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AWU unveils mobile-friendly billing portal with opt-in SMS notifications
Summary
AWU staff showed a redesigned, mobile-first customer portal that adds opt-in SMS reminders and one-time payment links; staff said SMS is opt-in, may incur carrier charges for customers, and advance notices (mail/email/postcards) will precede the rollout.
AWU staff demonstrated a redesigned customer portal intended to simplify bill review and payments and to add opt-in SMS reminders. During a committee presentation, an AWU presenter said the system is "simple," "more intuitive," and will let customers see account activity, billing status and make one-time payments from their phones.
The utility emphasized the SMS feature will be opt-in and customers must confirm enrollment. "It is a feature that customer has to sign up for," an AWU presenter said, noting customers should expect possible carrier charges for text messages. Staff said they will send advance communications — emails, postcards and letters — to prepare customers.
Committee members asked about fraud and fees. In response, AWU staff said sign-up includes confirmation steps and that IT has secured the function; staff also stated there will be no additional service fees for online payments as part of this portal upgrade. The presenter described improvements for autopay setup and said customers who do not want a profile can still make one-time payments.
The utility framed the changes as customer-focused measures to reduce confusion and to prepare the billing system for future capabilities. Staff said they will continue outreach and provide materials to help customers create profiles and register payment preferences.
Next steps: AWU will proceed with outreach and implementation; committee members did not take a formal vote during this meeting.
