Water bill change boosts liquid assets

Jun 23 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal

A LUCKY customer bagged himself some cash by going green. Asif Mahmood, from Gateshead, switched from paper to online bills for his water account, saving paper and helping the environment.

He was selected at random from more than 3,200 businesses and householders to win £500 from Northumbrian Water after he signed up for the company’s electronic billing service.

The competition, which was sponsored by billing software provider OneVu, was an incentive to encourage customers to ditch traditional paper bills in favour of a more environmentally-friendly online option.

Northumbrian Water’s e-billing service allows customers to view, pay and manage bills securely online through their internet bank, with an e-mail alert when new bills arrive. More than 10,600 customers have so far signed up for the service, managed by OneVu.

Mr Mahmood said: “When I heard the news that I’d won, I couldn’t believe it. I am going to use some of the money on food shopping and household bills, and send the rest to my sister in Pakistan who is very poor.

“ I signed up for the e-billing service because it’s an easy way to manage my bill. The odds of me winning were slim so I have been very lucky. Maybe I should start playing the lottery.”

Judith Lillie, customer accounts manager for Northumbrian Water, said: “The e-billing service has been a huge hit so far, especially with environmentally-aware customers who prefer not to receive printed bills and leaflets.

“It’s also a great step forward in terms of service offering, as customers can easily access accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week and save bills electronically for future reference.”

Carole Melson, Business Development Manager for OneVu, said: “The OneVu service is all about making life easier for customers by enabling them to manage their finances in one place, whilst offering an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional paper bills.

“Northumbrian Water is one of the increasing number of companies that is adopting our innovative solution to better meet the needs of its customers.”

Northumbrian Water’s e-billing service is currently available to all customers who bank with either Lloyds TSB, The Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest.

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