What are all the different color paint marks in my yard?
When any type of proposed excavation is to occur all of the underground utilities in the excavation area must be marked. Electric lines will be marked in red, gas lines in yellow, communication and CATV in orange, water lines in blue and your sewer lines in green. Remember that a locator is not going to mark your private lines you have installed yourself. These include septic tank lines and underground electric to garages or pools. To find out what each color means, check this graphic (http://sc811.com/) from SC 811.
Why do I have to pay the County/City for an inspection when the gas company performs a secondary inspection?
City/County/CPW inspections are based on the Southern Building Code Congress International Standard Gas Codes. CPW’s inspection is more of a courtesy inspection in hopes that if the county or the city does not find the problem that we will and be able to correct it.
Why is my neighbor’s bill much lower or higher than mine?
When comparing your CPW utility bill with that of a neighbor, friend or relative, keep in mind a couple of important factors. Since all of CPW’s utilities are usually included in the same bill, this type of bill will not compare directly with other systems’ billing. Customers of other utilities may receive separate power, gas, water and sewer bills depending on where they live. When comparing, be sure you are using the combination of all the utilities they have that are on your bill from CPW.
Another factor is insulation and efficiency. This can be influenced by the age of the home or major appliances. Personal comfort levels can vary greatly, and since most energy in a home or business is consumed for heating and cooling, the thermostat settings can be a major factor. CPW recommends looking for ways to improve insulation and efficiency for winter as well as summer energy usage. Seasonal tips are available on our home page, or click on the individual utility pages for more cost saving tips.
Why does my bill vary from month to month?
The cost of your services varies with seasonal use. Typically, there is more consumption during the summer and winter months rather than fall and spring. Summer heat usually causes increased usage of air conditioners and winter cold usually causes increased usage in heating as well as additional cooking. Nights are also longer in the winter and that requires use of lights about twice as long as in summer months. One reason is because the number of days vary between meter readings (which is indicated on your bill). Each monthly bill normally covers 30 days; however holidays and weekends also come into play. Extreme weather may also cause your bill to fluctuate as well as new, changed or malfunctioning appliances.
Click
here for an explanation of your bill statement.
How can I pay my bill?
- Mail your payment along with the payment coupon in the envelope provided with the bill. Be sure to apply proper postage. Mail with sufficient time to reach us before the penalty due date.
- Customer Service personnel will accept your payment from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am - 11:30am Friday, excluding holidays, at our office located at 212 Church Street. You may also go to our drive-through.
- Automatic Bank Drafts offers a convenient way to pay your utility bill without having to write a check. Simply complete the form and return it along with a voided check.
- Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted for payments either in person, over the phone at 1-888-678-1985 or on our website.
How do I disconnect service?
Please stop by our office or call us at 864.681.4300.
How do I open an account with established services?
Call us at 864.681.4300. Be sure to have all of your customer information available, and we will work with you on setting up service.
How do I start new service?
A new service (vacant lot) may be applied for following the same procedures as with a new account. Is a deposit required prior to start of service? It depends on your credit history. Please stop by our office or call us at 864.681.4300.
How/when is my meter read?
Most of our meters are read electronically. We have 19 different reading dates. For questions about your bill, give us a call at 864.681.4300.
What is a basic facilities charge?
A basic facilities charge covers the cost of your service, regardless of usage. It covers items like metering, billing, customer service, and other vital components of our operations that must continue, no matter how much of our services you use.
Where do I pay my bill?
You can pay your bill online, by mail (PO Box 349 Laurens, SC 29360) or in person at 212 Church Street.
What if I can’t pay my bill?
If you are having problems paying your bill, let us know as soon as possible so we can discuss your situation as the last thing we want to do is disconnect your service for non-payment. However, if we are unaware of your situation and an arrangement has not been made, we will disconnect your service as a last resort. Your due date and disconnection date are printed on your monthly bill.
What service charges are assessed for late payment?
A penalty is assessed the following morning if your account is not paid by the due date. If the account is disconnected, a reconnect fee and additional deposit will be due. If payments are due on a weekend, customers have the entire next business day to make the payment.
