Helping utilities improve business office operations and better serve their customers
Blog
I publish a free, bi-weekly email newsletter and post that same content here on my blog every two weeks. If you would like to subscribe to my email newsletter, please use the form in the sidebar.
Hopefully, you know that bank drafts are far and away the easiest way to collect payments. If you’re not, the obvious question is, why? (Editorial note: even if you’re already accepting bank drafts, please don’t stop reading now. There will […]
I’ve reached another milestone! This issue of the Utility Information Pipeline marks the 300th issue, dating back to January, 2011. In late 2010, while driving to a conference with a co-worker, I tossed out an idea I’d been kicking around […]
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been conducting the 2023 Utility Fee Survey. This is the fifth Utility Fee Survey dating to 2015, with subsequent fee surveys in 2017, 2019, and 2021. The survey was designed to […]
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been conducting the 2023 Utility Fee Survey. This is the fifth Utility Fee Survey dating to 2015, with subsequent fee surveys in 2017, 2019, and 2021. The survey was designed to […]
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been conducting the 2023 Utility Fee Survey. This is the fifth Utility Fee Survey dating to 2015, with subsequent fee surveys in 2017, 2019, and 2021. The survey was designed to […]
Have you ever wondered how your utility’s rates compare to other utilities? If so, are you familiar with the rates dashboards from the UNC Environmental Finance Center? Environmental Finance Centers The EFC at UNC is one of 11 regional members […]
Wait for it… the US Postal Service is warning customers to not send checks through the mail! Not cash, which has always been a risk, but checks! I know it feels like I’m unfairly beating up on the Postal Service […]
If you haven’t read about it yet, get ready, because… Postage rates are going up again! Yes, you read that correctly. Postage rates are scheduled to increase again next month. On July 9, both First Class and Postcard rates are […]
When I present my most popular presentation at utility conferences, there are two takeaways I want all participants to leave with. These are (a) charge an application fee, and (b) charge the cut-off fee to all accounts when the cut-off […]
As I’m starting to analyze the preliminary results of the 2023 Utility Fee Survey, I’m surprised many utilities still don’t charge an application fee. Before I explain why you should be charging an application fee, let me pause for a […]