As of January 1, 2016, Homer Electric Association will no longer accept MasterCard debit/credit cards as a form of payment.
HEA’s Joe Gallagher says the decision was made as a way to cut costs.
Gallagher: “It costs Homer Electric about $400,000 in processing fees to process credit cards. MasterCard accounts for about 58% of those costs but only 17% of the credit card users are using MasterCard. So by eliminating the use of MasterCard, we are expecting some substantial savings.
Homer Electric plans to contact the approximately 1,800 HEA members that use MasterCard to pay on a regular basis in order to notify them of the change and offer suggested alternatives.
Gallagher: “Some of those include electronic banking, you can also go online and pay, we’re still accepting Visa cards, of course you can always come in and pay at the counter, you can pay by phone. There are still many options available to our customers.”
Electronic Bank Draft: HEA will automatically deduct your bill from your designated bank account each month. No checks to write or payments to submit. Call or stop by an HEA office with a voided check or download an application to mail into the office to sign up.
EasyPay Online: At www.homerelectric.com you can look up your account, view your bill/usage history and pay your bill with a Visa card online or with an e-Check. This password protected option provides convenient and around the clock access to your account information. *First time users: Please contact HEA for an access password.
Pay by Phone: Save time and postage by making a payment by phone. This service is available 24/7 and all you need is your account number.
Pay in Person: Stop by our cashier station or payment kiosk at either of the two HEA offices, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). Payments are accepted in the form of cash, check, e-check, money order, or Visa debit/credit card.
HEA Drop Box: Drop your payment in the drop boxes located at HEA offices in Homer or Kenai.
Mobile App: Download HEA’s app today and login to your account, check your balance, history and pay your bill. You also have access to HEA contact and outage information.
Budget Billing. Simplify your bill paying and even out your electric payments by paying the same amount in December as you do in June with Budget Billing. Enrollment is in March, April and May.
