In order to improve our service and make it easier for our customers to pay their bills, the Greene County Sanitary Engineering Department offers an option of level billing.

The program allows customers to pay the same amount each month for 11 months, with the final month of their 12-month billing cycle to be a settlement or "catch-up" month.  Under this plan, customers will know how much their water and/or sewer bill will be each month, giving them the option of planning ahead and making it easier to budget.

Currently, customers pay the same amount for two months, then pay actual usage, over minimum, on the third month.

In order to qualify for the level billing option, customers must have at least a 12-month account history in their present location.  This historical usage will be used to compute the level amount for each customer.  The account must be at a zero (0) balance by the First Level Bill statement. 

If you are presently on level billing, and wish to remain so, you do not have to sign up again.  Your level billing will continue at the amount stated in the message area of your bill.

FEATURES

• Although you can sign up for level billing at any time, your settlement month will occur during July, August, or September following your sign-up date.  The settlement month will coincide with your summer quarterly catch-up bill.

• For example, if your usual summer catch-up bill comes in July, your settlement bill for the year will come in July.  If your catch-up bill comes in August or September, your annual settlement bill will come in August or September, respectively.

• Level billing does not benefit customers who have monthly meter reads as much as it does those who have quarterly reads.

• The total account balance will be shown on each monthly bill in order to allow the customer to see their account status at any time.   However, only the level billing amount is to be paid.

• The monthly billed amount will be determined by a review of usage data for the previous 12 months.  An average usage amount is determined and adjusted to current and anticipated rate levels.  This allows for any fluctuations during the year and also acts as a buffer for the settlement (12th) Month.

• Customers on level billing may be taken off during the year, at their request in writing, providing they bring their account balance up-to-date (pay any outstanding balance in full).  Any overages will be carried as a credit on the account until used up.

• Customers on the plan must pay the level bill amount in full, each month, by the due date.  Anyone whose level billing account is past due 60 days or more will forfeit their level billing privilege and will be subject to liens and shut-offs on delinquent amounts.  A customer may be reinstated if the account is at a zero balance and it has been at least twelve months since removal from level billing.

• While a customer is on level billing, no penalties will be assessed on unpaid charges.

HOW TO SIGN UP

The request to go on level billing must be submitted in writing or via e-mail.

A customer may, at any time, make a payment which is larger than their level billing amount.  The level bill amount, however, is the minimum which is to be paid each month.

We are offering the level billing option for our customer's convenience and we encourage you to take advantage of it.