City saves $388,512 per year as eBilling adoption rate hits 50 per cent milestone

Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat celebrates an important milestone today as the number of Medicine Hat utility customers who receive paperless electronic bills through eBilling reaches 50 per cent.

“This is a huge achievement,” says Dennis Egert, Managing Director of the City’s Corporate Services department. “There have been numerous times over the years where we thought we had hit our ceiling with the number of users on eBilling. Now to have reached a point where there are more electronic bills than paper bills signals a tipping point. The sky is the limit and we have created some excitement. Savings continue to rise and environmental waste declines.”

The City of Medicine Hat bills approximately 32,408 utility customers every month. Prior to the inception of eBilling, the annual budget to distribute utility statements was approximately $792,000. With 16,188 customers now on eBilling, the City saves $388,512 annually in printing and mailing expenses. Conservatively, administrators estimate each paper bill to cost $2 when factoring in the stamp, envelope, paper, ink, printing processing time, and mail clerk time.

“Fees have been a topic of discussion recently and it is important to note that the savings from the success of the eBilling program contributes, in part, to the reduction of administration fees on Medicine Hat utility bills,” notes Denise Schmaltz, Manager of Customer Care and Billing. “These savings benefit the whole customer base, so it is really in every customer’s best interest for eBilling adoption to rise.”

From 2021 to 2022, the Administration Charge, which is used to pay for expenses related to billing, has decreased by $0.08 per month for electricity and $0.63 per month for gas. These figures are outlined in the fixed charges description on the City’s new webpage dedicated to understanding a Medicine Hat utility bill.

Medicine Hat continues to be a leader in electronic billing. The City of Lethbridge has an eBilling rate of 40.7 per cent, the City of Edmonton sits at 41.5 per cent, and the City of Red Deer has 41.8 per cent.

The City launched eBilling in 2013 in response to customer calls for a greener billing option. Six per cent of customers signed on in the first year and adoption continued to rise until 2018 when numbers began to stagnate.

“We consciously set aside funds each year to run promotions, incentives and other marketing strategies to attract new eBilling users and reward continued use,” adds Schmaltz. “We really tried to incentivize behaviour and show appreciation for their commitment to the environment.”

Over the years, Customer Care staff have awarded more than $20,000 in prizes including iPads, utility incentives, gift cards and light bulbs to grow adoption for paperless billing. Staff educate and sign up customers at trade shows and booths at other community venues, as well as educate staff and youth through the Elementary School Challenge.

The latest eBilling contest in the late fall of 2021 garnered 969 new customers in little over one month, bringing the paperless bill tally to 48.8 per cent of all utility customers.

As the number inched closer to 50 per cent, Schmaltz and her staff started making plans to celebrate the milestone.

“We’ve been waiting for this day and for this customer since Christmas when we could envision 50 per cent as a reality.”

Bergen Ehry was the 16,188th customer to sign on to eBilling on Wednesday. She was awarded a $50 credit to her utility bill to recognize the occasion.

To further celebrate the milestone and thank eBilling customers for their commitment, the City of Medicine Hat is making a draw on March 15 for five $50 prizes. All eBilling customers are automatically entered and the prize will be awarded as a utility credit on the winner’s accounts. Sign up on eBilling before March 15 to be included in the celebration draw. Visit www.medicinehat.ca/eutility.

eBilling is only one component of the eUtility platform. eUtility is a secure internet site in which City of Medicine Hat utility customers can access 24-hour information seven days per week, and are able to:

• View current and past utility statements (up to 18 months)
• View billed consumption history
• Request changes to their account
• Enroll for eBilling (paperless billing)
• View detailed consumption history from automated meters through Customer Connect
• Receive an email notification instead of a paper statement
• Receive a payment due reminder email 7 days prior to the due date

Anyone wishing for more information about eBilling or eUtility can contact Customer Care at 403-529-8111 or customer_accounts@medicinehat.ca, or visit in person on the main floor of City Hall.

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