Who is responsible for repair and maintenance?
The Laurens CPW is responsible for maintenance and repair of our service up to the meter. The landlord/owner is responsible for the cost of repairs from the meter to their home.
Does CPW conduct trash pickups?
No. For information about trash pickup within Laurens city limits, click
here.
Why is there fluoride in the water?
The Laurens CPW has used fluoride in our water treatment process for years. This has been done under the close supervision of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Controls. For more information about fluoride and its use, please see the information below.
Will the CPW test my water?
The Laurens CPW will test water at your home, either at the nearest fire hydrant or occasionally at a spigot on the outside of your house. We typically perform a chlorine test to ensure there is enough "residual" chlorine at your home to make the water safe to drink. We will not test water from inside your home.
What is a CCF?
A CCF is a volumetric measure of natural gas. It represents the amount of gas contained in a space equal to one hundred cubic feet. A therm is a measurement of energy, or heat, equal to 100,000 BTU (British Thermal Units)
How is my water treated?
Your water is treated through a conventional process of sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Our water source is Lake Rabon which is fed by Reedy Creek and managed by the Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission. The CPW pumps the water to our treatment facility located on Saxon Street. We then treat the water utilizing several filtration processes. Once that is done, we disinfect the water, making sure it's safe to drink.
Why is chlorine in the water?
As a halogen, chlorine is a highly efficient disinfectant, and is added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoans, that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs, on the walls of water mains and in storage tanks.
How do I report an outage or a problem?
Call us at 864.681.4300 to report any problem. The number is available 24 hours a day.
How does the CPW prevent outages?
At the CPW, we work to maintain our system, ensuring that it is healthy and outages are minimal. We have an asset management program, where we regularly inspect, test, and repair our infrastructure. Our asset management program means that we know when critical components of our system need replacing. We also have a very proactive tree-trimming program to make sure our electric system experiences minimal outages, even during extreme weather events. If you notice anything wrong with our system, call us at 864.681.4300.
What if the power goes out?
- Check your breakers and fuses.
- Check to see if your neighbors have service.
- If it still appears that there is a power outage, call 864.681.4300.
Can I talk directly with a representative during an outage?
During major outages, it is unlikely that you will speak directly with a representative due to the high volume of calls associated with a major outage.
What should I do if I am going to be gone away from my home for an extended period?
If you plan to be away for an extended period of time, the electricity and gas will continued to be consumed unless you turn the main breaker off and shut off your gas appliances. You may request to have your meters turned off by CPW. In order to prevent your services from being unnecessarily disconnected during an extended absence, call Customer Service before you leave to make arrangements. We will be glad to figure out how much you will need to pre-pay or you can allow us to debit your bank account or charge your credit card for a certain period of time.
What if the power must stay on for medical reasons?
If you or someone in your home has a serious health problem that requires continuous electric or gas service, please let us know. You will need to complete the “Special Needs” form which must be signed and sent to us by your doctor. You are still required to make timely payments.
What happens if my meter is tampered with?
You are responsible for the seals on your meters. NEVER tamper with a meter or break a seal because not only is it dangerous, it is illegal. Not only are you required to pay for the consumption and tampering fee, we will prosecute under the South Carolina laws.
Why can't a representative tell me when my power will be restored after a storm?
It is impossible to accurately predict restorations of specific circuits serving particular residences because of the many challenges that we face; however, please know that we do everything possible to get service restored as promptly as possible.
How does the Laurens CPW decide which customers to restore first?
We will first restore service to health care, emergency response agencies and other essential facilities. Residential customers are given priority over business and industrial customers and efforts are first targeted toward larger populated areas.
What should I do in case of an accident?
If a power line is down, DON’T touch it. Call the Laurens CPW immediately at 864.681.4300 and warn others. If a power line falls on your car while you are in it, stay inside unless it catches fire. If the car catches on fire, jump clear of the car and power line without touching metal and the ground at the same time.
