Initial phase of Utility Billing upgrades launched in December
The City of Swift Current launched the initial phase of its new utility billing online portal project beginning with the December 2019 billing cycle. Ultimately, the project will enhance the customer experience by allowing customers to view and pay their utilities and taxes online and get detailed utility consumption information for their households.
Phase 1 of the project will see several changes for customers to be aware of, all of which will pave the way for the launch of the Online Portal.
NEW ACCOUNT NUMBERS: The new system will automatically create a new account number for each utility customer, which means customers will be required to update their account information if they pay their bills at a financial institution or via online banking. Utility customers who pay their bills in person at City Hall will be assisted by customer service representatives when they pay their bills. The majority of customers will receive their new bills and account numbers in December, while approximately 25 per cent of customers will receive their first new bill and new account number in January.
NEW LOOK: The new utility bills will have a different look than customers are used to. The updated bills will provide customers with more detailed information, such as carbon tax charges, defined water rates, defined demand and more. A sample of the new-look utility bill can be found on the City website at www.swiftcurrent.ca/utilities.
SAME GREAT SERVICE: The City of Swift Current’s Utility Billing Department is committed to providing excellent customer service. Customers can feel free to contact the Department by telephone at 306-7782731 or by email at customerservice@swiftcurrent.ca between Monday and Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays) for assistance.
Following the launch of the initial phase, the City will be rolling out two additional phases that will improve the customer experience significantly.
Phase 2 will see the launch of our Online Utility Billing Portal, an opt-in service that will allow utility customers to go paperless and receive their bills online. This phase is anticipated to be launched in early 2020, and customers will be able to view both their utility and property tax accounts.
The launch date of Phase 3 of this project is to be determined; however, once this phase takes place, online customers will be able to directly pay their utility bills and view detailed reports of their household utility consumption from the Online Utility Billing Portal.
“This project is all about enhancing the customer experience,” said Kathy Hopfner, General Manager of Corporate Services. “Two things that we believe are important to our utility customers are environmental stewardship and the convenience of accessing and paying their bills from their device of choice. The end result of this project will accomplish both of these customer priorities.”
Customers will continue to receive updates from the City as this project moves forward, and ongoing information will be posted on the City of Swift Current website at www.swiftcurrent.ca/utilities.