UTILITIES POLICY & PROCEDURE
SECTION: UTILITY BILLING
DATE: May 16th, 2024
Authorized by: Town Council
I. Purpose of the Procedure
To establish a procedure for utility collections, disconnection of delinquent accounts, and define the reconnect procedures.
II. Procedure Statement
To outline the utility collections process and procedures to be taken by utility office and maintenance staff when locking and unlocking meters.
III. Procedure
A. Utility timeline and description:
1. Before the 25th of each month.
- Utility collections office mail utility bills via post card for services consumed in the previous month.
(Post card denotes net amount due, delinquent date, and disconnect date.
Utility customers that are signed up on auto draft will denote auto draft.)
- Utility collections office will upload utility bills to Xpress pay.
(New Bill notifications are automatically sent to customers via text and/or email.
Message denotes amount due, delinquent date, and disconnect date).) - Utility collections upload automatic bank drafts, denoting the draft date on the 10th.
2. Once per week.
(a) Utility collections office will upload an updated list of unpaid utility bills to Xpress pay.
(New Bill notifications are automatically sent to customers via text and/or email, Message denotes amount due, delinquent date, and disconnect date).
3. On the morning of the 16th.
- Utility collections office will add a 10% late fee to delinquent bills.
- Utility collections office will upload delinquent utility bills to Xpress pay.
(Delinquent customers automatically receive notice via text and/or email.
Message denotes amount due, delinquent date, and disconnect date).
4. On the business day before disconnects.
- Utility collections office will upload delinquent utility bills to Xpress pay.
(Delinquent customers automatically receive notice via text and/or email.
Message denotes amount due, delinquent date, and disconnect date).).
5. On the morning of disconnect day. If no payment is received or a payment extension* is not requested and granted, and temperatures are above 30 degrees.
- Utility collections office will generate a disconnect report. This list will take into account any customers who have paid their bill online overnight, etc.
- Utility collections will create a service order for the disconnect fee to all customers on the disconnect list being turned off for non-payment.
- Disconnect report will be turned over to the Maintenance Department.
- Maintenance staff will begin locking meters and denoting end reading on the disconnect report.
- Superintendent will review disconnect report and turn report back into the office within two business days.
- To avoid unlocked inactive meters-Communication Error-malfeasance in office-Utility Theft
- If a customer calls maintenance after hours to be reconnected, the customer will be directed to speak with utility collections the next business day.
- There will be immediate termination of any employee found unlocking a meter with an inactive status without prior authorization from the collection’s office.
- If an inactive meter is found unlocked, utility theft charges will be filed against the person by utility collections.
*Payment Extension: Customers may request 1 payment extension per a rolling 12-month period, the only requirement to getting a payment extension is the customer requests it and they have not had a payments extension in the past 12 months. Utility Billing will note the extensions on the customers’ accounts in order to track number of extensions given on account. Extensions can be requested at any point in the billing cycle. The extension gives the customer 15 additional days before service will be terminated for non-payment. Extensions will be verified through the utility office.
* Medical Extension: Termination of utility service may be delayed for thirty (30) days if, prior to termination, the customer presents to the Utility collections office a letter from a doctor or from a public health official with medical training stating that a medical emergency would exist or a medical condition would be aggravated if service is terminated. The letter must be signed by the person diagnosing the medical condition and must name the person(s) in the residence that will be affected.
*Cold Weather Gas Disconnects: Due to potential for health or safety impacts of cold temperatures, some additional clarification on the above procedure has been developed in an effort to strike a balance between nonpayment and customer safety.
- For example: If temperatures fall below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, disconnects can be rescheduled until temperatures are above 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Disconnect temperatures will be determined by the mayor.
5. Reconnect and Connect
- Upon receipt of full payment that brings the customer’s balance to zero, along with a reconnect fee or a connect fee. The utility collections office will submit a request to unlock the customer’s meter(s).
- If reconnect is paid after 3 pm, customer will wait until the following business day.
- No employee of the village will be allowed to unlock a meter without a prior request from the utility collections office.
