I’ve been asked about utilities charging a paper bill fee at more than one recent speaking engagement, so I thought this was a topic worth investigating.
I did some Google sleuthing and found several utilities that charge a fee for customers who insist on receiving a paper bill, rather than enrolling in e-billing.
Utilities charging a paper bill fee
Here is a list of the utilities I found that charge a paper bill fee:
Lawrenceville Utilities, Georgia – $1.00
City of North Port, Florida (pages 40-41) – escalating fee $1.00 effective October 2022, $2.00 effective October 2023, $3.00 effective October 2024
City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado – $2.00, effective April 2024
Town of Hayden, Colorado – $5.00, effective March 2025
City of Saratoga Springs, Utah (page 38) – $1.00
Town of Snowflake, Arizona (page 3) – $2.00
City of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada – $1.55
Requests for more information
I contacted each of the utilities listed above to inquire about the results they experienced after implementing the paper bill fee, and heard back from our neighbors to the north in Red Deer, Alberta. Interestingly enough, I had to complete a media request form for them to respond to my questions. That made me feel rather important!
Informing customers
The City of Red Deer, a city with a population of just over 100,000, notified customers of the fee beginning two months prior to implementation. They utilized social media, web content, local news outlets, bill inserts, and emails to customers who were not yet enrolled in e-billing. They also created an FAQ document to answer questions and alleviate customer concerns.
Customer feedback
Surprisingly, they received very little negative feedback! The biggest concern was customers without the means or skills to access the internet. To address this concern, they implemented an exemption application process.
Success rate
Prior to imposing the paper bill fee, approximately 49% of their customers were ebill customers. After implementing the fee, they now have nearly 77% of their customers receiving an ebill! I know utilities that would be thrilled with Red Deer’s original 49% adoption rate, so 77% is very impressive!
Recommendations
The City of Red Deer offered a few recommendations for other utilities considering implementing a paper bill fee.
First and foremost, communicate clearly and in as many ways as possible with your customers so they are aware of the upcoming fee. Additionally, train your staff to ensure a consistent message is conveyed to customers with questions.
Secondly (and I hadn’t thought of this), consider the financial impacts caused by a reduction in the economies of scale in the number of paper bills being printed. Will your outsource printer charge you more per bill if they are printing significantly fewer bills?
Finally, adopt an exemption process for customers who have no alternative option but to receive paper bills. For the City of Red Deer, this is nothing more than signing an exemption form certifying that the account holder, nor any other member of the household, has internet access at the service location.
Are you charging a paper bill fee?
If your utility has imposed a paper bill fee, or considered it and decided against it, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to send me an email describing your experience with paper bill fees.
Upcoming webinar
On Thursday, I will be participating in a webinar hosted by Software Solutions, titled “Strategies for Modern Utility Billing Directors.” My co-panelists will be Kelly Hephner, Customer Success Advocate at Software Solutions, and Nikki Uribes, Director of Finance at the Village of Montpelier, Ohio. For more information or to register for the webinar, please click here.
Is your bill printing process as efficient as possible?
Is your business office, including the bill printing process, operating at peak efficiency? If it’s not, or you’re unsure, please call me at 919-673-4050 or email me at gary@utilityinformationpipeline.com to learn how a business review could help you improve your business office operations.
© 2025 Gary Sanders