The utility bill is a basic fact of life. Power, water, gas – without these things, the modern household wouldn’t survive. However, a homeowner’s first confrontation with a utility bill – especially when moving into a new neighborhood with a different layout – may cause confusion. Most people tend to jump towards the total cost column, nod, and then pay the stated price – but they get little clarification of their utility usage from your average bill.
Understand Your Bill
It’s a smart business decision when a private utility company decides to educate its clients in understanding the basics of paying for water, gas and power. It generates trust between homeowners and the company, and it can even help promote smarter utility usage through some simple utility bill postcards, and changed utility bill templates. Private mailing agencies, like SW Direct, offer various billing statement features to help homeowners understand their bills – consumption history and usage graphs are a big help, as they help homeowners visualize just how much energy they’ve been using over the past months or years, which can curb consumption or help convince them to introduce methods of power conservation at home.
Another useful graph is a comparison graph, wherein the average, low and high monthly totals for a specific lot and land size is shown on a bill, allowing homeowners to see where on a scale of bills their payment is. This could inspire homeowners to adopt greener measures in an attempt to lower their bill below the average of the community, and it can provide utility companies with a better record for pushing for environmentally-friendly measures at home.
Educate the Masses
A simple friendly letter to new homeowners and clients could help explain the basics of their utility bill postcards – specifically the allocation of costs, and the basis for calculating someone’s bill. Educate clients on Estimated Annual Consumption rates, local seasonality changes and how this affects the bill, and the formula for energy bill calculation – that is, an exact measure of the energy or utility used as per a certified meter, multiplied by a rate, added to your company’s standing charges, together with a value-added tax and finally, the considerations of any available or valid discounts.
By helping homeowners understand what they’re paying for, you can build a better relationship with your community – and in turn, reap the benefits of happier, greener homes.
SWDirect is a business communications firm based in Florida. Started nearly three decades ago as a simple local lettershop service, SWDirect now helps companies, government departments and nonprofits flourish with a collection of mailing and communications services. For more information, be sure to check out their website.
