Guest Column | October 18, 2024

How Streamlined Digital Payments Can Help Lower Water Bills

By Marci Westlake

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As summer slowly gives way to autumn, many across the country and in the Truckee Meadows are letting out a sigh of relief. Temperatures throughout the 2024 summer season soared to record-breaking highs: our region repeatedly faced temperatures at or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit — often for weeks at a time. This relentless heat is more than uncomfortable, it can pose a threat to people’s health and wellbeing, and it’s becoming more common. Now, it’s likely that the average temperature during the summer months will continue to rise — meaning water and power usage, and utility bills could rise as well.

Turning Up The Heat On Water Bills

As a result of this year’s record temperatures, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts residential electricity bills will be higher this year than last. When it’s especially hot, people use fans and air conditioners more frequently and at higher settings that require more energy. They also spend more time indoors to escape the heat, so all electrical appliances get extra use. At a time when 39% of Americans worry they’ll be unable to pay their bills, these increased costs are, understandably, an additional burden.

Unfortunately, the electricity bill isn’t the only one that may come as an unpleasant surprise: higher water bills are an at-times overlooked consequence of higher temperatures. Many people increase their water usage in an attempt to beat the heat, whether by pulling the sprinkler out of the garage, filling up a kiddie pool, giving the garden an extra drink, or ending the day with a cold shower. All of this can add up to higher water bills, especially in larger households, creating sticker shock for many families.

How Digital Payments Can Reduce Customer Costs

At Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) in Reno, Nevada — a city heavily impacted by this summer’s sky-high temperatures — we spend a lot of time listening to our customers. We hear again and again how higher bills create significant stress and frustration for them. With this in mind, we are constantly looking for ways to help ease the costs associated with increased high-temperature water use.

One of our key tactics to do so was found in an unexpected place: the billing process itself.

Many TMWA customers still pay their bills by sending checks through the mail or going to TMWA’s office to pay in person. These tried-and-true approaches are often significantly less efficient and more costly to conduct. They create higher operational costs in the form of processing and employee time — all of which can end up baked into customer bills.

TMWA is a not-for-profit, community-owned water utility that serves over 450,000 customers. By switching to a new digital payment system, we have built high efficiency into our process. This takes only a small amount of cost out of each bill, but the collective savings over time are profound. With bills already growing due to greater water usage, every penny saved by more efficient processes can help TMWA keep rates as low as possible.

With all of this in mind, TMWA is working to reduce expenses for our customers by promoting adoption of self-service payment options. These tools, such as AutoPay and guest checkout, make it easier for our customers to make their water payments accurately and on time, therefore reducing late fees, saving time, and curbing frustration.

To date, TMWA has seen a meaningful uptick in digital adoption, including a 39% increase in AutoPay enrollment. Twenty percent fewer customers are mailing in their payments, which reduces inefficient manual processing. Meanwhile, four times more are opting to receive their statements digitally. These shifts save trees and reduce costs. By encouraging these cost-saving behaviors, TMWA has reported an annual savings of $494,000 in printing and mailing costs alone, and 25 staff hours saved per month in payment processing tasks. Implementing a frictionless billing experience and offering comprehensive support and a user-friendly interface has also led to greater customer satisfaction.

While TMWA cannot lower temperatures, we can take steps to help our customers adapt to the impact rising temperatures have on water costs. Mitigating measures, such as a more streamlined digital payments experience, can help reduce billing costs even as extreme weather is on the rise. This can reduce the negative impact for customers and employees of water utilities and help stabilize rates in a world of rising costs.

Marci Westlake has worked in the Customer Service field for TMWA since 2002, starting as a Customer Service Representative (CSR). After two years as a CSR, Marci transitioned to Customer Service work as a Service Utility technician. She has extensive experience with meter reading and meter/collection processes. In July of 2012, Marci was promoted to Office Supervisor and in February of 2016 became the Customer Services Supervisor. In January of 2017, Marci joined TMWA’s Management Team as the Customer Services Manager.