When the summer heat starts, if you are one of our part-time residents who heads to cooler temperatures, it’s good to know that Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) can accommodate your absence regarding utility services. If, for several months, your house will be unoccupied, know that LCU has two new options:
1) a seasonal service adjustment to reduce billing of unmetered utilities (solid waste and wastewater), and
2) an alternative to install a water meter specifically for landscape irrigation.
“We put together a plan that recognizes that some of our customers have seasonal shifts in their needs. LCU can now provide two alternatives for customers to reduce their billing,” explained Jose Provencio, LCU business services administrator.
The first option, the Active Service Option, is a customer-requested bill adjustment available only to residential service customers who temporarily, or seasonally, vacate their residence. The adjustment accommodates the non-use of unmetered services – trash and wastewater service – while a residence is unoccupied. This adjustment can be applied for residents who are gone at least 3 months, but not longer than 6 months, during a consecutive twelve-month period.
The second option, Inactive Service Option, provides customers a way to inactivate all city utility services while they are away, except for a water meter that is used exclusively for landscaping. This option requires the installation of a landscape water meter, that separately tallies water used for outdoor irrigation. Conditions of service – an absence of at least 3 months, but not longer than 6 months – are the same.
The paperwork is easily completed by going online at www.las-cruces.org and searching for “seasonal service adjustment”, or call Customer Service at 575-541-2111. Customers apply for and annually renew the seasonal service adjustment, but must know the start and end date of the unoccupied period. The amount a customer may save depends on current utility use and making sure that:
- the water meter records zero water use while the house is unoccupied and
- no trash bins are placed curbside while the house is unoccupied.
If water use or a trash bin are detected, the adjustment reverts to the regular billing.
Submitted by Las Cruces Utilities
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.