JAMESTOWN – In response to the novel Coronavirus, and its potential impact on customers financial stability, the Jamestown BPU has temporarily suspended service disconnections of customers.
Officials say this means that customers do not need to be concerned about disconnection of electric and water services due to lack of payment. However, BPU officials say, regular billing will continue for all customers.
BPU customers are encouraged to utilize phone and online payment systems as well as drop boxes for checks and money orders only, located in the BPU vestibule at the top of the D driveway on Steele Street, on Tracy Plaza and in the Jamestown Police Department vestibule on Second Street.
No cash payments are accepted in drop boxes. Payments are accepted by mail at P.O. Box 700, Jamestown, NY 14702-0700.
In keeping with public health guidelines, the BPU is taking precautions to limit customer and employee exposure. For this reason, the Customer Service Lobby, 92 Steele Street, will be closed until further notice to prevent the spread of disease.
In addition, should BPU Customer Field Representatives be required to visit a home for service work, a series of questions will be asked before the representative will enter a home. Customers will be asked about recent travel, exposure to anyone who has traveled or exposure to the virus for anyone in the home.
They will be asked that every person on the premises always maintain a personal distance of six feet or more; and that anyone on your premises who is or may be ill remains in a separate room from where our representative will perform service work. The field representative will not shake hands and will wear disposable gloves to prevent contact with possible contaminated surfaces.
If a customer is sick or quarantined and calls the utility for a service order or to report an electrical or water emergency, customers are asked to mention these conditions when you call the BPU.
As BPU managers are also working to respond to national and local Coronavirus regulations, they are dedicated to providing continued, reliable service to customers, including the collection of garbage and recycling.
The utility reminds customers to be on the alert for possible scams dealing with the COVID-19 threat. While customers may call the BPU to make phone payments through our automatic system, the BPU will not call customers to demand payment or offer discounts for phone payments. BPU representatives will not call and ask customers to meet them with gift cards or cash at stores for BPU payment.
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