Latest news with #paperlessbilling
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City of Kitchener amping up push to go paperless
The City of Kitchener wants cut down on unnecessary postage. CTV's Karis Mapp has more on their mail mission. The City of Kitchener wants cut down on unnecessary postage. CTV's Karis Mapp has more on their mail mission. The City of Kitchener is trying to cut down on the cost of postage by convincing more residents to switch to paperless billing. The city said it spent approximately $1,000,000 on postage last year. Eighty per cent of that cost was attributed to mailing out property tax and utility bills. 'There's also paper costs that are increasing significantly,' Saleh Saleh, Kitchener's revenue director, said. 'E-billing, or paper billing, helps reduce some of those costs and reduce some of those pressures on the city.' A staff report will be sent city council, suggesting three options to address the issue. Two of the options would include charging a $2 fee for mailing out paper statements. However, staff are recommending a third option which focuses on a marketing campaign and social media blitz. Fifty per cent of Kitchener's taxpayers are already enrolled in e-billing, but some still have reservations. 'My understanding is seniors are one group of residents that will have difficulties transitioning,' Saleh said. A seniors' advocate said many older adults are not used to doing business on their computers. 'They hear a lot about the scams and frauds that are perpetrated online,' Bill VanGorder, from the Canadian Association of Retired People, said. 'They're just not comfortable yet and don't want to learn or know about doing business online.' He said it may be a hard sell. 'If you're of an age and you've been doing the same thing for 70 or 80 years, then being forced to change, this just is not recognizing their dignity and what they've earned in terms of their contributions to society over the years.' City council will discuss the issue on Monday.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City of Ottawa robocalling residents about water bills in event of Canada Post disruption
The City of Ottawa says it has been reaching out to residents asking them to register for paperless billing to avoid late payments for services in case of Canada Post service disruptions. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa Friday, the city said it has been 'proactively' contacting residents through automated phone messaging and other communication methods. 'With the possibility of a Canada Post service disruption, residents and businesses could experience a delay in city paper billing, invoices and other paper notifications,' said Joseph Muhuni, the city's deputy treasurer of revenue. 'Despite any postal service interruptions, water utility bills will continue to be issued, and payment due dates will remain unchanged.' More than 75 per cent of properties are registered online and have access to their bills through the MyService Ottawa portal, he says. All residents have received the 2025 final property tax bills, which were sent by mail on May 12, Muhuni says. The city says more than 95 per cent of tax and water payments are made electronically. To register for paperless billing, visit your MyService Ottawa account, or call Revenue Services at 613-580-2444 for assistance account balances and payment options. Access to city services, programs During a postal service disruption, mail delivery of Presto Cards will be unavailable, the city says on its website. Transit riders are asked to buy their cards at ticket machines, the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre and participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations, reads the website. The most up-to-date information about the city's Employment and Social services can be accessed in this link: Residents who use the city's Rent Supplement and Housing Allowance programs can access the newest information on - Subsidized housing. More information about postal disruptions is available here: Though a big disruption was averted after the union representing over 55,000 workers backed down from a strike threat Friday, Canada Post customers may face delays as workers swear off overtime shifts. With files from The Canadian Press
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Here's what you need to know about City of Ottawa billing, tickets in event of Canada Post disruption
The City of Ottawa is encouraging residents to sign up for paperless billing, as the threat of a Canada Post strike or work stoppage hangs over mail delivery later this spring. Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have a May 22 deadline to reach an agreement and avoid mail delivery disruptions. Earlier this week, the Crown corporation temporary paused talks, saying it will 'allow Canada Post to focus on preparing comprehensive proposals aimed at moving discussions forward constructively.' In a media release, the City of Ottawa warns postal disruptions beginning late next week could impact the delivery of paper bills and invoices, including the final property tax bill, water utility bills and red light and photo radar camera tickets. The final property tax bills were mailed out between May 12 and 14, with a payment due date of June 19. The city says the payment due date will remain unchanged for water bills and property tax bills. If you receive bills by mail, the city is recommending you sign up for paperless billing. To enroll in paperless billing, the city says you can create or log into your My ServiceOttawa account, navigate to view your Water Utility Bill or Property Tax account. Here is a look at other city bills that could be impacted by a potential strike at Canada Post: Parking tickets and provincial offence fines For speeding tickets, bylaw infractions or other offences, the city says tickets can be paid online on the City of Ottawa's website or in person or by drop box at a Provincial Offences Court office. Parking tickets can be paid at any Client Service Centre and drop boxes, by phone at 613-738-7719, or online through Collections The city says defaulted Provincial Offences Collection Notices will be emailed where possible. All newly defaulted fines will receive a phone call where possible and regular collection activities will continue. Residents can pay online at in-person at the Provincial Offences Court office, by phone at 613-580-2638 or through pre-authorized debit. General accounts receivable invoices The city says accounts receivable invoices will be emailed where possible. Employment and Social Services Employment and Social Services' clients who would normally receive their payment from the City of Ottawa by mail, will be required pick up their cheque at their regular Employment and Social Service Centre. Visit for more information. OC Transpo The city says the mail delivery of Presto Cards will be unavailable during a potential postal service disruption. You can purchase a Presto card at ticket machines, the Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre and participating Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PSC denies West Virginia American Water proposal to automatically enroll customers in paperless billing
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways May 7—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — West Virginia American Water's quest to channel most of its customers into paperless billing has failed — with the Public Service Commission this week denying the request WVAW put forth last June. WVAW wanted to turn its "opt in " paperless billing option to "opt out, " saying it's convenient, has been successful in other parent company territories and could save lots of money. But PSC staff said the proposal is unreasonable under state code and could potentially harm customers who are less tech savvy or lack connectivity, by effectively forcing them into a billing method they may not understand or want. An administrative law judge sided with PSC staff and denied WVAW's request, but WVAW disputed the order. The PSC said in its Wednesday order, "The commission understands and appreciates the benefits of paperless billing that the company has outlined in this case. ... However, paperless billing should continue to be an affirmative or 'opt in' choice for utility customers in West Virginia." The PSC said WVAW should focus on other methods to encourage customers to choose paperless billing and to promote the benefits it believes come with paperless billing. It should consider incentivizing enrollment in paperless billing by offering a fair discount to customers who enroll. During the course of the case, WVAW said it has 171, 000 customers and 44, 000 are enrolled in paperless billing. It estimated another 65, 000 would be eligible to switch over to paperless. Customers eligible to be automatically enrolled would be those who have a valid email or text contact on file and are registered on WVAW's "MyWater " portal. The company would send several notices to them announcing the automatic enrollment and provide an online link to opt out, followed by a mail notice with another opt-out opportunity. Low-income customers and those who have a "do not solicit " flag on their accounts would not be included. WVAW said the move could save it $490, 000 in annual print and postage costs, if all eligible customers enrolled. In the face of PSC staff opposition, it offered to launch a 12-month pilot program. PSC argued that the program is unreasonable, flawed and poorly supported. A customer who has a MyWater account doesn't necessarily use it or ever wants to use it. Many people have secondary email accounts they rarely access. And WVAW has customers without reliable internet. Staff said it "believes that customers who did not 'opt in' should be burdened with the task of having to jump through hoops to 'opt out' of a program that they have already rejected." Central to the case was a prior case where Frontier wanted to start a similar program and impose a $2.99 monthly paper billing fee, which the PSC determined was unjustly discriminatory to seniors and those unfamiliar with paperless billing. Staff argued that while there is no fee involved in the WVAW case, the principle remains the same and PSC's Frontier order applies here. WVAW countered that since no feel is involved, the Frontier case was irrelevant. The administrative law judge said in his December decision that the Frontier case applied, and utilities should "encourage " customers to opt in, and that WVAW's automatic enrollment with an opt out was unreasonable, despite the safeguards the company proposed. In its order, the PSC directed WVAW to file a report in six months indicating how many additional customers have enrolled in paperless billing. And it reminded the company that it may not impose a fee for paper bills.
