Extended payment due date creates unintended consequences

We care about our customers and always welcome their feedback. One of the most common requests from customers is more time to pay their bill each month. After three or four days for mail delivery, customers often only had 10 days to pay their bill after receiving it.

So, in February, when we introduced a new bill design for all customers, we incorporated a change to address this frustration by giving our customers more time to pay their bills. Unfortunately, extending the time to pay had a couple of unintended consequences.

1. For any bill cycle less than 30 days, the new billing period began before the prior bill was due. The overlap in dates created a ‘Previous Balance Due’ on many customer bills because we did not receive their previous payment prior to generating their new bill.
2. As a result, the 'New Account Balance' line shows a two-month total, causing customers to believe their bill doubled - which is not true. Again, it’s an unfortunate consequence caused by the next bill generating before the prior bill was due.

We apologize for the confusion this created. We’re actively working to implement a solution, but it requires more thorough testing. Therefore, this scenario will likely continue through early June.

In the meantime, we are temporarily adding the following explanation under the 'summary of charges’ section of the bill.

If customers have overpaid their account, the credit will be applied to their next bill. Refunds for the overpayment can be requested through chat or by speaking with a customer service representative.

Customers can always view the details of their bills and account online, using My Account. Customers can also chat with a customer service representative in My Account 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or call (719) 448-4800 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Again, we are sorry for the frustration this issue has caused, and we are working diligently to address it. As a community-owned utility, we appreciate the opportunity to serve you.