lines are open
Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Our customer service phone number is
913-573-9190.
- What documents do I need to provide to sign up for service?
- Residential accounts
You will need to provide your Social Security
Number or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) along with one of the
following valid pieces of identification: a driver’s license, passport, or state ID. You
must also provide a signed lease agreement or settlement statement for all parties on
the agreement and, if applicable, a management agreement.
- Commercial accounts
You will need to provide your Tax ID Number or
letter. You must also provide a signed lease agreement or settlement statement for all
parties on the agreement and, if applicable, a management agreement.
- Where do I send my documents to sign up for service?
- You can email your documents to signforservice@bpu.com. You can also fax your documents to
913-573-9070. For additional information, please visit bpu.com and select the link New
Service/Transfer Service.
- Any outstanding balances from previous BPU accounts must be paid in full prior to
obtaining new service. Cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order, debit cards,
or credit cards are all acceptable forms of payment for old accounts.
- Are there residential fees I need to pay to have my service turned on?
- Two charges are billed to new residential customers. The Service Fee covers the cost of
connecting new service and recording the starting meter read. $75 plus tax covers both
electric and water or a single service. This charge is designed so that only customers
who move pay this charge instead of billing those costs into the rates all customers
pay.
In addition, a security deposit may be charged to residential customers
who do not own the property. Please click here to view our Fee Schedule for
deposits. After 24 consecutive months, with no more than one late payment, deposits are
credited to the customer's account with interest.
Deposit amounts may be raised
in cases of bankruptcy, misrepresentation of facts, or service theft. Deposits can also
be waived if a good payment history has been established with BPU.
Are there any commercial fees to have service turned on?
- Two charges are billed to new commercial customers. A Service Fee covers the cost of
service connection and recording starting reads, which amounts to $75 plus taxes for
both electric and water or for a single service. This charge is designed so that only
customers who move pay this charge instead of billing those costs into the rates all
customers pay.
- The second charge is a security deposit, which is figured at two and a half times the
highest bill of the last 12 months. If no history is available, the deposit can be based
on a similar business’s usage or an engineering estimate. The deposit may be in cash, a
letter of credit or certificate of deposit from a Kansas financial institution, or a
surety bond issued through an insurance carrier. Deposits may also be waived if the
customer sets up Automatic Payments. Upon a 36-month, consecutive, on-time bill pay
record, deposits and interest are refunded or the non-cash deposit will be
returned.
- To sign up for service, visit bpu.com and select the link New
Service/Transfer Service.
Do I need to pay the service fee and/or deposit charges when I sign up for
service?
- No. The service fee and/or deposit don’t need to be paid immediately upon signing up
for service. These charges are billed to you and will be added to your first bill.
- Do I need to pay my account to current or any existing old accounts before obtaining
service?
- Yes. You must pay any current or old accounts to current in order to obtain service.
- Will I need to pay a deposit if I am a new customer or transferring service?
- All customers will be subject to a maximum deposit. The deposit can be reduced if the
customer supplies KCBPU with approved personal, identifiable information. If such
information is provided, the deposit will be determined by a sliding scale, based on the
credit rating of the applicant. The scale will be determined by using a credit rating
service utilized by KCBPU.
- Customers transferring service may have the deposit waived if the applicant is a
current customer of the utility and has not incurred more than one penalty amount
assessed over the previous twelve months of history, and there has been no disconnect
activity.
- How do I have my utility service turned off?
- Call 913-573-9190.
- Or
- Online at www.bpu.com by selecting
‘Manage Account,’ ‘Utility Services’ and ‘Disconnect Service.’
- How do I pay my bill?
- Online 24/7 at www.bpu.com, using a credit card or bank account.
- Use Automatic Payment Plan to have the monthly balance taken out of a
bank account. To set up this option, call 913-573-9190 or enroll online at www.bpu.com.
- By phone at 1-855-BPU-BILL with a credit card or bank account.
- By mail at PO Box 219661, Kansas City, Missouri 64121, using a check
or money order.
- At the 24/7 Drop Box outside the door of the Customer Service Lobby,
using cash, check or money orders. Payments placed in the box on weekdays (excluding
holidays) before 5:00 p.m. are applied to the account on the same business day.
- At local banks that accept BPU payments, including Bank Midwest,
Brotherhood, First State, Security and UMB.
- At grocery store pay site kiosks in Wyandotte County. Call
1-877-876-7076 or click here for participating locations.
- Where are your pay site kiosk locations? What is the cutoff time for my payment to post
the same day?
- Many pay site kiosks are located within grocery stores in Wyandotte County. Call
1-877-876-7076 or click here for participating locations. Payments made at a kiosk
pay site need to be made before 3:00 p.m. in order for the payment to post to your
account the same day. Payments made after 3:00 p.m. will post to your account after 8:00
a.m. the next business day.
- Is ACH available for residential/commercial customers?
- Yes. ACH is available for both residential and commercial customers. The Automatic Bank
Draft Payment Plan option allows your financial institution to automatically pay your
monthly utility bill from your bank account.
- How it works:
- You will receive a statement for your utility bill that tells you how much will be
drafted.
- Your financial institution will automatically make a payment in full approximately 24
days after the bill date.
- There is no charge to sign up for the Automatic Payment Plan.
- You can terminate the Automatic Payment Plan but are still responsible for the timely
payment of your bill.
- Please continue to pay your bill as you have until you see a message in the
“Important Messages” section of your bill stating, “DO NOT PAY – PER YOUR
AUTHORIZATION.” This process could take one to two bill cycles to take effect.
Please note that when your bill states “DO NOT PAY – PER YOUR AUTHORIZATION,” the
full amount shown on your bill will be drafted from your bank account.
