Customers can now pay their PWD water bills on the web, set up automatic payments, and go paperless by creating an account. The City of Philadelphia’s Water and Revenue Departments are rolling out a new, paperless e-billing service for water bills. Customers can now create e-billing accounts at www.phila.gov/waterbill.
Users of the new e-billing site can:
– Set up automatic payments for free
– Opt-out of paper bills
– Sign up for reminders and alerts
– Look up past bills
The new e-billing site is part of larger efforts to make managing water accounts more convenient. In recent customer satisfaction surveys, water customers listed paperless billing and e-billing as top priorities. The third-party company managing the service, Kubra, has provided similar services for the Philadelphia Gas Works.
Said Water Commissioner Randy E. Hayman. “A paperless option is something people have been asking for, and we are excited to offer a service that improves the customer experience and reduces waste and pollution from paper bills.”
Dept. of Revenue Deputy Commissioner Michelle L. Bethel added, “We’re excited about expanding online services for our customers, including automatic, recurring payment options. The new AutoPay function allows customers to personalize bill payments. You decide when and how much to pay. You can make small, weekly payments, or pay the full amount at a set time each month.
Customers who don’t want to move to water e-billing don’t have to. You can still pay in person or by phone. We’re adding new services, but we’re not taking any away,” Bethel noted.
By allowing customers to opt-out of paper bills and pay online, the City estimates savings of over $300,000 in the first year due to reduced printing and mailing costs.
The system was created through a performance-based contract and the City is not paying for the services. Additionally, the service fee for debit/credit card payments is reduced to $2.95. AutoPay with checking is free.
Information for this article was provided in a PWD news release.
