Frequently Asked Questions - Bill Payment

I. Getting Started

 

II. Enrollment

III. Payment Questions

IV. Miscellaneous

I. Getting Started

What is Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP)?
Electronic bill presentment and payment is a service that enables you to receive and pay your bills over the internet. Instead of a paper bill, you receive an e-mail message that tells you when your bill is ready for review. You pay your bill online through an electronic transfer of funds from your checking account.

What is the advantage of EBPP?
For customers who already use the internet, paying bills electronically is easy. It is convenient, and it eliminates the need for checks, stamps, and envelopes. You can view and pay your bill online anywhere, anytime. All you need is internet access.

What is EasyPay?
EasyPay is Allegheny Power's free electronic bill presentment and payment service. Allegheny Power has partnered with CheckFree Corporation to provide electronic presentment and billing services to our customers.

II. Enrollment

Can anyone sign up for EBPP?
Customers currently receiving a paper bill for electric service from Allegheny Power are eligible for EBPP. The exceptions are customers receiving summary bills, large commercial and industrial customers, and natural gas customers.

Do I need special hardware or software to sign up for EBPP?
No. You only need internet access and your browser. Most internet browsers contain several levels of encryption. You will need to have 128-bit encryption to access your bill. Netscape 4.08 or higher and Internet Explorer 4.1 Service Pack 2 or higher will have 128-bit encryption.

To determine your encryption level:

  • For Microsoft Internet Explorer
    • Go to Help
    • Click on About Internet Explorer
    • Encryption level should appear next to Cipher Strength
  • For Netscape Navigator:
    • Go to Security
    • Click on Navigator
    • Make sure "Enable SSL v2" is checked
    • Make sure "Enable SSL v3" is checked

    You can download 128-bit encryption by visiting one of the following web sites:

  • For Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/recommended/128bit/default.asp
  • For Netscape Navigator, go to http://www.netscape.com/download/index.html (download 128-bit Strong Encryption for the operating system that you have on your machine: Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 3.11, Unix, Macintosh, etc.)

    • Can I sign up for EBPP using my WebTV?
    No. WebTV does not support 128-bit encryption at this time.

    How do I sign up for Allegheny Power's Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment?
    It's easy. To sign up for Allegheny Power's free Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment service, EasyPay, click here and submit an online enrollment form. When you enroll, please have your Allegheny Power account number and your bank account information available. You will receive confirmation that the enrollment has been submitted, and you will receive an email when your enrollment has been activated.

    I just enrolled in EBPP, but my bill is not appearing online for payment. Why?
    You will not be presented with an online bill until your next bill is generated.  Bills mailed prior to being accepted into the program are not available online and must be paid by one of our other payment options.

    Can I sign up to receive and pay other household bills at Allegheny Power's web site?
    Yes. Although the Allegheny Power web site is specifically designed to serve Allegheny Power customers, with our new service offering, you will also have the ability to receive and pay other household bills offered through CheckFree services. In addition, Allegheny Power's electronic bill is delivered to a number of bill service providers such as Bank of America, United States Postal Services and many other bill payment services, so you can pay all of your household bills at one location. Please be aware that some service providers may charge a fee to handle your bill payments.

    Is it possible to enroll at Allegheny Power's web site and with one of the other bill service providers, like United States Postal Service or Yahoo.com?
    No. You may view and pay your Allegheny Power bill either through Allegheny Power's EasyPay site or through an e-bill provider's site. You will not be able to view and pay your bill simultaneously through multiple sites.

    Can I enroll more than one Allegheny Power account under a single user name?
    Yes. You can enter multiple accounts during your initial enrollment. If you are already enrolled and wish to add another account, simply access the "Update Info" button, select "Update Allegheny Power Accounts", and follow the instructions for adding another account. You may assign separate bank accounts for each Allegheny Power account, if you like.

    How can I de-enroll from EBPP?
    To de-enroll, log in to your account. Select the ‘My Profile’ folder. Select ‘My Service’ folder and then select the ‘Cancel Service’ option.  If you are not able to sign on to the service, email csc@alleghenypower.com and we will assist you.

    How do I update my email address?
    To update your email address, sign on and access the "Update Info" screen. Select "Update Personal Information" and follow the instructions for updating your information.  If your email address is incorrect, we will not be able to notify you when your bill is available online for viewing and payment.

    Will I still receive a paper copy of my bill?
    Allegheny Power will stop sending a paper copy of your bill about two billing periods after you have enrolled in EBPP. By then, you will be comfortable with the electronic bill process.

    Can I receive both a paper copy and electronic copy of my bill?
    No. You will only receive a paper copy for one billing period following your confirmed enrollment. You will have the option of printing your electronic copy of your bill.

    Can I store or view paid electronic bills?
    You can view a six-month history of your electronic bills by going to "Payment History" and clicking "View Bill." You can always print the bill or save it to a disk if you want to keep long-term records.

    Will you still send me the bill inserts that come with my paper bill?
    Yes. This information is available to you by clicking the "Bill Insert" button at the top of your electronic bill.

    Can PowerPay customers participate in EBPP?
    Yes. PowerPay customers can receive and view their bills online, which eliminates the need for a paper copy, but the payments will continue to be deducted automatically.

    What is the difference between PowerPay and Auto-Pay?
    PowerPay is Allegheny Power's direct debit program where the customer elects to have their account debited by the amount due on their bill at a date determined by Allegheny Power. Auto-Pay is a service provided by CheckFree allowing a customer to pay the minimum amount due automatically each month on either the due date or when the bill arrives. PowerPay information is maintained within Allegheny Power while Auto-Pay information is maintained within your CheckFree banking profile.