- To set up ACH, visit the Board of Public Utilities’ online customer portal at www.BPU.com, then click on ‘Manage
Account.’ Once there, register for access and log in. After login, go to 'View/Pay Bill'
at the top of the page.
- What is the average BPU billing cycle?
- Billing reflects services already used. For example: If a bill is due January 13, it is
for services used November 15 through December 16. That bill is due approximately 25-36
days later. When a bill is received, it is about 60 days old from the start of the
service period.
- How do I change my account information?
- To update your phone number or address for your BPU account:
- Visit bpu.com and click on ‘Manage Account.’ After login, go to ‘View/Pay Bill’
at the top of the page then ‘Utility/Service Requests’ to make changes to your
account.
- Call to speak to Customer Service at 913-573-9190.
- How can I change the name on my account if the status of my account has changed due to
death, divorce, etc.?
- You should call Customer Service at 913-573-9190.
- How do I view my current and/or previous bills?
- To view your current and/or previous bills, visit the Board of Public Utilities’ online
customer portal at www.BPU.com, then
click on ‘Manage Account.’ Once there, register for access and log in. After login, go
to ‘View/Pay Bill’ at the top of the page. You will be able to view up to the last 18
months of bills.
- How do I get my service restored after it’s been disconnected?
- Payments can be made online, in person or by phone. Once the full past-due balance has
been paid, service will be restored within 24 hours. Please call the confirmation line
at 913-573-9191 to report your payment and have services reconnected.
- I paid my utility bill at the end of the day. Will you restore service after
hours?
- For payments made during normal business hours, services should be restored within 24
hours. If your service is not restored, please call 913-573-9190. Payments made after
normal business hours will be restored the next business day.
- What is the Environmental Surcharge (ESC)?
- The ESC reflects the borrowing costs for capital equipment on power plants required to
comply with federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
- What is the Energy Rate Component (ERC)?
- The ERC represents the utility’s cost of fuel used to generate electricity and the cost
of power that must be purchased from the market.
- What is the Weather Rule for service disconnection?
- During the period of November 1 through March 31, KCBPU will not disconnect residential
electric customers for nonpayment of bills when the National Weather Service forecasts
the temperature will be at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 24 hours.
- During summer months on any day when the National Weather Service forecasts the
temperature will rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit or the heat index will rise above 105
degrees Fahrenheit, KCBPU will not disconnect electric service for non-payment of
bills.
- Water service can be disconnected at any time.
- Do you offer any rebates?
- You can call 913-573-9922 for more information on rebates currently being offered.
- Who do I contact about trash, recycling and sewer issues?
- The United Government Public Works Department is responsible for garbage, recycling and
sewage. For issues regarding sewer, storm drainage, garbage, or recycling issues,
contact Public Works by calling 913-573 5311.
- How do I report a power outage?
- You should call 913-573-9522.
- How do I report a downed power line?
- You should call 913-573-9522.
- How do I report an electric emergency or unsafe condition?
- An electric emergency can be a power outage, partial power, or downed electrical
lines/poles. Calling the 24/7 Electricity Outage Hotline at 913-573-9522 with your exact
location is the best way to have an outage recorded and quickly restored. The trouble
clerk may be busy calling crews in to repair damage, so you may have to leave a recorded
message, or you may get a busy signal if a large number of customers are also without
power.
- How do I report a water leak/outage?
- You should call 913-573-9622.
- How do I report water main breaks?
- You should call 913-573-9622.
- How do I report a water emergency or unsafe condition?
- Calling the Water Outage Hotline with your exact location is the best way to have an
outage documented and quickly restored. When calling to report a water main break,
please provide an exact location. Call 913-573-9622 from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on
weekdays, and 913-573-9522 from midnight to 8:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
- How do I report a traffic light is out?
- You should call 913-573-9522.
- How do I report a streetlight or Private Area Light that is out?
- You should call 913-573-9522. Simply provide the address, cross streets, or pole
number, along with a description of the problem.
- How do I report someone stealing electricity or water?
- You should call Customer Service at 913-573-9190.
- What is your tree trimming policy?
- For the Board of Public Utilities’ current policy, please click here.
- There are tree limbs on my line. Will you trim them?
- For the Board of Public Utilities emergency tree trimming procedures, please click here.
- Who do I call to make sure that it is safe to dig on my property?
- If you are planting trees, installing a sprinkler system or doing anything involving
digging or excavation, call 1-800-DIG-SAFE to locate all underground utility lines.
- When and where are the BPU Board Meetings held?
- Board meetings are open to the public, and are typically held on the 1st and 3rd
Wednesdays of the month. Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. in the BPU Administration Building
at 540 Minnesota Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The public may also attend virtually via
Zoom. Meeting reminders are posted on the BPU Facebook and Twitter pages. To confirm
meeting dates and times, call 913-573-9025.
- How do I make an ethics inquiry or complaint?
- Complaints will be investigated without a witness’s name and can be filed anonymously.
Ethics complaints and inquiries can be received by:
- Calling the Ethics Hotline at 913-271-6337
- Email at bpuethics@gmail.com
- Regular mail, Attention: Ethics Administrator – Confidential, 827 Armstrong Avenue,
Suite 301, Kansas City, Kansas 66101
- Fax at 913-321-0199
- Does BPU provide tours at the water treatment plant?
- Since 9/11, BPU has enhanced its already stringent safety guidelines, including
limiting public tours at our facilities.
- We occasionally offer tours for small groups, normally no more than 25 people. Tours
usually last about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. We will need plenty of advance notice to plan
accordingly. For more information, contact media@bpu.com.