Richmond Utilities: Pay Bill, MyHQ Login, New Account Number & DPU Help 2026
Richmond, Virginia • Department of Public Utilities customer guide
Need to pay a City of Richmond utility bill, use MyHQ, find your new 10-digit account number, start or stop service, or fix a payment that has not posted? Richmond DPU changed its customer and billing systems in 2026, so older account numbers and older payment instructions can now cause real problems.
Richmond DPU bills for water, wastewater, stormwater and natural gas. The department also operates the City’s streetlight utility. The sections below separate billing tasks from service requests and safety issues so you can use the right route the first time.
Richmond DPU Quick Answers
EZ-PAY needs the DPU account number and billing ZIP code. The City lists cards and ACH-type bank accounts as accepted options.
MyHQ provides up to 36 months of bills, ACH payments, AutoPay, account notifications and payments up to $100,000 with no convenience fee.
DPU has been working through 2026 payment-posting and account-specific billing issues. Save proof and contact DPU if a confirmed payment does not appear.
2026 Richmond DPU Account Number Change: What Customers Need to Fix
Richmond’s 2026 billing-system conversion assigned new 10-digit utility account numbers to customers. This is not a cosmetic change: using an old number through a bank’s bill-pay service can delay payment matching.
Old Format vs. New Format
DPU says MyHQ customers do not need to update their account number. The portal was updated to default to the active new account number.
Use the new 10-digit number and the current Philadelphia payment address to reduce payment-processing delays.
After opening the DPU Account Update page
- Use the Account Lookup Tool if you do not know your new 10-digit number.
- Compare the new number with the account saved in your bank’s Bill Pay system.
- If you use bank Bill Pay, replace the old number and confirm the current payment address.
- If MyHQ shows a validation error or account information looks wrong, contact DPU instead of creating repeated payments.
- Keep payment confirmations while DPU reviews any account-specific issue.
How to Pay a City of Richmond Utility Bill
Richmond DPU offers MyHQ, EZ-PAY, automated phone payment, walk-in payment, drop boxes and mail. The best option depends on whether you need account management or only a quick payment.
Use for bill history, ACH payments, AutoPay, electronic bills and account notifications. DPU lists no convenience fee.
Requires the account number and billing ZIP code. Credit-card transactions are limited to $1,000; ACH transactions are listed up to $100,000.
DPU’s automated payment system is available 24 hours a day for credit-card utility payments.
Make the check payable to City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities and include the correct new account number.
900 E. Broad Street. Current billing-page hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
After opening the DPU billing page
- Use MyHQ when you want full account access or AutoPay.
- Use the EZ-PAY link when you want a quick payment with account number and billing ZIP code.
- Use the Account Lookup Tool first if your new 10-digit account number is missing.
- For phone payment, call 804-646-4646 and select Option 2.
- For physical payment, verify the latest office, drop-box or mailing information before sending money.
Automatic Payment: Use MyHQ for New Enrollment
The main DPU billing page still displays information about the older Automatic Utility Payment Plan (AUPP), but Richmond’s more recent 2026 account-transition guidance says AUPP is no longer available for new enrollment and ACH automatic payments are now handled through MyHQ.
Customers who were already using the older AUPP during the transition were told no action was required. New customers wanting automatic bank payment should use MyHQ’s AutoPay tools.
Richmond MyHQ Login: What You Can Do Online
MyHQ remains Richmond DPU’s active customer portal as of September 2026. It is more useful than EZ-PAY when you need ongoing access rather than a single payment.
Review current and previous utility bills and compare charges over time.
MyHQ supports bank payments and automatic payments without a convenience fee listed by DPU.
DPU says enrolling in MyHQ automatically enrolls the account to receive electronic bills.
After opening MyHQ
- Sign in with the email and password already connected to your MyHQ account.
- Use the Sign Up option if you have not created MyHQ access.
- Use Forgot Password rather than making a second profile when you only lost access.
- Confirm the active new 10-digit account number before reviewing balances or submitting payment.
- Save payment confirmation if the balance does not update immediately.
