FAQ’s

Telephone (landline) FAQ

Come into the telephone office at TOUA and complete the new service application. There is an installation fee of $38.00 for new service. If there has never been service there before, there are two documents that are needed before installation: 1) Land Assignment 2) District Resolution.
These two forms are needed because we need district approval before TOUA can install any brand-new services. Construction will need to be done. NOTE: If your home is pre-wired, the charge to activate wire(s) will be $5.00 each (at the time of install). If customer requests any additional lines be installed after initial install, the price will be $36.00 per hour with a 2-hour minimum charge.
Your balance must be paid in full. If you have been disconnected for 60 days or less, a $25.00 fee is charged to reconnect your services. If it has been more than 60 days, it will be considered a new install and the customer will be charged $38.00 to reconnect their services. Reconnection time depends on the length of time the phone has been disconnected.
TOUA Long Distance Plan A: $4.95 per month, $0.19 /minute, anytime, anywhere, in the U.S. TOUA Long Distance Plan B: $0.23/minute, anytime, anywhere, in the U.S. If eligible for Long Distance service, the customer needs to come to the TOUA telephone department and sign up for long distance service.
Yes, customers must be 18 years or older to ensure a secure installation.
The FCC prohibits your telephone company from releasing your customer information to you when you call the company, except when you provide a password. More information about CPNI is available at the FCC’s website here: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/phoneaboutyou.html. A CPNI # is a 4-digit number that you create and only you know, to keep your TOUA telephone account secure. When you make changes to your account, this code must be given to ensure security for any information given or received.
To sign up for our high-speed internet service, you need to come into our telephone office here at TOUA. One of our friendly customer service reps will be happy to help you fill out an application. They can also explain the different speeds and modems we offer. Give one of our customer service reps a call at (520) 383-5841.
Make sure your ringer is on. Check the base cord to ensure it’s plugged into the phone base and jack properly and make sure it does not have any exposed wiring or sharp kinks. Also, ensure it isn’t being stepped on frequently and doesn’t have any heavy objects, such as furniture, sitting on top of it. Unplug the phone at the jack and electrical outlet for a short period of time before plugging it back in. If available, use this short time to test another phone on the line to see if dial tone is restored. If so, it may be your phone that is damaged. If you have a cordless phone, make sure the battery is plugged in properly and not damaged in any way. If the telephone trouble persists after these steps, please contact the TOUA Service Center at (520) 383-5800 during our regular business hours. After hours, call 611 from any landline phone here on the Nation.

Electric FAQ

Yes. If you have never had a bill with TOUA, the deposit amount is $400 for electric/water services. You may call TOUA’s water and electric billing department for questions regarding the deposit. If you have had any type of service with TOUA and your account(s) are in good standing, your deposit will be waived. You may not have to pay the deposit if you can provide a letter of credit from a previous utility company where you were not delinquent more than twice during a 12-month period. TOUA does require a completed customer information form. This form will provide basic information necessary to establish your account, such as billing address, contact information, etc.
A TOUA new customer service data form needs to be completed and submitted with a service line agreement. You will also need a district resolution or community resolution for home/land site authorizing all utilities to be provided. This includes electric, telephone, water/wastewater, and propane. TOUA will extend an electric service line to accommodate a customer up to 1,000 feet. Any amount in excess of this will require a “Contribution in Aid of Construction” from the homeowner. This needs to be paid before any construction begins.
For existing services, you will need homeowner verification. This can be done by the following: A deed (if it is your home); a Will (verifies a previous owner willed it to you) or Probate Allocation; or a letter from the district verifying how long you have been in the home and your relation to the homeowner. If someone else owns the home, you will need a notarized letter from the homeowner giving authorization for the name change and/or connect service at the location. In the case of a “family home,” where the parents are deceased, you must obtain a notarized letter from all siblings acknowledging you are in the home and will be responsible for the utility bill. If there were services in the home all past due, the balance would have to be paid. In addition, if you owe TOUA for any service, these must also be paid or arrangements made on any previous bill(s) you may have had with TOUA.
If you need extra time to pay your bill, you may make arrangements with our collections department.
Yes. The customer will notify the electric operations department when they are ready for hook-up. TOUA will inspect the electric service entrance (meter loop). This must meet specifications that are provided by TOUA.
If the outlet does not work in your home, it is your responsibility to call an electrician to assist you. TOUA provides power to your home up to the electric meter. After the meter, the responsibility belongs to the customer.

