Updates for Albany utility billing customers

Today we are happy to announce three notable items that will impact your utility bill as we continue transitioning from our old 1999 billing system to Util360:

1. Your billing date should be back to normal, and you can expect it on the date you used to receive it.
2. Your Util360 portal account balances should now match the amount due and payment on your bill.
3. Auto-pay and paperless billing are now available in your Util360 portal. Even if you previously signed up for auto-pay, you must re-enroll. Need help? Visit albanyoregon.gov/utility-billing/help#set-up-auto-pay. If you sign up for paperless billing, a bill for your next billing cycle after May 15 will be sent to the email on file. However, you may still receive a paper bill in the mail through the end of June.

We appreciate your continued patience and we will continue to send updates every two weeks.

If you have any questions about your balance or account number:

Call 541-917-7547. Please be aware that call volumes are high during business hours, but if you leave a voicemail anytime, a staff member will answer your call in the order we received it.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your account number or service address. We do not take payment over email, so please do not include credit card information.

Our IT and utility billing staff have been working with vendor Util360 for the past few weeks to ensure all of our 20,000+ accounts have accurate and reliable billing data between the old and new systems.

The new system, Util360, will soon generate bills, and we can finally start decommissioning the old 1999 billing system. Starting May 15, bills will be sent from the new system, and you can sign up for auto-pay using e-check or credit card.

If you still need to sign up for a Util360 account and want to use auto-pay when it is available starting May 15, visit ub.albanyoregon.gov for instructions on how to do so with a valid email address.

If you are signed up for paperless billing, you will start to receive a bill sent the email on file in your account starting May 15. You may also still receive a paper bill in the mail.

We look forward to updating you again in two weeks. We appreciate your continued patience and hope you look forward to these improvements on May 15.

If you have any questions about your balance or account number:

Call 541-917-7547. Please be aware that call volumes are high during business hours, but if you leave a voicemail anytime, a staff member will answer your call in the order we received it.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your account number or service address. We do not take payment over email, so please do not include credit card information.

As we have said since our first update, we truly appreciate your ongoing patience as our IT and utility billing staff continue to work with the vendor (Util360) to replace our 25-year-old billing software.

The data verification work is almost complete. Soon, they will start the work required to move to Util360 as the primary billing system, beginning with the Util360 portal out of service for four hours, sometime between 8 pm on Saturday and 6 am on Sunday, as the data is synchronized. You cannot use the Util360 portal during those four overnight hours.

Our next big update will send on Wednesday, May 1. It will give a date and more details on when to expect this switchover and when auto-pay and paperless billing features will once again be available.

Until then, you should still be receiving a paper bill temporarily. Remember, your paper bill is the amount due. Even if the amount shown online does not match your paper bill, you can still pay it using the Util360 portal. Just select a custom amount before you confirm and pay. Remember to double-check the payment total.

If you have any questions about your balance:

Call 541-917-7547. Please be aware that call volumes are high during business hours, but if you leave a voicemail anytime, a staff member will answer your call in the order we received it.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your account number and service address. We do not take payment over email, so please do not include credit card information.

We appreciate your continued patience. Our IT and utility billing staff have continued to work with vendor Util360 over the last two weeks since our previous update to ensure all 20,000+ accounts have accurate and reliable billing data between the old and new systems. We take this data verification process seriously to ensure accurate billing amounts. Once we are confident that the data in Util360 is accurate, we can generate bills directly from it instead of the old system. This change should remedy many of the remaining glitches and other impacts you have felt over the last four months. Afterward, we can turn auto-pay and paperless billing features back on.

You should still be temporarily receiving a paper bill. Remember, your paper bill is the amount due. Even if the amount shown online does not match your paper bill, you can still pay it using the online portal. Just select a custom amount before you confirm and pay. Remember to double-check the payment total.

If you have any questions about your balance:

Call 541-917-7547. Please be aware that call volumes are high during business hours, but if you leave a voicemail anytime, a staff member will answer your call in the order we received it.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your account number and service address. We do not take payment over email, so please do not include credit card information.

We look forward to updating you again in two weeks.

We appreciate your continued patience as we work through this complex changeover in billing systems involving over 20,000 customers. Our staff is committed to working diligently with our vendor to ensure all accounts have accurate and reliable bills and to remedy the inconvenient delays, glitches, and other impacts that many of you have felt already.

