Paperless utility bill payment becoming more prevalent in small cities

According to The Examiner, residents of the city of Independence, Missouri, will be able to find out the balance of their utility bills through an automated system.

All debit and credit card payments will be made through this system to assure a higher level of security and reduce the idle time waiting to speak to a customer service representative, city officials told the news source.

The automated system will inform customers of their utility bill balance, amount due and last payment, as well as when their next bill will be mailed. The line is open 24 hours a day and will become active on April 28.

In Rocky Mount, North Carolina, however, residents now hold the option of online bill payment for their utilities, according to the Rocky Mount Telegram.

A bill pay site was launched by the city last week. It allows users to pay utilities online, track their energy usage and even compare it with their neighbor's totals, the news source reports.

Additional options include setting up a bank draft, bill printing and the ability to notify the city of an upcoming move.