Policy Terms for Budget Utility Billing

To be eligible for budget billing, you must:

• Be a residential customer

• Provide state issued photo identification (driver’s license)

• Acknowledge the sign up period is February 1-March 10 with the plan beginning with the bill due in April

• Have a minimum of 12 consecutive month previous usage at the same location

• Have a good payment history with not more than two (2) late payment penalties, not been shut off for non-payment and not written any insufficient/return checks in the last twelve (12) consecutive months

• Have no balance due at time of sign up

• Agree that if full budget amount is not received prior to the 10th of any given month, a 15% late fee will be charged and must be paid in addition to the budget amount

• Agree that if shut off for non-payment, the account will not be eligible for budget billing and account must be paid in full for actual usage (brought to a zero (0) balance) along with any and all other charges according to the City’s shut-off policy before utilities shall be restored

• Agree that if the City receives an insufficient/return check, the account will not be eligible for budget billing and account must be paid in full for actual usage (brought to a zero (0) balance) along with any and all other charges according to the City’s return check policy before utilities shall be restored

• Agree that if service is transferred to another location, the account will not be eligible for budget billing until there is twelve (12) months previous usage at new location and the budget bill year begins. At this time, account will be settled and brought to a zero (0) balance

• Understand that budget billing is a monthly payment plan – if customer is out of town for a period of time, a monthly payment must still be received (the software does not allow a credit to be carried forward).  No pre-payment before billing

• Agree that if rates or charges for a particular service are increased during the budget billing plan, the City shall adjust the plan to reflect the increase or decrease in the service rate

• Agree that the budget billing plan begins each year in April and is reconciled the following March. At that time, the total usage will be calculated and customer shall be billed for any underpayment that may have occurred or shall receive a refund check for any overpayment. All accounts will be settled (brought to a zero (0) balance) at that time and will begin a new budget billing period going forward

• Acknowledge that the total budgeted amount will vary slightly on bills that include primacy fee, sewer fee and when the sewer averages are re-calculated

• Acknowledge that the City reserves the right to review account at any time and the account is subject to a revised budget amount and/or the budget billing plan being cancelled or revoked