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Courtesy Billing Reminder, January 27, 2021: DMEA will resume normal disconnect procedures in February. Starting February 1, 2022, member bills will include past due balances and late fees, if applicable. If your DMEA account is past due, please pay now to avoid late fees and disconnection.
CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE OR PAY NOW
Other payment options include:
Phone: Call 877-687-362 and select option 3
In-person: Visit our Montrose office at 11925 6300 Rd.
Mail: Mail your payment and account information to PO Box 1608, Montrose, CO 81402. Please do not send cash.
Payment kiosks: Self-serve payment kiosks are located in the entry of DMEA offices and the Hotchkiss Chamber of Commerce information booth.
On November 7, 2021, DMEA was the victim of a malicious cyber-attack. As a result, our internal network services are not fully functional. This is impacting our ability to provide support services such as payment processing, billing, SmartHub access, and account changes. Please note, we have suspended our disconnect process and all penalty fees through January 31, 2022. This page is here to support you, answer questions, and keep you updated about the incident.
What happened and where?
DMEA was the victim of a cyber-attack on November 7, 2021. DMEA discovered a targeted effort to access portions of our internal network system by an unauthorized third party. As a result, DMEA lost 90% of internal network functions, and a good portion of our data, such as saved documents, spreadsheets, and forms, was corrupted. It also impacted our phones and emails. Our power grid and fiber network remain unaffected by the incident.
When did this happen?
DMEA became aware of the incident on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
What is DMEA doing?
DMEA immediately began working with a team of forensic and cybersecurity experts to investigate the scope of the incident and its impact on DMEA and our members. That investigation is still ongoing. We are currently operating with limited functionality and are focused on completing our investigation and restoring services as efficiently, economically, and safely as possible.
We are committed to restoring our network and getting back to normal operations, but that will take time and requires a phased approach. Please review the timeline below for current estimations on service restoration. DMEA will work with members to ensure the return to ‘normal’ does not cause undue hardship over the holiday season. We have suspended all penalty fees and disconnections for non-payment through January 31, 2022. We will also offer temporary payment arrangement options if necessary (payment arrangement options end February 28, 2022).
What should DMEA members do?
Immediately following the incident, DMEA retained forensic experts to perform an investigation. The forensic team confirmed that there was no breach of sensitive data within our network environment. We always encourage all members to follow best practices for password security, including using two-factor authentication whenever possible.
Update: Effective Friday, December 10, 2021
DMEA will begin accepting and processing payments through the following ways:
Online: We strongly encourage members to pay their bills through our secure account management tool, SmartHub.
In-person: DMEA’s Montrose lobby is now open to walk-in traffic. However, occupancy is limited to 2 members at a time, and you may experience longer than normal wait times.
Drop off: Payment drop boxes are located outside both DMEA offices, Montrose City Markets and Safeway, Don’s Market in Paonia, and Cedaredge Mercantile.
Kiosks: Our self-serve payment kiosks are in the vestibules of each of our offices and the Hotchkiss Chamber of Commerce Info Booth. Members will need name associated with account, phone number, & account number to use this method of payment.
Update: Effective Friday, December 10, 2021
DMEA will resume member billing on Friday, December 10, 2021. We recognize this will result in members receiving multiple energy bills close together. As a reminder, we will not disconnect services for non-payment or assess any penalties through January 31, 2022.
DMEA Payment Options
Timeline of events
November 7, 2021: DMEA became aware of a malicious cyber-attack and immediately began working with a team of forensic and cybersecurity experts.
November 15, 2021: The first week of the investigation was completed. We are highly confident no sensitive member or employee information has been compromised.
November 8, 2021: A temporary phone system was put in place. DMEA is answering member calls.
December 2, 2021: Read DMEA's message to the members here.
December 10, 2021: DMEA is now accepting and processing payments.
December 10, 2021: DMEA will resume member billing.
February 1, 2022: Standard late fee and disconnect processes resume.
February 28, 2022: Options for payment arrangements expire.
FAQs
A. This was a malicious cyber-attack that resulted in the loss of 90% of the functionality of our internal systems, and a good portion of our data was corrupted. As a result, DMEA has been operating with limited internal functionality. For members, this means you were unable to pay your bill, make account changes, receive new Billings, or access your account online via SmartHub. The disruption to DMEA's internal operations was significant, and we are working through a phased restoration approach.
A. DMEA has taken significant measures to fortify our network and will continue to make improvements. We are committed to investing in any security improvement recommendations that result from our investigation.
A. While we are working as quickly as possible, we are currently unable to accept payments. We tentatively estimate we will be able to begin accepting member payments the week of December 6 - 10, 2021. Members will be notified when payment services are available.
