Austin Energy will reinstate late fees on bills nine months after temporarily suspending them. Beginning the July bill cycle, customers who do not pay on time will have a 5 percent fee assessed on the outstanding balance, which would show up on the next bill.
The fee does not compound.
Prior to suspending the late fees, the utility provider collected $200,000 to $300,000 per month in late fees, Austin Energy spokesman Carlos Cordova said.
“The worst thing you can do is not to contact the City of Austin utility if you’re late [on your bill] because we’ll always work with you,” Cordova said. “You should always contact a customer service agent to work out a payment schedule.”
Austin Energy stopped assessing late fees Oct. 3 with the implementation of a new billing system. According to a release, utility providers commonly suspend late fees when replacing billing systems to “fine-tune” the new program.
Customers may pay their bill in person Mon.–Fri. from 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at:
• Rosewood-Zaragosa Center, 2800 Webberville Road
• Utility Customer Service Center, 8716 Research Blvd., Ste. 115
Customer service agents may contacted at 494-9400 Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. and from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Visit www.austinenergy.com for additional information.
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