Water FAQ

Prior to establishing your home site we encourage you to contact TOUA Water Department (520) 383 – 5831 to evaluate if your home can be served properly with water and wastewater services.
Yes. If you have never had a bill with TOUA, the deposit amount is $400. You may call TOUA’s Water and Electric Billing Department for any questions you may have regarding the deposit. This deposit covers both water and electric. If you have had any type of service with TOUA and your account(s) are in good standing, your deposit will be waived. You may not have to pay the deposit if you can provide a letter of credit from a previous utility company where you were not delinquent more than twice during a 12-month period. TOUA does require a completed customer information form. This form will provide basic information necessary to establish your account, such as billing address, contact information, etc.
For existing services, you will need homeowner verification. This can be done by the following: A deed (if it is your home); or Will (verifies a previous owner willed it to you) or Probate Allocation; or a letter from the district verifying how long you have been in the home and to verify your relation to the homeowner. If someone else owns the home, you will need a notarized letter from the homeowner giving authorization for the name change and/or to connect services at the location. Or in the case of a “family home,” where the parents are deceased, a notarized letter from all of the siblings acknowledging you are in the home and will be responsible for the bill is required. If there were services in the home, all past due TOUA balances must be paid. In addition, if you owe TOUA for any services, these must also be paid or arrangements made on any previous bill(s) you may have had with TOUA.
If you need some time to pay your bill, you may make arrangements with our Collections Department.
TOUA provides water to your home up to the water meter. After the meter, the responsibility belongs to the customer. TOUA does have plumbing services available. For more information, call (520) 383-5831. It is important that your home’s plumbing is working properly. If you have leaks, or your toilet bowl is constantly running, this can increase your water bill.
If you see any situation that may involve a main water or sewer line, please call TOUA at (520) 383-2236. If it is after hours, please call the same number and connect with the Water Department to report the situation.
Yes. TOUA now has a Facebook page and Twitter feed to inform our customers of any interruption in water service. You may also call our business office to find out if you are in an affected area.

Cellular FAQ

TOUA offers an unlimited plan for $65 per month. Additional lines can be added for $50 per month. We offer a discounted unlimited plan for students and military for $55 per month. We also have a data only plan for $55 per month and a talk and text only plan for $45 per month.
No. We partner with Verizon to offer cellular services on the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Yes, we carry a stock of cellular phones. Stop in our office or call us to find out what phones we have in stock.

Propane FAQ

TOUA will fill a tank that belongs to a customer, if the customer comes in to apply for service. Once an application is on file, and propane is prepaid, a delivery can be scheduled. TOUA will not deliver to a competitor’s tank (Barnettes, Amerigas, etc.).
For new propane service, a customer must install a service line and request an inspection from TOUA. Specification sheets are available in our office for service line install. TOUA does not install service lines. This is the customer’s responsibility. Existing customers who have not used an existing service line for a year or more must have it inspected, for safety purposes, before usage.
Yes. There is an Interruption In Scheduled Service (IISS) fee of $75. This fee does not guarantee same day delivery, but we will get to you as soon as possible.
Customers are asked to call when the tank reads 20%. This will provide enough propane to last until your route is scheduled for a delivery. All “Will Call Customers” need to monitor their tanks. They must come in to prepay before a delivery can be made.
Budget plan customers can call and schedule a delivery, and the delivery will be billed without having to prepay for the entire delivery. Budget plan customers can accumulate credit and use it for future deliveries. This plan allows customers to have the same amount billed every month, once the budget amount has been established based on the customer’s historical usage. Budget amounts are reviewed every six months.
All order requests must be called into the office. The propane delivery person has a route schedule to maintain. If a driver is asked, the driver will advise the customer to call the office.
TOUA does not allow small bottles to be hooked up to TOUA property. This causes damage to our equipment, and the customer will be charged a $250.00 tampering fee AND a lease tank can be removed from the property any time the customer is in violation of lease agreement. To avoid additional charges, please call our office for a delivery.
No, unless previous arrangements are made by the account holder and the family member or friend has signed the authorization form that is provided in our office and is also signed by the account holder.

TOUA Network FAQ

Network management is the reasonable and nondiscriminatory enforcement of network usage policies and the management of bandwidth use and capacity. Network management includes congestion- and security-protocol-management. While maintaining its network, TOUA is also promoting the dynamic benefits of an open and accessible internet. The broadband experience of TOUA’s customers will generally not be impacted by the industry-standard network management techniques used by the Tohono O’odham Utility Authority.
TOUA manages only the portion of the network up to the demarcation point where internet traffic is handed off to the public network. TOUA does not control the equipment inside the customer’s premises, such as routers, computers, application software, and inside wire, which can affect the performance of the broadband service. TOUA also does not control the operation of specific websites that may slow down during busy periods or the overall performance of the public internet.
TOUA manages its network in order to provide the ultimate broadband internet service to its customers. TOUA acknowledges that bandwidth and network resources are not infinite and must be reasonably confined. In order to bring you the best possible broadband internet experience, TOUA enforces network management policies that limit network congestion and delay while ensuring that all internet content is treated equally and is not unlawfully blocked or degraded. TOUA’s network management practices are intended to protect the network, and TOUA customers, from network congestion, threats to the network, security attacks, viruses, and spam. TOUA manages its network in a way that is transparent and nondiscriminatory.

