Greencastle switches to invoice utility billing

GREENCASTLE -- Beginning today, Greencastle Municipal Utilities customers will be seeing a change in the way their bills are delivered.

The city has switched from postcard billing to full-statement billing, so this month's bill will be arriving in a windowed envelope, not the familiar colored postcards. The full invoice will feature expanded information as well as a tear-off section at the bottom.

Greencastle Clerk-Treasurer Teresa Glenn said the change was made for several reasons, but one of the main is privacy. Court cases around the country have ruled that postcard billing is a breach of the customer's privacy.

Through invoice billing, customers will also get much more information. The bills will feature bar graphs with a location's water usage over the previous 12 months, as well as other information the city wishes to provide.

This month's bills feature information about the Greencastle Farmer's Market.

While the change may be confusing to customers at first, Glenn said she believes it will be to their benefit.

"People just need to read it carefully. It's very self-explanatory," she said. "I think they'll like it once they see it and get used to it."

Additionally, while envelopes cost more than postcards to mail, the city will be saving money with the new system. The envelopes will qualify for a bulk rate that is only slightly more expensive than the postcards were.

The real savings comes in the printing of the bills themselves. Rather than having to order pre-printed postcards, they will be able to print the entire bill in house.

Anyone with questions about their new bills should contact the utility department at 653-2638.