Improved customer portal offers more options to manage accounts and pay bills
Most people don’t look forward to Mondays, but Clarksdale Public Utilities is turning that around on Monday, June 10, when its PowerLine option goes live at www.cdpu.net. PowerLine is CPU’s upgraded online portal that provides customers more account features to help them better manage their utility services and costs.
“Customers who already use our portal know the benefits of being able to access their accounts anytime, anywhere,” said Curtis D. Boschert, CPU general manager. “PowerLine is another channel to communicate with our customers and give them information to improve their service. Sign-up is free, and customers are encouraged to come by our office if they have questions or need assistance in setting up their online accounts.”
All CPU customers, including current portal users, must sign up for PowerLine. A customer identification number will then be assigned enabling access to all portal features.
New services such as the improved customer portal are part of CPU’s “Bright Future” initiative, a comprehensive strategy that addresses performance improvements in three key areas: reliability, innovation and community growth.
CPU designed PowerLine to give customers complete control over their utility accounts and 24/7 secure access to their account information. They can check balances, pay bills electronically and sign up for alerts to let them know when bills are due or past due. Alerts also relay information to customers about outages and estimated times for service restoration.
In the upgraded portal, customers will see their account activity in greater detail along with helpful graphs showing their billing and usage history. Customers with multiple service accounts will appreciate a new feature that allows them to see all account balances at once. It’s especially convenient for commercial customers such as hospitals that may have 50 or more service accounts with CPU.
“Now customers can sign into the portal and see all account activity in one place and select the balances they want to pay,” Boschert said. “Residential customers also can benefit from the upgrade — for instance, if you have separate accounts for your house and sprinkler system, you can sign in once and view both.”
In the near future, CPU plans to introduce a mobile app that customers can download to their smartphones for free. The app is yet another tool to give customers more access and more control over their CPU accounts.
Boschert reminds customers that they can get the most value from their CPU service by signing up for text and email alerts, which can help them avoid past-due notices and late fees if paper bills are delayed or are not delivered. Electronic payments made through the customer portal are posted immediately, which helps avoid further delays.
“Alerts give our customers peace of mind because they know exactly when their payments are due and when CPU processes their payments,” Boschert said. “We receive returned mail every day, so we know customers sometimes do not receive bills for reasons that are not in their control. Signing up for alerts will help them avoid the worry of missing payments and incurring late fees.”
CPU also offers a variety of billing and payment programs designed to fit customers’ budget and payment preferences.
“We are making it easier and more convenient for customers to do business with us,” Boschert said. “PowerLine and the mobile app are examples of ways we are using technology to strengthen our connection with customers and improve our services.”
CPU’s customer portal is available at https://cdpu.net/customer-portal-landing/. The portal includes instructions for accessing accounts and signing up for online service. Customers who have questions or need assistance are encouraged to contact CPU at 662-627-8499.
Clarksdale Public Utilities is a municipally owned utility serving approximately 6,800 homes and businesses in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Its mission is to safely provide sustainable electric, water and wastewater services in a reliable and courteous manner by well-trained team members, committed to top quality, efficient operations, competitive rates and the vitality of the community.
Learn more at http://cdpu.net.
