Community Commitment
In April, OUC Announced a $12.1 Million Contribution to Help Our Community Through COVID-19:
- $7.5 million provided to lower electric fuel rates for May bills by 39%, representing a 11.4% overall decrease for residential customers and 11.2% to 19.7% reduction for commercial customers
- $2.6 million contributed to Project CARE, in partnership with the City of Orlando, OUC’s utility assistance program for qualified residential customers which including an allocation up to $100,000 as a 2 for 1 match of customer donations to Project CARE
- $1.5 million for utility bill payment assistance to qualified small businesses
- $500,000 for new OUC Power Pass customers
- Continuation of OUC’s notices, announced in mid-March, to suspend electric and water disconnections for nonpayment through July and waive late payment fees through August
- Payment plans and deferred payment arrangements for customers for up to 12 months depending on qualifying criteria
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Customer Information & Support
Resources to Help You Reopen Your Business
Below are tips and best practices to help you safely serve your customers.
- Due to lack of water flow as a result of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, water pipes within buildings may need to be flushed after not being used for an extended period. Click here to learn more.
How to Keep your Utility Bill from Spiking:
Understanding Your Usage:
We understand you may have questions about how being quarantined is impacting your daily usage. OUC’s Usage Dashboard is a presentation of your consumption trends to help you better understand the days and times you use the most, helping you to better understand your usage patterns. To learn more, visit OUC.com/Usage or watch the Usage Dashboard instructional video.
Virtual Home Energy and Water Audits:
For the safety of our employees and customers, auditors are not entering homes at this time. If a modified field visit is required, an auditor will arrive at the customer’s premise for a scheduled audit and check the meters as well as other items around the home’s exterior. Additionally, we offer free online and telephone audits, as needed. Because we’re always thinking of energy efficiency, we encourage you to take advantage of an audit at OUC.com/energyaudit.
Cold Weather:
During Central Florida’s winter, temperatures have a tendency to dip to cooler, sometimes colder, levels than we experience throughout the rest of the year. When this happens, it doesn’t take much of a thermostat tweak to send your energy bills soaring. Visit OUC.com/coldweather and warm up to these energy and money saving tips.
Energy- and Water-Saving Tips:
Home behavior changes can lead to higher-than-normal utility bills. There are a number of simple things you can do around the house to save. Visit OUConnect for helpful energy- and water-saving tips.
Late Fees Waived and Disconnections Resume:
Service disconnections and late payment feeds have been reinstated. If you’re experiencing a financial hardship, we’re here to help with a variety of assistance programs.
Reliable Plaza Walk-in Business Center Closed:
Although OUC has returned to normal business operations, the customer service walk-in center remains closed for both your safety and that of our employees. Customers may conduct business over the phone or, in some cases, through self-service channels. Account representatives are available by phone to assist key accounts.
OUC Power Pass Customer Impacts:
Service disconnections for OUC Power Pass customers have been reinstated. Should you need financial assistance, Project CARE funds are limited, so apply today.
Making the Most of OUC's Digital Tools:
Did you know that you can access your myOUC account from home 24/7? You have online access to see your transactions, check your usage dashboard to see how much power and water you consume, and more. Also, you can register for Billing Alerts to receive information about your payment status, balance due and due date.
Scams on the Rise During the COVID-19 Pandemic:
Beware of calls, emails and text messages demanding immediate payment and threatening that your electric and/or water service will be disconnected immediately. Unfortunately, criminals look at every opportunity to try to take advantage of people. Some even are able to spoof phone numbers and appear to be legitimate.
If someone threatens to disconnect your service and asks for immediate payment over the phone, hang up! Also, do not click on any links in an email or text message!
OUC will work with you on the best option for your account, and the schemes that criminals use are not part of our business practices.
As an informed customer, you can combat scammers. Remember the following tips to protect yourself from scams:
- OUC will never come to your door and demand an immediate payment.
- OUC will never ask for your personal information over the phone or demand payment using money orders or gift cards.
- Any OUC employee who comes to your door for any reason will have company identification that he or she will gladly show you. If you have any questions about whether a person actually works for OUC, call OUC at 407-423-9018 and do not let him or her inside your home
- Scammers sometimes claim they represent a public agency or government office offering grants that can pay your OUC or other utility bill. Never provide anyone making this claim your credit card information, your OUC bill information or account number, or any personal banking information. If someone makes this claim, call OUC or your local police department to report it.
- If you ever have any question about the status of your OUC account, do not hesitate to call us. You can reach OUC’s Customer Service weekdays from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. at 407-423-9018.
- The automated voice system at 407-423-9018 is available to check account balances 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Learn how to spot a scam and protect yourself
Having Difficulty Paying?
We know this is a difficult time, and we’re committed to serving you. If you’re having difficulty paying your bill, please contact us so we can work with you on payment arrangements or self-serve via our automated phone or web. We encourage you to stay as current as possible with your payment to avoid building up a large balance. If you need help, we need to hear from you.
Need Assistance?
Learn more by reading the Coronavirus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Safety Focus
Prepared for Coronavirus:
Our crisis planning takes into consideration a variety of scenarios — from hurricanes and flooding to cyber threats and pandemics. OUC continues to monitor the evolving situation, and actions have been implemented to minimize risk. However, this is new for everyone and we are adapting to meet the needs of those we serve.
Ensuring Employee Well-Being:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic became a threat to Central Florida, we have made many changes, often daily, in our operations with the highest priority of keeping all OUC employees safe. We’re taking advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), government agencies and implementing extra precautions to minimize risks to our employees and others.
- We have limited travel.
- We are temporarily suspending non-emergency in-home and in-business visits.
- Employees who can work from home are doing so. During the week, about 700 employees (about 60 percent) are working from home.
- You may, however, see OUC operational employees working in the community. To ensure safety first, we have instructed our employees and contractors to practice appropriate social distancing and we request that you extend the same courtesy.
- Enhanced daily cleaning of OUC facilities with alcohol-based and/or bleach cleaners of all high-touch surfaces.
- We are screening control center operators through medical wellness check (including temperature checks) throughout all OUC facilities.
Practice Safety:
We have always been vigilant in maintaining a safe work environment and in keeping our community safe. You can get safety tips for home, work and public gathering by reviewing the CDC's recommendations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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