One of our biggest priorities since starting to implement this software has been ensuring accurate balances between the old and new systems. It is challenging since they are decades apart in technology. We continue to work with the vendor to make any adjustments during this rigorous data validation process, which we expect to last through the end of April. Then, we can move entirely to the new system.

Auto-pay and paperless billing remain unavailable. In the meantime, to reduce confusion, all customers should be receiving mailed paper bills. This was a temporary change. We hope to turn both features back on in early May.

Your latest bill should be viewable in the online portal by mid-April. You might notice a balance in the online portal that does not match your paper bill. For example, your online balance may be off by one penny, show no balance due, or have a negative balance. The balance you see on your paper bill is accurate. We continue to work with the vendor to correct account data in the online portal. You can still pay the amount shown on your paper bill using the online portal, even if it does not match. Just select a custom amount before you confirm and pay. Remember to double-check the payment total.

If you have any questions about your balance, please call 541-917-7547. Please be aware that call volumes are high during business hours, but if you leave a voicemail anytime, a staff member will answer your call in the order we received it.

You can also get account balances by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include your account number and service address. We do not take payment over email, so please do not include credit card information.

We look forward to updating you again in two weeks.

Our previously scheduled biweekly update for this week is being rescheduled. Our next update will come out on March 28.

In the meantime, our IT and UB staff continue to make progress with the vendor, Util360, to resolve the most disruptive outstanding issues.

We sincerely hope to have some better news for you at that time and appreciate your continued patience.

Another Reminder:

You should receive a bill each month. If it's been a while since you received a bill, contact our Utility Billing staff. They are working overtime to answer every call, email, and voicemail. They will work with you individually to ensure your account is in good standing.

We recognize that these issues have impacted many customers who have consistently and responsibly paid their bills on time. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of this transition.

We hope to resolve most of these issues in the coming weeks and that, in the end, we will be able to deliver an improved billing system that gives you more information about your account and more options for payment, as promised.

Thank you again for your patience, and don't hesitate to contact Utility Billing at:

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Include your account number or service address)
• Call: 541-917-7547 (M-F, 8:00 - 10:00 am or 11:00 am - 4:30 pm)
• In Person: 333 Broadalbin St SW, 1st floor (M-F, 8:00 - 10:00 am or 11:00 am - 5:00 pm)

First, we appreciate your patience as we work through this complex changeover in billing systems. We understand there have been inconvenient delays and glitches during this process. Our staff is working diligently with our vendor to ensure all 20,000 Albany utility customers have accurate and reliable bills and to minimize payment impacts that many of you have felt already. Here are the significant steps we are taking immediately to help reduce impacts on your account:

Temporarily suspending late fees:

We have suspended new late fees and interest charges on all accounts. This is to ensure you aren't charged fees associated with delays and technical issues from this transition that are not your fault. It is a temporary measure until the changeover is finished and does not include any fees or charges that existed in your account unrelated to the billing system conversion. Despite what you may have heard, even if you receive a past-due notice, there is no impact on your credit report. Credit bureaus are only notified on accounts designated as delinquent and sent to collections.

Turning off auto-pay:

During this transition, it is clear that auto-pay in the new system is causing more problems than anticipated. We are temporarily turning off auto-pay in the new system to reduce the chance of unanticipated payments or multiple payments being posted to your bank account. For those customers currently signed up for auto-pay in Util360, the following information will help with this temporary suspension:

• Do you receive a paper bill in the mail? You can still pay the amount shown on your bill via Util360, pay online directly through your bank, call, or in person.
• Did you already sign up for paperless billing? You need to call or email first to determine your current account balance, as Util360 is currently not sending paperless bills. After you have your balance, you can pay via Util360, pay online through your bank, call, or in person.

What you can do:

You should receive a bill each month. If it's been a while since you received a bill, contact our Utility Billing staff. They are working overtime to answer every call, email, and voicemail. They will work with you individually to ensure your account is in good standing.

We recognize that these issues have impacted many customers who have consistently and responsibly paid their bills on time. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of this transition.

We hope to resolve most of these issues in the coming weeks and that, in the end, we will be able to deliver an improved billing system that gives you more information about your account and more options for payment, as promised.

Thank you again for your patience, and don't hesitate to contact Utility Billing at:

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Include your account number or service address)
• Call: 541-917-7547 (M-F, 8:00 - 10:00 am or 11:00 am - 4:30 pm)
• In Person: 333 Broadalbin St SW, 1st floor (M-F, 8:00 - 10:00 am or 11:00 am - 5:00 pm)