    Is my billing and payment information protected?
    Yes. While most of the information on Allegheny Power's web site is public and accessible by everyone, the electronic bill presentment and payment site connects to a secure server where several security measures have been implemented to protect the information you share with us.

    • Your user name and password, which will be requested each time you "sign in," are unique identifiers known only to you.
    • We also use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and encryption to protect your information and make it unreadable during transmission over the internet.
    • Also, we automatically sign you out of a session if you are inactive longer than ten minutes.

    What are the password requirements?
    Password requirements vary by site, but generally your password must contain six characters, including two of the following items:

    • Lowercase letters
    • Uppercase letters
    • Numbers
    • Special characters, excluding: <> " ' ; ( ) & + -

    Use letters or numbers with personal meaning that will be easy to remember but difficult for others to determine. You are responsible for remembering and keeping your password secure.

    What if I forget my password?
    If you forget your password, you can request a new one by following the simple online instructions. For security reasons, we cannot tell you what your password is. To reset your password, click the "Forget Password?" button and follow the instructions to select a new one.  You will need to know the additional authorization, email address, and daytime phone number you entered when enrolling.   If you need assistance, please email csc@alleghenypower.com and we can provide you with this information.

    Why am I receiving an error message when I log on? I am entering my information correctly.
    The user name and password are case-sensitive and must be entered EXACTLY as they were originally enrolled.   If you continue to receive logon errors, please email csc@alleghenypower.com. You may be asked to reset your password.

    III. Payment Questions

    After enrolling for Allegheny Power's bill payment service, when can I start paying my bills?
    Electronic bill service requests are usually processed within a week after you submit an enrollment form. Depending on your billing cycle, it may take a month or more before you begin receiving bills electronically. We'll use e-mail to notify you when your electronic bill is ready for viewing.

    How far in advance of the due date should I schedule my payments?
    This varies by e-bill service providers, but we suggest that you schedule your payments at least three business days before the actual payment due date.

    When is the money for the payment drawn from my bank account?
    When the payment is sent electronically, the funds for the payment are debited from your account on the scheduled payment date. Funds should be available in your account on the scheduled payment date.

    Can I make payments from more than one bank account?
    You can have more than one bank account set up, however only one can be assigned to the Allegheny Power account when making a payment. The "Update Info" button allows you to select "Update Bank Information". From there you may add information to establish an alternate bank account. Once added, you must update your Allegheny Power account and select the alternate bank account when you are ready to use it.

    How can I confirm that an electronic payment has been made?
     You can confirm an electronic payment in a couple of ways. First, you will receive a confirmation number when you make a payment. After the payment date, you can check its status online. Or, you could wait for your bank statement, which will list the transaction date and the payment amount.

    I received my bill online, but made a payment by another method.  Why doesn't my Bill Summary screen show it was paid?
    The Bill Summary screen only shows payments made online. If you made the payment by another method, you can check the status of your account by visiting http://www.alleghenypower.com or you may contact your bank for verification.

    Can I pay my electronic bill with a credit card?
    This is not a credit card payment program. However, Allegheny Power offers a credit card option. For a complete list of bill payment options, please click here.

    I am able to add credit card information into my payment profile, but I cannot access this information when selecting the account from which to pay my Allegheny Power bill. Why?
    Your payment profile applies to all e-bills you have signed up for within EasyPay through CheckFree services. Other e-billers may allow this selection, however, Allegheny Power is not accepting credit card payments through this service at this time.

    What if I miss paying a bill?
    If you don't schedule a bill payment, your bill will not be paid. You will receive a notice from Allegheny Power reminding you to make payment. Any late pay charges will appear on your next bill.

    If my bill shows a status of 'Paid', can I still make a payment on this bill?
    Allegheny Power's EasyPay service allows only one payment per bill. If you would like to make additional payments on a bill, you may do so using any of our other payment methods. Click here to find out more about our payment options.

    What should I do if my banking information has changed?
    If you are paying through CheckFree, you can update your information by accessing the "My Profile" screen and selecting "My Payment Accounts." If you are a PowerPay customer, you will need to contact Allegheny Power to update your banking information.

    Who do I call if I have a question about my bill?
    If you have a question about your Allegheny Power electronic bill, please call 1-800-ALLEGHENY (1-800-255-3443), just as you would with a paper bill or you can send an email to csc@alleghenpower.com.

    I am moving and would like to continue receiving my e-bill from Allegheny Power. What do I need to do?
    You should contact Allegheny Power for any change of service address as you will be receiving a new account number. Your e-bill for your previous account will be automatically de-enrolled when you receive your final bill. You will need to add your new account number into EasyPay, by clicking on "add an e-bill", once your new account has been established.

    IV. Miscellaneous

    Who do I call if I have connection problems?
    If your internet problems are not limited to the site where you receive your electronic bill, please contact your Internet Service Provider. If you cannot connect to Allegheny Power's EasyPay site, call 1-800-ALLEGHENY (1-800-255-3443). If you receive your Allegheny Power bill through an e-bill service provider, please direct your inquiry to that e-bill service provider.

    I am experiencing technical problems using the service. Can you help me?
    In some cases, we may not be able to resolve your problem immediately. We may ask you to provide additional information, such as the browser you are using and release, the operating system and its release, and a screen snapshot of any errors received.

    Does Allegheny Power share my personal information with other companies?
    No. Allegheny Power will not share your name or other personal information with third parties except when necessary to deliver the service or in response to a legal court order.

    This web site links to other sites. Allegheny Power is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those sites.