Billing guidelines
Details about deposits, the monthly billing cycle and service disconnection and reconnection
Deposits
TEP may require from any present or prospective customer a deposit to guarantee the payment of bills. The deposit may be retained until service is discontinued and all bills have been paid. Residential customer deposits will not exceed two times the estimated average monthly bill. Deposits will automatically be credited to the customer's account after 12 consecutive months of service during which time the customer has not been delinquent more than two times.
We may require a customer to pay a deposit if payment of three or more bills is delinquent within a consecutive 12-month period or if service has been disconnected for non-payment.
TEP may review the customer's usage after service has been connected and adjust the deposit amount based upon the customer's actual usage. A separate deposit may be required for each meter installed.
Waiver of deposit
A waiver of deposit may be granted for any of the following circumstances:
- If the customer has had service of a comparable nature with the company at another service location within the past two years and was not delinquent in payment during the last 12 consecutive months of service or was not disconnected for nonpayment, or
- The customer can produce a letter regarding credit verification from an electric utility where service of a comparable nature was last received stating that the customer had a timely payment history at time of service discontinuation, or
- The company receives a deposit guarantee notification from a social or governmental agency acceptable to the company.
Monthly billing
TEP bills customers monthly for services rendered. You pay for your service after you've used it. Meter reading will be scheduled for periods of not less than 25 days or more than 35 days. If the company is unable to read the meter on the scheduled meter read date, the company will estimate the consumption for the billing period giving consideration to the following factors where applicable:
- The customer's usage during the same month of the previous year
- The amount of usage during the preceding month
If we are unable to read your meter, your bill will include a message below the read dates of the bill: An estimated meter read was used to calculate this bill.
Disconnect notice process
TEP typically informs customers that their account is subject to disconnection with a notice on their bill. E-bill customers also receive an emailed notice, while TEP mobile app users may receive an alert and message on their mobile device if they have agreed to allow the app to provide notifications.
Normally, if payment for a past due balance is not received before a scheduled termination date, an account would be eligible for a service disconnection. However, under rules approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) in 2019, residential service disconnections are suspended during the warmest time of the year from June 1 through October 15.
After almost a full year after suspending disconnections to provide relief for customers facing financial hardships caused by the pandemic, TEP resumed disconnections in March 2021 as a last resort for accounts with overdue balances. TEP also resumed late fees for payments received after the bill due date.
Customers who did not pay their total overdue balance before January 18, 2023 were automatically enrolled in a payment arrangement that divides their balance into eight equal installments. Those arrangements replace the previous payment plans that delinquent customers were placed on when disconnections for nonpayment were suspended during the summer.
Customers placed on payment arrangements must pay these installments plus their current monthly bills in full and on time or will be subject to a disconnection. All customers are responsible for paying for all the energy they use. Timely payment of your TEP bill is the best way to avoid disconnection.
If you would like to make an immediate payment, please choose from the following options:
Pay in person
Please visit Walmart to pay in person. After payment is made, call Customer Care at 520-623-7711 to provide your payment confirmation number located on your receipt.
Pay by phone
To pay by phone, call 800-650-9138. Be ready to enter your account number, billing zip code and U.S. bank account and routing number.
TEP makes it easy to pay your bill through a variety of channels. Customers also may request a payment extension using self-serve options by calling 520-623-7711 or through My Account.
Service reconnection
Before service can be reconnected after disconnection for non-payment, the delinquent portion of the bill and a separate reconnect fee must be paid in full. Additionally, a deposit may be required.
Once a payment has been made through a verifiable method, call TEP at 520-623-7711, and Customer Care will issue a reconnect order. We cannot guarantee that service will be turned on the same day a payment is made.
The power may be reconnected remotely. No one is required to be home for service to be restored, but please make sure TEP has unrestricted access to the electric meter. If you will not be home, please make sure that your main breaker is off and that you have unplugged all equipment you don’t want turning on in your absence, such as an electric stove or water heater.
If the power has not been restored by 5 p.m. on the scheduled reconnect day, please check to make sure the main circuit breaker near the meter is in the “on” position. If the breaker is on and the power is still out, please call us at 520-623-7711.
Questions regarding your bill?
Call Customer Care at 520-623-7711.
You have the right to contact the Arizona Corporation Commission if you are not satisfied with our findings regarding your bill.
Arizona Corporation Commission
402 W. Congress St.
Room 114
Tucson, AZ
Phone: 800-222-7000 or 602-542-4251