There has been some confusion on social media lately about Greenville Utility bills - bills being late, bills being high, and billing on GUC’s new customer account website. Please know that Greenville Utilities has worked hard to address issues related to mail delays and to assist customers with the new online account management website. Below is more information about each.
MAIL DELAYS
The United States Postal Service has recognized that they are experiencing historic delays due to weather, high mail volume, and COVID-19.
Some, but not all, GUC bills in December and January have been delayed as a result.
Most GUC bills are now arriving on time, but there are still some issues.
As a result of the delayed bills, GUC has been proactive by:
- suspending late fees,
- continuing to monitor batches of bills and calling groups of customers whose bills we believe are delayed, and
- encouraging all customers to manage their bills online.
GUC has also temporarily suspended disconnects because of the mail delays. There is currently no mandate to suspend utility cut-offs from the Governor. The Governor’s utility mandate ended in July, 2020.
NEW ONLINE CUSTOMER WEBSITE & HIGH BILLS
Our online customer account management site is not a new billing system, but a better way for customers to see and manage their account. It’s a completely new system, not just an upgrade, so in order to access it:
- You will first need to create a new online account (even if you already have an online account).
- You’ll need your GUC account number and your PIN.
- If you are unsure of your PIN, it is likely the last four digits of your social security number. If that doesn’t work, or you don’t remember the PIN you created, please call 252-752-7166 during regular business hours (M-F 8-5) and one of our Customer Service Representatives will help you with setting up a new one.
Higher bills are most likely the result of colder temperatures, which causes increased energy usage for heating. The colder it is outside, the harder heating units have to work and the more energy they consume.
January was 38% colder than last January. December was 27% colder than last December and almost three times colder than November!
The data is kept by calendar month, but most customers’ bill cycles are not, So, the bill you get in February probably includes dates in January and February. January bills likely include days in December and January. Your December bill would have had days in November and December.
GUC keeps a couple of years of this information on our website so customers can see the relationship between the weather and their bills.
Find ways to save money on your utility bills at guc.com/ways-save. We also encourage customers with higher-than-normal bills to contact our Energy Services Office so that we can provide a free energy audit and consultation. The number to call is 252-551-1521.
HIGH BILLS & RAISING RATES
Despite rising operating costs, GUC’s electric rates have not gone up in seven years. In fact, GUC’s electric rate has gone down 14.5% since July, 2015.