Start, Stop or Transfer Richmond Utility Service
After the 2026 system conversion, Richmond added a more direct call-center route for ordinary move-related account changes. If you are starting, stopping or transferring an existing DPU account, call 804-646-4646 and select Option 4.
Use this route for start, stop and transfer requests on customer utility accounts.
For new gas, water, sanitary sewer or storm-sewer connections requiring applications, permits or inspections, call 804-646-8544.
After opening the DPU permits page
- Use this page only when a property needs a new utility connection, permit or inspection.
- Select the application that matches gas, water, sewer or other development work.
- Complete the required applicant, property and billing information.
- Submit the form using the instructions on the current application.
- Contact the New Services Team at 804-646-8544 to confirm receipt when required.
Past-Due Richmond Utility Bill: PromisePay and MetroCare
Richmond offers both payment plans and assistance. A payment plan spreads a balance over time; MetroCare can provide account assistance for qualifying customers. If you are facing financial hardship and need to discuss an arrangement directly, DPU’s billing page also lists 804-646-0600.
Residential and commercial customers with outstanding balances can review payment-plan options, scheduled payments and reminders.
Current eligibility includes an active residential DPU account at the primary residence and household income at or below 225% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Natural-gas customers can spread estimated annual gas costs across 12 months. DPU reviews the amount each August.
Current MetroCare Assistance Amounts
DPU currently lists up to $1,000 for water/wastewater assistance, up to $1,000 for natural-gas assistance and up to $1,000 for eligible conservation repairs or appliance replacement, with a maximum of $3,000 per household per fiscal year across MetroCare programs.
- Valid photo ID
- Current utility bill showing your name or authorized-user status
- Proof of residence at the service address
- Proof of household size
- Proof of household income
After opening the DPU billing page
- Scroll to Affordability Programs.
- Choose PromisePay when you mainly need a structured plan for a past-due balance.
- Review MetroCare when financial assistance rather than repayment timing is the main issue.
- Prepare the required household, income and utility-account documentation before MetroCare intake.
- If service status is urgent, call DPU as well rather than waiting only on an assistance application.
Richmond Water and Wastewater Rates Effective July 1, 2026
Richmond’s current residential water and wastewater rates took effect July 1, 2026. A single-family customer’s bill combines fixed monthly service charges with usage charges measured in Ccf.
Wastewater usage is currently $10.24 per Ccf for single-family residential accounts. DPU’s own example shows that a home with a 5/8-inch meter using 6 Ccf would have a water/wastewater subtotal of $132.48 before any other applicable utility charges.
Stormwater is billed separately based on developed property characteristics, and natural-gas bills include a monthly service charge, distribution charges and a purchased-gas-cost component that can change with market prices.
Official Richmond DPU 2026 Utility RatesAfter opening the utility-rates page
- Choose the residential, multifamily, commercial, stormwater or natural-gas section matching the account.
- Check the meter-size base charge first.
- Then apply the applicable per-Ccf usage charge.
- For March-November wastewater, review DPU’s seasonal usage adjustment.
- Do not estimate the entire bill from one rate because an account can contain several utility charges.
Richmond Gas Leak Safety: Leave First, Then Call
Richmond Gas Works serves the City of Richmond, Henrico County and portions of Chesterfield and Hanover. If you suspect a natural-gas leak, billing questions are no longer the priority.
DPU says a gas leak may be recognized by a rotten-egg odor, visible mist or bubbles, dying vegetation, or unusual hissing, roaring or whistling sounds.
Do not strike a match or operate a phone, flashlight, appliance, light switch or other device that could create a spark while you are still in the area where gas is suspected.
Official Richmond Natural Gas Safety InstructionsAfter opening the gas-safety page
- Review DPU’s smell, sight and sound signs of a possible gas leak.
- If you suspect a leak, leave the area instead of trying to find the source.
- Call 911 or DPU only after reaching a safe place.
- Do not return until responders or utility personnel say it is safe.