A. Yes. View our energy assistance programs at www.dmea.com/energy-assistance. For personalized payment arrangements, call our offices at 1-877-687-3632.
A. Our suspended late fee policy applies to member billings affected by the cyber-attack on November 7, 2021 and moving forward. Late fees assessed prior to November 7 still apply.
A. DMEA's electric grid and Elevate's fiber network remain unaffected. 24/7 outage response and Elevate technical support services are also fully functional. Report all power outages by calling 877-687-3632. To reach Elevate tech support, call 844-386-8744 or email support@elevateinternet.com. For specific inquiries please see the email list below:
General and billing questions: csrs@dmea.com
Renewable energy and energy services: rod.geiger@dmea.com
New construction services: terri.mcIlhenny@dmea.com
Media and communications: becky.mashburn@dmea.com
Board of Directors and meetings: amy.taylor@dmea.com
Employment questions: tiffany.stewart@dmea.com
We have completed the first few weeks of the investigation and are highly confident no sensitive member or employee information was compromised. Our external power grid and fiber network were also unaffected by this incident.
A. No. The loss of our internal network functions was due to a malicious cyber-attack. On November 4, DMEA and Elevate closed the office to walk-in traffic due to the increased cases of COVID-19 within the local communities. All network issues are a result of the cyber-attack on November 7.
A. DMEA’s power grid and meters are unaffected by this incident. Report all power outages as normal by calling 877-687-3632, and you will be connected with our 24/7 dispatch center. For more information on power outages and safety, click here.
A. DMEA was the victim of a sophisticated and malicious cyber-attack. The impact on our systems and data was extensive. We lost 90% of our internal network functionality, including phones, email, payment processing, and bill processing. A good portion of our saved data, such as forms and documents, was corrupted. The path to full restoration will take time, and it may result in many of our members receiving back-to-back energy bills. With colder weather approaching and the holiday season already here, we recognize this incident has come at an unfortunate time. DMEA has suspended all penalty and late fees, and we will not disconnect services for non-payment through January 31, 2022. Please visit our payment assistance and payment arrangement pages for additional information.
A. DMEA’s payment processing systems went down on November 7 due to the cyber-attack. Therefore, many members have been unable to pay the bills they received in October. We will begin the auto draft process for these bills starting Thursday, December 9, 2021. DMEA’s SmartHub will be open to accept payments starting Friday, December 10.
A. The date your account is drafted for payment is dependent upon when you receive your bill. For bills issued October through November 7, accounts will be drafted according to the below schedule. Please refer to the following table.
Schedule for bills issued before November 7
|
Bill Date |
Bill Due |
Account Draft Date |
|
October |
||
|
10/4/21 |
11/1/21 |
Completed 11/1/21. |
|
10/11/21 |
11/8/21 |
Bank account drafts were completed. Credit card drafts were not completed. These credit card payments will be drafted on Thursday, December 9, 2021. |
|
10/18/21 |
11/15/21 |
All automatic payments will be drafted on Friday, December 10, 2021. |
|
10/25/21 |
11/22/21 |
All automatic payments will be drafted on Friday, December 10, 2021. |
|
November |
||
|
11/1/21 |
12/6/21 |
All automatic payments will be drafted on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. |
Please refer to the following chart for DMEA bills issued after November 7, 2021. All following dates are tentative and may occur later than the date listed, but not before.
Schedule for bills scheduled to be issued after November 7
|
Original Bill Date |
Actual Bill Date |
Bill Due Date |
Account Draft Date |
|
November |
|
||
|
11/8/21 |
12/9/21 |
12/20/21 |
12/20/21 |
|
11/15/21 |
12/10/21 |
12/21/21 |
12/21/21 |
|
11/22/21 |
12/11/21 |
12/27/21 |
12/27/21 |
|
December |
|
||
|
12/6/21 |
12/15/21 |
1/3/22 |
1/3/22 |
|
12/13/21 |
12/20/21 |
1/10/22 |
1/10/22 |
|
12/20/21 |
12/21/21 |
1/17/22 |
1/17/22 |
|
12/27/21 |
12/27/21 |
1/24/22 |
1/24/22 |
A. Your amount due will not change. However, you will also receive back-to-back energy bills referenced above with the adjusted due dates. As a reminder, DMEA has suspended all late fees and will not disconnect services for non-payment through January 31, 2022. Please click here to learn more about bill assistance options.
A. If you have a MyChoice (prepay) account, you have two options. If finances allow, you can pay your balance in full and deposit advance funds onto your electric account immediately. Make a payment online now here.
DMEA also offers a payment arrangement plan specific to our MyChoice program. On this arrangement, 70% of your payment will go towards future energy use (prepaid amount), and 30% of your payment will go towards your past energy use. Contact us at 877-687-3632 to set your MyChoice account up on a payment arrangement.