The transition of billing from E.L.K. Energy to the Town of Essex took effect in early 2024.
Water and Wastewater Billing
How to Pay your Water/Wastewater Bill
**Please issue payment to the Town of Essex**
Online: Payments can be made online with a credit card, debit card, or by electric funds transfer (EFT) at my.essex.ca
- To register and link your account, you will need your water account number which is found on your water bill.
- Please note a processing fee of 2.35% for credit and debit card payments, or $1.50 for EFT payments, as well as a transaction convenience fee of $1.50, will be applied at the time of payment.
- As of May 26, 2020, Town Hall will no longer accept credit cards for property tax payments.
Online Banking: Add Town of Essex as a payee on your online banking by searching 'Essex’, looking for Essex Water or Essex Town Water. When entering your account number, please ensure that you do not include any decimal points, it should be 8 digits only. DO NOT select Taxes or Accounts Receivable as the payee.
In-Person: Pay by cash, cheque, or debit. Visit Town Hall at 33 Talbot St. S, Essex ON
Drop-Box: Drop box located both at Town Hall and the Harrow Arena. If paying by drop box, please address envelope to ‘Town of Essex Water Billing’ to ensure your payment goes to the appropriate department.
By Mail: Cheques can be mailed to Town of Essex Water Billing, 33 Talbot St S, Essex ON N8H 1A8.
Financial Institution: Payments should also be accepted at your financial institution.
Sign-up for Pre-Authorized Payments
You can opt for our pre-authorized payment plan, allowing for automatic payments on each due date. To set-up pre-authorized payments for water billing with the Town of Essex, please complete the Pre-Authorized Payment Form below.
*Please note that your existing pre-authorized payment plan with E.L.K. Energy will not be transferred to the Town of Essex.
Register for Paperless Billing
Reduce your environmental footprint and save! Switch to paperless billing to receive your water/wastewater bill via email and receive a discount of $1.25 per bill. Complete the online form below to Register for water/wastewater paperless billing with the Town of Essex.
Moving? Update your Water Account
To set up a water account or schedule a final meter reading, please complete the form below.
*Minimum 3 business days notice for final reads.
Tenant Account Authorization
As of April 1, 2025, or sooner if you prefer, all tenant accounts will be closed and transitioned to the property owner’s name. Property owners can elect to add tenants as secondary account holders. This will allow bills to be mailed or emailed directly to the tenants, ensuring that everyone stays informed about account activity.
To facilitate this process, property owners must fill out the Account Authorization Form to designate individuals they wish to add to their account, if any. The transition form must be completed and returned no later than March 26, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Town of Essex assume billing of water/wastewater charges?
Water/wastewater billing is a Town function; however, it had been subcontracted to E.L.K. Energy in the past.
In effort to streamline Town services and enhance the customer experience, the Town has brought water/wastewater billing in-house. This was a decision made by Council based on a report presented by administration. Read the full Council Report.
Once you have received your first bill from the Town of Essex, all payment for water/wastewater services must be paid to the Town of Essex moving forward.
Payment can be made in the following ways:
Online
Payments can be made online with a credit card, debit card, or by electric funds transfer (EFT) through myEssex. Register online at my.essex.ca
- To register and link your account, you will need your water account number which is found on your water bill.
- Please note a processing fee of 2.35% for credit and debit card payments, or $1.50 for EFT payments, as well as a transaction convenience fee of $1.50, will be applied at the time of payment.
- As of May 26, 2020, Town Hall will no longer accept credit cards for property tax payments.
Pre-Authorized Payment
Complete the Pre-Authorized Payment Application Form
*Existing Pre-authorized payment information from E.L.K. Energy will NOT be transferred to the Town of Essex.
Online Banking
Add Town of Essex as a payee on your online banking by searching 'Essex, Town Water’. When entering your account number, please ensure that you do not include any decimal points, it should be 8 digits only. DO NOT select Taxes or Accounts Receivable as the payee.
In-Person
Pay by cash, cheque, or debit. Visit Town Hall at 33 Talbot St. S, Essex ON
Drop-Box
Drop box located both at Town Hall and the Harrow Arena. If paying by drop box, please address envelope to ‘Town of Essex Water Billing’ to ensure your payment goes to the appropriate department.
By Mail
Cheques can be mailed to Town of Essex Water Billing, 33 Talbot St S, Essex ON N8H 1A8.
Financial Institution
Payments should also be accepted at your financial institution.
Switch to paperless billing to receive your water/wastewater bill via email and receive a discount of $1.25 per bill.
To signup for paperless billing, please complete the paperless billing online form.
Can I pay with a credit card and is there a fee?
- Credit Card Payments with myEssex. Register online at my.essex.ca.
- The portal will allow customers to pay with a credit card at an additional fee. Each transaction will be subject to a $1.50 fee plus a payment processing fee of 2.35% of the payment.
How often will the Town of Essex be billing for water/wastewater charges?
All water/wastewater accounts will be on a monthly billing cycle.
Where do I pay my E.L.K. Energy electricity bill?
If you receive your electricity from E.L.K. Energy, you will continue to receive an E.L.K. bill for your electricity charges.
Where do I find my historical billing detail?
Customers are asked to contact ELK to obtain bill history prior to January 1, 2024.
How do I set-up a new water account or finalize an existing account?
To schedule a water meter reading to finalize your existing water account or to set up your new water account, please complete the online form.
What are the current water and sewer rates?
To view the current rates, visit the water and sewer rates webpage.
Why does my water bill seem higher than usual?
The average household uses 40-70 m3 of water during a 3-month billing period. If your water consumption is much higher, you may have a leak.
The most common causes of high water bills are:
- Running toilets
- Sprinkler Systems
- Water powered back-up sump pumps
- Leaky faucets
If your water/wastewater bill still seems abnormally high, please contact the Town of Essex 519-776-7336 ext.3051.
Questions?
For further questions regarding water/wastewater billing, please send us an email or call 519-776-7336 ext. 3051.
Thank you for being a part of the Town of Essex community, and we look forward to continuing to provide you with high-quality water and wastewater services.
Resources
Contact Us
Town of Essex
33 Talbot Street South
Essex, Ontario,
N8M 1A8
519-776-7336