The City of Amarillo’s utility billing system is being upgraded with a new platform to offer easier ways to pay your utility bill and monitor your water usage, according to a presentation at the Amarillo City Council meeting on Tuesday evening, March 24.
The new billing portal will be available on March 31, and it will require a new account number. Customers can find complete information about the new system, including how to register and access new features, online at https://www.amarillo.gov/utility-billing/utility-billing-system/ . You can email questions to the city’s utility billing department at waterbill@amarillo.gov.
The current billing procedure will be unavailable March 26 through March 30. During this transition period, phone and online payment systems will be temporarily paused, along with email and in-person service. Phones can be utilized for emergency service only; however, late fees will not be applied during this time period. Those interested in learning more about the new, streamlined procedure can sign up for an email on the portal at the email address above.
“This is an important upgrade,” Jennifer Gonzalez, the city’s utility billing manager, told the city council. “It modernizes our utility billing system and improves internal automation, which also improves our operational efficiency in customer service. It also provides a digital access for customers.”
According to the information provided, the process will provide:
Along with new options — such as viewing and comparing water usage along with submitting service requests such as service termination — payment plan requests and customer service requests will be offered. Customers will still have multiple ways to pay, Gonzalez reiterated, including online, in person, by mail, or at approved drop off locations.
“The city will have an online lookup tool on our webpage, which will lead the customer to their current account number as well as their service,” she said. “They can get their new number that way or wait until their April bill is issued or retrieve their account number.” Customers will need their new account number to manage their account and register for the online payment portal. The website will continue to offer convenient features customers already use, such as online payments, paperless billing and autopay.
Customers who register for automatic payments will make the first payment manually. “We will be issuing a one-time credit to customers who opt in for paperless billing,” she said. “Currently we’ve already sent our bill inserts to customers, and we will be pushing out some instructional videos with a QR code. Customer service should be available for this procedure.”
For questions or additional information, contact the city’s Utility Billing Department at (806) 378-3030 or by email at waterbill@amarillo.gov. The Utility Billing Department is located at Amarillo City Hall, 623 S. Johnson St., Suite 1200.
Gonzalez said that the staff have been working diligently to prepare this new process for the past year. She added that there are 34,000 portable users at this time, and they have sent out emails to those.
“It doesn’t mean you have to use it,” said Gonzalez. “If people are not using the Internet, we can continue the paper bill.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo upgrading water billing system, changes coming March 31
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
