Utility Billing
City Utility Billing & Customer Service |
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Beginning June 15, 2021, the public counter in the Business Office at City Hall (735 Anacapa Street) will be open to the public Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (closing promptly at 2:00 p.m.). Please enter City Hall through the De la Guerra Plaza entrance, as the Anacapa Street entrance will temporarily remain closed. The Business Office offers customer service for Business Licensing and Utility Billing, and accepts payments for business licenses, water & trash bills, and parking citations.
For questions regarding your bill, please call (805) 564-5343 or email UtilityBilling@SantaBarbaraCA.gov
Five Ways to Pay your bill:
- Online: For paperless billing, electronic access to your account history, pay by text, and one-time payments via credit card, sign up at the Utilities Online Payment Site. For automatic payments every month, you must also sign up for Autopay.
- Autopay: Sign up for automatic payments at the Utilities Online payment Site.
- By Mail: Mail in the payment stub with your check, payable to "City of Santa Barbara", to:
City of Santa Barbara Utility Billing
PO Box 1990
Santa Barbara, CA 93102 - By Phone: Call (855) 844-0038 to pay your bill through the 24/7 Automated System, using a bank account, debit card, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover cards accepted). We do not take American Express.
- Drop Box: Payments made by check, cashier's check, or money order (NO CASH) can be dropped-off at
City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street. The PAYMENT DEPOSIT BOX is located on the De la Guerra Plaza side of the City Hall building.
The City of Santa Barbara offers online bill pay services for City utility bills. Once you register an account, you will receive email reminders when your payment is due and a confirmation after you have made a payment. In addition, you will have the ability to pay by text, pay using mobile devices, schedule payments, and receive text notifications. Visit the About Utilities Online page for more information.
Register Your Account and Pay Your Bill Here!
For information on:
- Understanding Your Utility Bill, Click Here
- Water and Wastewater Rates, Click Here
- Water and Wastewater Rate Changes for FY 2022, Click Here
- Trash and Recycling Rates, Click Here
- Trash and Recycling Rate Changes for FY 2022, Click Here
City Utility Billing and Customer Service:
- Prepares and mails approximately 385,000 utility bills annually, including bills for water, wastewater and refuse collection services.
- Provides customer service by handling approximately 25,000 customer inquiries annually via telephone and walk-in counter support.
- Manage online customer billing records and customer payment options with the City's online payment vendor.
- Provide online customer support with regard to the City's online payment vendor.
- Process approximately 18,000 service orders annually to utility customer accounts, including customer updates, water meter reading verification, bill collection efforts, and water service changes.
Forms and Applications for Water Accounts:
- Suspension of Water Service Policy (SB 998)
- Póliza de Suspensión del Servicio de Agua (SB 998)
- Application for Extraordinary Use (Leak Adjustment)
- Continuous Water Service Agreement
- Application for Utility User Tax (UUT) Exemption
Mail all applications to:
City of Santa Barbara
Finance Department
Attn: Utility Billing
PO Box 1990
Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1990
Links
The water, wastewater, and buy-in rates and fee resolution can be viewed here. The full Resolution adopting City Fees can be viewed on the Adopted Budget page, under the Council Budget Resolutions Section.
Water
- Water Rate Calculator
- Find more information at: Water Conservation Online
Trash and Recycling
- Current Trash and Recycling Rates
- Find more information at: City Trash and Recycling Online
Miscellaneous
Contact Information:
- For questions regarding your bill, please call: (805) 564-5343
- For questions regarding water and sewer rates, please call:(805) 564-5460
- For questions regarding solid waste rates and recycling, please call: (805) 564-5631
- For after hours emergency water services please call (805) 963-4286
| Business Hours | Phone and Fax | Walk-In Payments | Mail-in Payments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Alternate Fridays |
(805) 564-5343 - Phone (805) 897-1978 - Fax |
Santa Barbara City Hall, Cashiering Office, 735 Anacapa Street (at De la Guerra) Walk-in Service is limited: Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
City of Santa Barbara, PO Box 60809 Santa Barbara, CA 93160-0809 |
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| Miscellaneous Services * | |
|---|---|
| Service Initiation Fee | $47.00 |
| Service Restoration (reconnection) Fee | $64.00 |
| Administrative Account Transfer Fee | $21.00 |
| Declined Payment Fee | $25.00 |
| If a payment is returned for insufficient funds for a second time in any 12 month period, payments will only be accepted via cash, cashier's check, money order, or credit card. | |
| Delinquent (late) Payment Fee , per account, per month, for any billing period in which a delinquent balance exists. | $8.00 |
| Upgrade to standard residential hydrant | $2929.25 |
| Upgrade to standard commercial hydrant | $2976.97 |
| Fire Hydrant Flow test | $325.45 |
| Meter Flow Test | $80.00 |
| Tampering Fees | |
|---|---|
| In addition to the fees below, Reconnection Fees will also be applied. Unauthorized water use via tampering may also be subject to Administrative Penalties per S.B.M.C. Section 1.28 | |
| Damaged or missing locks: | $57.29 |
| Damages/Missing Locking Brackets | $130.49 |