Richmond Streetlight Outage or Stormwater Service Request
Streetlights and stormwater field issues should not be treated like billing problems. Richmond DPU maintains roughly 37,000 City-owned streetlights, while RVA311 is used for several non-billing service requests.
Use for an existing Richmond streetlight outage or streetlight problem.
DPU lists this number for new streetlight installation requests.
Streetlight repair requests and stormwater issues such as missing manhole covers or basin repairs can also be submitted through RVA311.
Richmond DPU Office, Walk-In Payment and Mailing Addresses
Richmond, VA 23219
DPU customer walk-in services are listed Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Richmond, VA 23219
The DPU billing page lists payment hours Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Richmond, VA
The billing page lists Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
P.O. Box 70621
Philadelphia, PA 19176-0621
Related City Utility Account Guides
If you manage utility accounts in more than one city, these published guides cover similar portal changes, quick-pay options, multi-service billing and outage support.
Richmond DPU FAQs
1. What is the Richmond Department of Public Utilities phone number?
DPU Customer Care is 804-646-4646. The current call-center schedule is Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Automated utility payment is available through the same number by selecting Option 2.
2. How do I pay a City of Richmond utility bill online?
Use MyHQ for full account access, bill history, ACH and AutoPay, or open EZ-PAY from the official DPU billing page for a quick payment using the DPU account number and billing ZIP code.
3. Why does my Richmond DPU account number look different in 2026?
Richmond’s 2026 billing-system transition assigned customers new 10-digit account numbers. If your bank sends utility payments through Bill Pay, DPU says to replace the old account number with the new 10-digit number and update the payment address.
4. What is the difference between MyHQ and EZ-PAY?
MyHQ is intended for ongoing account management, including up to 36 months of bill history, ACH payments, AutoPay and electronic billing. EZ-PAY is a quicker payment route requiring the account number and billing ZIP code.
5. What should I do if my Richmond DPU payment does not appear or MyHQ shows a validation error?
Keep the payment confirmation and avoid immediately making a duplicate payment. DPU asks customers with billing issues or MyHQ validation errors to call 804-646-4646 or email dpucustserv@rva.gov.
6. Does Richmond MyHQ charge a convenience fee?
DPU currently lists MyHQ payments as having no convenience fee. MyHQ supports ACH payments and payments up to $100,000; EZ-PAY lists a $1,000 maximum for a single credit-card transaction and up to $100,000 for ACH.
7. How do I start, stop or transfer Richmond DPU service?
Call 804-646-4646 and select Option 4 for start, stop or transfer requests on an existing customer account. New physical gas, water or sewer connections involving permits or installation are handled by DPU Development Services at 804-646-8544.
8. What help is available if I cannot pay my Richmond utility bill?
DPU lists PromisePay payment plans, MetroCare assistance and an Equal Monthly Payment Plan for natural-gas customers. Current MetroCare eligibility includes qualifying income, an active residential DPU account and residence at the service address.
9. What are Richmond’s residential water and wastewater rates in 2026?
Rates effective July 1, 2026 include a $18.90 monthly water service charge and $24.56 wastewater service charge for a 5/8-inch meter. Single-family water usage is $3.35 per Ccf for the first 4 Ccf and $7.09 above 4 Ccf; wastewater usage is $10.24 per Ccf.
10. What should I do if I smell natural gas in Richmond?
Leave the area immediately. From a safe location, call 911 or Richmond DPU at 804-646-4646. Do not operate phones, switches, lights, appliances or anything else that could create a spark while you are still in the suspected leak area.
Official-Source and Accuracy Note
This independent guide was refreshed for Richmond’s 2026 billing-system changes. The most important current differences from older guidance are the new 10-digit account numbers, updated bank Bill Pay instructions, MyHQ payment updates, the current Philadelphia payment address and the direct Option 4 route for start/stop/transfer requests.
Information was checked against current City of Richmond DPU billing, account-update, utility-rate, customer-contact, service, gas-safety, streetlight and assistance resources. DPU continues to work through some account-specific issues following its 2026 system transition, so account status shown by DPU remains the final authority.
Editorial review date: September 12, 2026.