Austin Energy reinstates late fees

Photo courtesy Austin Energy

Austin Energy will reinstate late fees on bills nine months after temporarily suspending them. Beginning the July bill cycle, customers who do not pay on time will have a 5 percent fee assessed on the outstanding balance, which would show up on the next bill.

The fee does not compound.

Prior to suspending the late fees, the utility provider collected $200,000 to $300,000 per month in late fees, Austin Energy spokesman Carlos Cordova said.

"The worst thing you can do is not to contact the City of Austin utility if you're late [on your bill] because we'll always work with you," Cordova said. "You should always contact a customer service agent to work out a payment schedule."

Austin Energy stopped assessing late fees Oct. 3 with the implementation of a new billing system. According to a release, utility providers commonly suspend late fees when replacing billing systems to "fine-tune" the new program.

Customers may pay their bill in person Mon.–Fri. from 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at:

Rosewood-Zaragosa Center, 2800 Webberville Road

Utility Customer Service Center, 8716 Research Blvd., Ste. 115

Customer service agents may contacted at 494-9400 Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. and from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Visit www.austinenergy.com for additional information.