Our electric, water, and sewer departments work together to provide Westminster residents with reliable power, clean and safe water, and treatment of sewer effluent. Our team of utility employees check all pump stations regularly, make taps and repairs, and read meters.
Utilities
Payments Made Easy
Pay Your Utility Bills
We offer plenty of ways to make paying for all your utilities together easy. Be sure you have your account number and the last four digits of the phone number on file available when you go to pay your payment. Payment is due on the 15th by 5:00 PM and due by the 25th by 11:59 PM to avoid cutoffs.
Please click here to find instructions to set up an Xpress Bill Pay account.
Taylor Price
Electric Supervisor
Christopher Todd
Water and Sewer Supervisor
Provided by the City for the City
Westminster Electricity
The Westminster Commission of Public Works began providing electric service to Westminster in the 1920s. In the 1970s, the Commission joined with other municipal utilities through the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency at the Catawba Nuclear Power Plant. Power to the city is currently supplied by this jointly-owned reactor. While the CPW was dissolved in 2005, the city still maintains one high-voltage substation.
Understanding your Electric Bill
How to Read Your Meter
Your electric meter measures the amount of electricity passing through our service line into your property by kilowatt-hours (kWh). Electricity is billed by kilowatt. Your electric meter is read on a monthly basis to determine your electricity usage. The reading for the current month is subtracted from the previous month’s reading to determine your electricity usage.
Renewable Energy Generation
Net Billing for City Residents
Net Billing is available for City of Westminster residents who operate Customer-owned Renewable Generation (CRG) in parallel with the city’s electric distribution system. This is primarily intended to offset all or part of the customer’s electric consumption. Any renewable energy generated must be using one of the following fuels or energy sources: hydrogen, biomass, solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, waste heat, or hydroelectric power.
Contact Constance Baty for Net Billing information either by phone at (864) 647.3217 or by email her at cbaty@westminstersc.org.
To begin Net Billing:
- Customers must enter into the Tri-Party Net Billing Power Purchase Agreement (TPA) and the City’s Standard Interconnection Agreement (SIA).
- Submit three undated original signed copies of the TPA and two undated original signed copies of the SIA with all attachments.
- Only begin installation after agreements are signed and approved by all parties.
Other Net Billing Requirements
- CRG must be used for the customer’s own load then offset the customer’s demand for electricity from the city.
- Any excess CRG not used for the customer will be delivered to the city’s electric distribution system.
- The customer is charged for electricity delivered to the customer by the city in accordance with the otherwise applicable retail rate schedule.
- Net Billing service is offered on a first come first served basis. The total rated generating capacity used by eligible customer-owned renewable generators must not exceed 2% of the city’s aggregate customer peak demand.
- CRG systems shall not exceed 20kW for a residential customer and shall not exceed 100kW for a non-residential customer
Always Safe and Always Available
The City Water System
The City of Westminster has been providing drinking water to citizens since 1925. The Chauga River is the source of water for all Westminster customers. The City of Westminster Water System routinely monitors drinking water to meet federal and state requirements. Stay up to date with our latest Annual Water Report.
Water Leak Policy
- For a utility account to qualify for a water/sewer adjustment, the customer has to use at least 20,000 gallons over their most recent 6-month average in a month’s time.
- Anything over the customer’s average water usage will be sold to the customer at the city’s cost.
- Once the water leak begins, whether the customer was fully aware at the time or not, the city will adjust the HIGHEST utility bill associated with the water leak.
- Sewer adjustments can be done in the event that the leak did not go into the sewer. To qualify, the customer would need to present a letter on letterhead from a certified plumber stating that the leak did not go into the sewer. If the customer is active on summer sewer during the bill affected by the leak, they do not qualify for a sewer adjustment because the sewer is already at a discounted price.
- Only a water OR sewer adjustment may be done on a utility account, not both.
- Any high usage bills associated with work done by the City will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Serving All of Oconee County
The City Sewer Department
The City Sewer Department includes several miles of sewer lines serving the City of Westminster, Walhalla, Seneca, and other unincorporated areas of Oconee County. The Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority runs and maintains the system serving our city and those surrounding it since 1980.
To Flush Or Not To Flush
Sewer lines are made up of many different components making it very important to manage what does and does not get sent down the lines. If the system cannot handle what is sent down, backups and clogs will happen. These situations will result in temporary loss of sewer service, operational issues, and operational cost increases.
Please report any illegal dumping into sewer manholes to the Westminster Utility Department at 864.647.3200.
Form and Documents
Complete the Process
Apply for Annexation into the City
If you need to be annexed into the city, complete the annexation application. All applications are considered for recommendation by the Planning Commission before going before the City Council.
Setting Up Utilities
Resident Deposit Policy
A deposit of an amount determined by a “soft” credit check will be due with your request for service form. The maximum amount is $275 for the deposit. All connections must pay a $25 service fee.
Frequently Asked Question
The City of Westminster allows for a 2-week hold on bill payments once every 12 months per customer. If you need further assistance, consider contacting one of the organizations listed on this document.
Once you pay the past due balance on your utility account, you must call 864.647.3203 to notify the utility department that your bill has been paid. The city staff does not get notified automatically to do a reconnection.
Property owners can call (864)647-3203 or visit City Hall to disconnect or cancel their utility service.
CItizens are required to sign an annexation agreement if the property in question is located anywhere outside of the city limits. The agreement stipulates that if the property ever becomes contiguous to another annexed property, that the city reserves the right to annex the property at its discretion. This does not mean your property will immediately be annexed into the city, just the city reserves that right if the property becomes eligible. The annexation would have to be approved by council and the property owner has the right to appeal the annexation.