TOUA has policies in place to ensure that customers are able to access the lawful internet content of their choice, run the internet applications of their choice, and to promote the continued development of the internet. TOUA’s network management practices are nondiscriminatory, application-neutral, and minimally intrusive. TOUA will use one of more of the following industry standard techniques to manage its network. This list is not exhaustive:


a. Monitoring the network to identify congestion, security breaches, malware, or damage to the

b. Rerouting internet traffic to relieve congestion;

c. Port filtering;

d. Additions or upgrades to increase network capacity;

e. Enforcement of Acceptable Use Policy, Terms and Conditions of Service, and/or Service Agreements against customers abusing the network;

f. Enforcement of usage thresholds limiting the amount of data that can be uploaded or downloaded within stated time periods;

g. Using security protocols to ensure authentication of customers;

h. Providing resources to customers for reporting spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes;

i. Filtering spam;

j. Preventing viruses from harming the network; and

k. Thwarting denial of service attacks


Network management practices are a necessity to guard against harmful threats to the network such as network congestion, security attacks, excessive spam, and viruses. Reasonable network management practices ensure that you will have the best possible broadband internet experience.

TOUA uses reasonable network management tools and practices that are minimally intrusive to its customers and are consistent with industry standards. In accordance with TOUA’s policies, Terms and Conditions for Service, Broadband Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), and the Internet Service Agreement, customers have agreed to comply with all current bandwidth, data storage, and other limitations on broadband internet services. Thus, TOUA’s tools and practices will generally impact only users that have violated the terms of TOUA’s policies, AUP, Terms and Conditions for Service, or the Internet Service Agreement. Users are also more likely to notice an impact on online experience during peak periods where congestion is prevalent.
If you, the customer, are in violation of any of the foregoing, the impact to your online experience will include, but will not necessarily be limited to, any one or all of the following:

a. Notification by TOUA that you are in violation of the company’s policies, terms, and conditions or agreement and given a reasonable timeframe in which to take corrective action;
b. Removal or blockage of material that has resulted in the violation including, but not limited to, illegal content;
c. Suspension or delay of the delivery of email if deemed excessive;
d. Filtering of internet transmissions; and
e. Suspension or termination of your broadband internet service account.

Customers could also experience longer download or upload times or slower web surfing.
Unless noted otherwise in TOUA’s Network Transparency Statement, TOUA does not discriminate between applications. TOUA’s network management practices are primarily application-agnostic. Thus, TOUA generally will not manage its network congestion or security protocols based on applications being used by its customers on the TOUA’s broadband internet service. TOUA’s network management is based on current network conditions and the aggregate amount of bandwidth being used by customers.
Generally, you will receive a notification from TOUA that you have committed a violation and you’ll be given a period of time during which you should take corrective action. If, however, your violation persists, you will discover that you are unable to access the internet through TOUA’s broadband internet service. You will be unable to surf the web or conduct online activities.
If your account is suspended, you should contact TOUA and follow instructions for reinstating service.

