| September 10, 2009 |
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For many people, paying bills is as easy as clicking on a Web site. Online bill paying can be done any time, day or night. Much to the dismay of the U.S. Postal Service, it saves money as well as time. But paying – and receiving – bills electronically saves another kind of green. It is good for the environment.
We could cut solid waste by as much as 1.6 billion tons and curtail greenhouse gas emissions by about 1.2 million tons a year if every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, according to various estimates. Each year, the typical American family disposes of, or hopefully recycles, about 2,500 pounds of paper – with printed bills making up a large portion of the pile. And, while paying a bill online saves time and money, receiving that statement electronically saves even more in avoided printing and mailing costs.
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In addition to the environmental benefits, paperless billing has some other advantages. There is no statement to misplace or late charges to face if the paper bill is not found and paid on time. E-bills also lessen the chance that personal information will be stolen from unlocked mailboxes. Past statements can be viewed all in one place, with a click of the mouse.
PSE&G is one of many companies now offering paperless billing as well as online bill paying services. Part of a new suite of self-service features available on www.pseg.com, the eco-friendly option enables business and residential customers to receive their bills via email. Paperless billing customers receive a notification as soon as their statement is available for viewing. Enrolling is easy. Customers only have to register for My Account on pseg.com and select Paperless Billing.
Once registered, customers can then pay their bills directly from their bank accounts, taking advantage of the automatic debit option, or electing to pay at their convenience. Both services are safe and secure. Customers who choose to pay online through their own bank are also encouraged to receive their bills electronically.
As New Jersey’s largest utility, PSE&G mails more than 2.4 million bills each month. That is a substantial amount of paper and envelopes that easily can be diverted from the landfill or recycling center if our customers chose to receive their bills electronically. And we’re encouraging them to do just that.
Customers who view and pay bills online enjoy the 24/7 convenience and save some money to boot. More importantly, they are helping to save our planet’s natural resources.
What’s your view? Please let us know at Opinion@PSEG.com.
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