Reduced hours begin on July 1, 2009
June 8, 2009
Colorado Springs Utilities is announcing the closure of its customer drive up, 111 S. Cascade Avenue, effective Aug. 28, 2009. The closure will save customers $315,000 annually, reduce traffic congestion, reduce emissions from idling cars, improve safety on Colorado Avenue, and avoid a costly retrofit of equipment. Additionally, beginning July 1, 2009, drive up hours will be reduced to 1 to 7 p.m., Monday-Friday to begin the transition to a complete closure. The customer service center lobby at 111 S. Cascade Ave. will remain open for walk-in customers.
The drive up closure is part of Springs Utilities’ efforts to trim costs and transition customers away from seldom used and more expensive payment methods. For example, payments made through the drive up window represent just four percent of all transactions processed by Springs Utilities, and cost $2 per transaction. In comparison, electronic payment options average less than 10 cents per transaction.
To ease drive up customers’ transition to other payment methods, Springs Utilities recently launched two new services that offer a greater level of convenience and flexibility, yet still allow customers to pay in cash. Self-service kiosks were added at 40 local 7-Eleven stores in April 2009, and Western Union Convenience Pay® service was recently added to King Soopers, TCF Bank and other retail locations. The new services include convenience fee charges of $1.50 and $2 respectively. These new services join several other free payment options currently available such as electronic funds transfer, online bill pay through a customer’s bank, mail payments and drop box payments.
Online credit card payments are also available at www.csu.org through Western Union Speedpay®.
Media contact: 719-668-3848