SmartHub Bill Pay FAQ

Both platforms are part of TOUA’s online account management system for members. The website has additional functionality that allows members to manage notifications, update their stored payment methods, and change their personal information. Both the web version and mobile app allow members to securely access their account information, view bills and payment history, make payments, view energy use, and report outages. The free mobile app is available to download and install on mobile devices and tablets.
SmartHub has several features that make managing your account as easy as possible. Whether through the web, or your smartphone or tablet (Android or iOS), you’ll be able to pay your bill, view your usage, contact customer service and get the latest news. As soon as you log in, you’ll be able to view your billing history and make a payment with just a couple of clicks. You’ll be able to see your current bill, along with bills from the previous month or even the previous seasons, if you want to compare costs. Not only will you see your billing history, but you’ll be able to view your actual use. You can see how your use is trending over time, which will allow you to take steps to lower your bill. Making payments through SmartHub is fast and easy. The first time you make a payment either through the web or through your mobile device, you’ll be able to securely store your payment information for future transactions. The next time you need to pay your bill, it will only take a couple of clicks. You’ll also be able to see important notices with SmartHub. You’ll be able to select how you want to be notified about your bill, including email and text messaging. You’ll even be able to set usage thresholds so that you’ll know when you’re using more than you’d like which will help you keep your electricity bill as low as possible. Reporting a service issue is a snap with the SmartHub mobile app. There’s no need to call the office, just let us know about the issue with a few clicks. You can also contact us for customer service requests or with any questions you may have. You can now contact us at any time from anywhere.
Yes. All critical information is encrypted in every transaction run and no personal information is stored on your phone or tablet. Mobile devices do offer you the ability to store your login information for apps installed on the device. If you choose to store your login information, any person who has access to your mobile device can access your account.
Re-register for your online account: We recently had a system upgrade that requires all of our members who have online accounts to register again. You can only register on the web pay portal for both Electric and Telephone accounts. The new system greatly increases the amount of information you have access to with regards to your account, including your energy daily, and hourly energy usage. Update your online payment options: Once you register for your online account, you will need to update your payment options.
Your new account number will be listed on your latest bill. or You can find your account number on a printed bill statement mailed to your residence or business. You can also call Tohono O’odham Utility Authority at 520-383-2236 for assistance. NOTE: If you use online banking to pay your bill, we encourage you to ensure your financial institution has the updated account number.
Members can sign up for SmartHub via the login page. To create a new online account, click “New User? Sign up to access our Self Service site” on the login page for SmartHub. Residential members will need to have their account number on hand before starting this process. Commercial members will need to have the tax ID number for their business. After clicking on the “New User” button, type your billing account number, last name or business and email address in the requested fields. Follow the steps to set up your online account. To register, enter your new account number, the name on the account and an email address. You will receive an email with a temporary password that you can use to log in. Once you log in to SmartHub with this temporary password, you will be prompted to change your password. What happens if my temporary password doesn’t work and/or I’m locked out before I can register? Please try to register again. You will receive another temporary password, and you can try again. Check your junk mail if you don’t see the temporary password email.
Log in to SmartHub. Click Notifications>Manage Contacts>+Add E-Mail Contact and/or +Add Phone Contact.
Log in to SmartHub. Click Notifications>Manage Notifications>Billing or >Service or >Usage and select Text Message and/or E-mail options
No. It is provided as an option for your convenience. If you do not sign up for paperless billing in SmartHub, you will continue to receive a monthly bill in your mail. When we upgraded our systems, all of those members who were previously enrolled in paperless billing were not able to be carried over, so while we understand it’s inconvenient, we do appreciate your understanding of having to enroll again. You can choose to participate in paperless billing, which sends bill statements to the email address on your account. Members who participate in paperless billing do not receive a copy of their bill in the mail. Here’s how to change your preference to participate in paperless billing: On the website: ● Click on My Profile ● Click on Update My Paperless Settings. ● You can then choose your preference by selecting On or Off for paperless billing On the app: ● Select Settings ● Select Paperless Bill Settings ● Then, you can select On or Off for paperless billing
AutoPay is a convenient option to pay your bill each month. AutoPay allows you to pay your monthly bill through an automated draft from your bank account or credit card at no extra charge. By enrolling in AutoPay, you authorize [name] to withdraw funds from your selected account to pay your monthly bill on the due date. No, you are not required to sign up for Auto Pay. We offer it for your convenience only. If you prefer to mail your payment or schedule it through your bank, please do so. IF YOU MAIL PAYMENTS: Please use the NEW payment coupon included on your January bill and mail to PO Box 816 Sells, Arizona 85634 IF YOU SCHEDULE PAYMENTS THROUGH YOUR BANK: Please use the new account number and TOUA payment address listed on your May 2020 bill.
First, you must have provided a bank account and/or credit/debit card information to enroll in AutoPay. On the website, click on Billing & Payments, then click on Auto Pay Program on the sidebar. Click on Sign Up for AutoPay. Accept the Terms and Conditions then follow the instructions. On the app, select Pay My Bill then select AutoPay Program then follow the instructions.
You can save bank account and/or credit/debit card information for future bill payments. If you plan to enroll in the Auto Pay Program, you’ll be required to provide a stored payment account to pay your [name] bill. On the website, click My Profile then click on Mange My Stored Payment Accounts. Follow the instructions to provide a bank account or card information. You can add multiple bank accounts and cards under your stored payment accounts. On the app, select Pay My Bill then select Stored Payment Accounts. Select Add a Payment Method, then select which type of card or bank account information you will provide. Follow the instructions to provide a bank account or card information.
You can view your energy use on the website and app. On the website, click My Usage and select My Usage, then select Usage Explorer. On the app, select the Energy Use icon to view your energy use.
The information you see in the app and on the website is shown in real-time. However, if you keep your app or web version open for an extended time, you should refresh the page by selecting a new option in order to ensure the information is current.
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