Oregon utility deposit bonds.
From $100.
Utilities regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Oregon may require a non-residential customer to establish credit before service begins. Under each utility’s PUC-filed tariff, a customer who cannot do so may post a surety (performance) bond instead of a cash security deposit. Premiums cost 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum.
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How much does an Oregon utility deposit bond cost?
2% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
Your utility tells you the deposit-in-lieu amount before you need this bond. Enter that figure, pay, and submit the bond to the utility. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the utility you are securing service with, the bond amount it requires, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued
No credit check up to $15,000 except for partnerships, and most applications approve instantly. Pricing is 2% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum. No credit check up to $15,000 for individuals, corporations and LLCs (above that, a soft pull at most); for partnerships, one soft pull at every amount, never a hard inquiry.
File with the utility
Submit the executed bond to your utility in place of the cash deposit it would otherwise require. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the utility insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the utility deposit bond actually covers
Electric, gas, and other utilities regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Oregon file tariffs setting out when a customer must establish creditworthiness before service begins or continues. A non-residential applicant who cannot show 12 months of continuous, on-time service, or provide an irrevocable letter of credit, is typically offered a third path: a surety (performance) bond or other guarantee acceptable to the utility, in place of a cash security deposit.
Where a cash deposit would apply, utility tariffs generally size it around one-sixth of the customer’s estimated annual billing based on connected load — the bond secures that same obligation without tying up the customer’s cash. If the customer fails to pay for utility service, the utility can claim against the bond up to the penal sum; if the surety pays, the customer repays the surety.
There is no statewide statutory dollar figure — each utility’s own PUC-filed tariff sets the deposit-in-lieu amount for a given account. Enter the bond amount your utility specified; we price it from a $100 minimum, and no credit check up to $15,000 except for partnerships.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the utility. Submit the executed bond to your utility in place of the cash deposit it would otherwise require. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the utility insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $15,000 for individuals, corporations and LLCs (above that, a soft pull at most); for partnerships, one soft pull at every amount, never a hard inquiry.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
Enter the deposit-in-lieu amount your utility specified. No credit check up to $15,000 except for partnerships, and most applications approve instantly.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Oregon bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Open utility service without the cash deposit.
Premiums from $100, no credit check up to $15,000 except for partnerships. Enter the amount your utility requires and file the same day.