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City explains utility billing changes, new online bank-direct option to speed payments
Summary
City staff outlined changes to utility billing cycles and new online bank-direct payments that cut processing time from 10–14 days to 2–3 days and shift fees to a percentage model.
City customer service staff detailed utility billing operations and a recent billing system upgrade at the Jan. 28 Titusville City Council meeting, explaining how the new online bank-direct (OBD) option and vendor changes affect customers and city processing times.
Customer Service Manager Carrie and Utility Billing Coordinator Carla walked Council through the billing cycle. The city uses four meter read cycles; reads are uploaded daily and bills are generated every Wednesday (except months with five billing weeks) and mailed the following day. Paper bills remain the bulk of accounts, while e-billing use was estimated at roughly 33 percent.
Staff described the new online bank-direct (OBD) feature that allows customers to pay through their bank and have the payment post electronically to the city in about 2–3 business days, compared with the older automatic bill-pay check process that could take 10–14 days to reach the city. Staff said there is a per-transaction processing fee for card payments through the vendor InvoiceCloud; the city absorbs a $0.25 per-transaction fee for OBD payments so there is no fee to customers for that method.
Council members asked about inventory of paper vs. electronic accounts and whether all banks participate in OBD; staff said most major banks and many credit unions support the service but not every institution does. Staff also said invoice availability online typically appears by noon on the billing day and paper invoices generally reach customers by the Monday after bills are generated, providing about 19 days from bill generation to due date. Delinquency notices and late fees are not assessed until the following Thursday after bills are generated, effectively providing several days of additional grace.
Council discussion focused on customer notification, whether payments through the vendor post immediately (card payments via InvoiceCloud post same day, bank-direct posts in 2–3 business days) and the change from a flat vendor fee to a percentage-based one that eliminates the need for customers to split large bills into multiple transactions.
City staff said they will provide further reporting if Council requests counts of paper vs. paperless accounts and continue outreach encouraging e-billing adoption to reduce mailing costs and speed customer payments.
