Batavia utility bills go paper-free

One less bill to file, recycle or lose.

And less chance of forgetting to pay it.

Those are the conveniences Batavia officials tout for signing up to get your utility bill online instead of by mail.

Water and electricity customers can sign up through the Batavia eNews subscription on the city's Web site, cityofbatavia.net, and choose "paperless billing."

A reminder about the bill will be sent to them via e-mail each month. They can then look up their balance online.

Payment options remain the same: mail or deliver a payment to the Batavia Government Center, pay online with a credit card (a fee is charged for that) or arrange to have payments automatically debited from a checking or savings account.

The city sends out about 12,000 utility bills a month.

Besides being an environmentally friendly thing to do, going paperless will save a buck or two. The city spends $61,000 in postage and $3,500 in office supplies for paper billing.

Batavia Alderman Eldon Frydendall, who is signed up for the direct-debit program, suggested Tuesday the city could save even more money if it stopped sending paper bills altogether to those who are signed up for direct debit and tell those who want a paper bill to request one.