Over the last two to three weeks, the city of Emporia has been busy changing its utility billing system. Residents have one way to track the progress of that effort this week as the first batch of bills arrive under the new system.
Residents will get their bills either by mail or email this week, and City Communications Manager Christine Torrens says the initial bill will higher than normal because it covers 38 days instead of the normal 30 — factoring in the timing adjustments during a switchover and a delay in meter readings while the new software was set up and tested.
To help customers deal with the higher bills this month, the city has extended the due date one week to Sept. 2. The September bill, meanwhile, will reflect a shorter billing window and will be due Sept. 29. Torrens says regular monthly billing will start again in October.
Also, Torrens says there will be no late fees for bills due between Aug. 4-15. There also will be no water shutoffs during this period.
Torrens says residents who filled out the city’s bank draft or autopay form in the Utility Billing office do not need to take any action. Those who used autopay through the previous online portal need to go to emporiaks.gov/utilitybillpay, create a new account and re-enroll. Residents who use their bank’s online bill pay need to update account and customer numbers for things to process correctly. The city also accepts in-person payments by cash, check or credit/debit card at the Utility Billing office.
Residents with questions cal call Utility Billing at 620-343-4244, email utilities@emporiaks.gov or go online to emporiaks.gov/utilitybillpay.
