Lancaster water bills causing confusion - WGAL Susquehanna Valley Pa.

Lancaster water bills causing confusion

LET’S GO TO MERRITT JORGENSEN. SHE EXPLAINS. THESE CHANGES. MEREDITH, LORI, INSTEAD OF SEEING THIS UTILITY BILL FOUR TIMES A YEAR, THE LANCASTER WATER DEPARTMENT IS SENDING IT OUT ONCE A MONTH. PLUS THE CITY IS PUSHING FOR PAPERLESS BILLING TO REDUCE COSTS AND SAVE RESOURCES. BUT IF YOU PAY ONLINE, IT COULD COST YOU MORE. THE LANCASTER CITY WATER DEPARTMENT USED TO BILL CUSTOMERS QUARTERLY, BUT IN AUGUST, WHICH TWO MONTHLY INVOICES, THE CITY CITES CONVENIENCE FOR RESIDENTS EASIER TO BUDGET FOR A MONTHLY BILL, BUT SAYS IT COULD ALSO HELP FIND WATER LEAKS MORE EASILY. AS YOU GET QUARTERLY BILLS, YOU AREN’T ABLE TO DETECT IF THEY ARE INCREASING AS QUICKLY. AND SO THIS IS A WAY TO DETECT LEAKS A LITTLE BIT FASTER. THE CITY ALSO SAYS YOU DON’T NEED TO GET THIS PAPER BILL ANYMORE EITHER. WE’D LOVE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE SIGNING UP FOR E BILLS, SIGNING UP FOR ONLINE PAYMENTS. SOME CUSTOMERS WHO SWITCHED TO ONLINE PAYMENTS, THOUGH, ARE SURPRISED BY A CONVENIENCE FEE. 3.25% OF YOUR BILL. THE FEE IS CHARGED FOR THE FOR THE ONLINE PAYMENTS IS A FEE THAT THE CITY IS CHARGED FOR ONLINE PAYMENT PROCESSING. SO WE ARE PASSING THAT FEE ON. IT’S NOT A FEE THAT THE CITY IS CHARGING AND NOT ONE THAT WE RECEIVE INCOME FROM. THE CITY SAYS IT JUST UPDATED ITS WEBSITE, INCLUDING HOW TO VIDEOS HOPING TO ANSWER CUSTOMER QUESTIONS AND GUIDE RESIDENTS THROUGH THE CHANGE. AND EVEN IF THERE ARE SOME BUMPS AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, WE WANT TO CHANGE WITH IT. SO THE CITY SAYS WHILE IT’S GOOD TO KEEP UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES, IT REMINDS RESIDENTS THAT YOU CAN

Lancaster water bills causing confusion

Updated: 7:13 PM EDT Oct 3, 2023

Lancaster City changed its water bills and gave residents more options to pay.What was meant to be convenient has caused confusion, even anger, for some water customers.Instead of seeing this utility bill four times a year, the Lancaster Water Department is sending it once a month.Plus, the city is pushing for paperless billing, to reduce costs and save resources — but if you pay online, it could cost you more.The Lancaster City Water Department used to bill customers quarterly but, in August, switched to monthly invoices.The city cites convenience for residents, budgeting for a monthly bill, but says it could also help find water leaks more easily. "As you get quarterly bills, you aren't able to detect if they are increasing as quickly, so this is a way to detect leaks a little bit faster,” said an employee of the city of Lancaster, Tina Campbell.The city also says you don't need to get this paper bill either."We'd love to see more people signing up for e-bills, signing up for online payments, " Campbell said. Some customers who switched to online payments, though, are surprised by a convenience fee — 3.25% of your bill."The fee that's charged for online payments is a fee the city is charged for online payment processing, so we are passing that fee on is one that the city is charging and is not one that we receive income from," Campbell said. The city says it just updated its website, including how-to videos, hoping to answer customer questions and guide residents through the change - even if there are some bumps. "As technology changes, it's good to change with it,” Campbell said. While it's good to keep up with the technological changes, the city reminds that you can still get a paper bill and you can still mail a check.

LANCASTER, Pa. —

Lancaster City changed its water bills and gave residents more options to pay.

What was meant to be convenient has caused confusion, even anger, for some water customers.

Instead of seeing this utility bill four times a year, the Lancaster Water Department is sending it once a month.

Plus, the city is pushing for paperless billing, to reduce costs and save resources — but if you pay online, it could cost you more.

The Lancaster City Water Department used to bill customers quarterly but, in August, switched to monthly invoices.

The city cites convenience for residents, budgeting for a monthly bill, but says it could also help find water leaks more easily.

"As you get quarterly bills, you aren't able to detect if they are increasing as quickly, so this is a way to detect leaks a little bit faster,” said an employee of the city of Lancaster, Tina Campbell.

The city also says you don't need to get this paper bill either.

"We'd love to see more people signing up for e-bills, signing up for online payments, " Campbell said.

Some customers who switched to online payments, though, are surprised by a convenience fee — 3.25% of your bill.

"The fee that's charged for online payments is a fee the city is charged for online payment processing, so we are passing that fee on is one that the city is charging and is not one that we receive income from," Campbell said.

The city says it just updated its website, including how-to videos, hoping to answer customer questions and guide residents through the change - even if there are some bumps.

"As technology changes, it's good to change with it,” Campbell said.

While it's good to keep up with the technological changes, the city reminds that you can still get a paper bill and you can still mail a check.