American Gas - April 2011 - (Page 36)

Going for the Green How much does it cost you to send a paper bill? subtract 45 cents from that cost, multiply that across your customer base, and the business case for electronic billing immediately becomes compelling. According to a study released in January by NACHA—The Electronic Payments Association, companies that send e-bills report saving between 40 to 50 cents per bill compared with paper. And that doesn’t include the upcoming hike in postage rates. Those numbers track for Oklahoma Natural Gas Co. (ONG), a division of ONEOK Inc. Paperless billing, which ONG introduced two years ago, has translated into savings of 42 cents per customer per month. “Even at a fairly modest rate of adoption—about 4 percent of our customer base right now—that still generates savings to us of just over $14,000 each month,” reports Don Sherry, ONG communications manager. “We estimate saving anywhere between $2 to $8 per year per customer who signs up for e-billing, depending on how that customer typically pays,” says Mark Shaver, director of strategic consumer accounts at Washington Gas, which services the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and surrounding region. At the high end of that range, for example, would be a customer who sends a check payment From saving trees to saving money, both natural gas utilities and their customers find e-billing offers a lot to like. By sandra r. sabo 36 april 2011 AmericAn GAs

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - April 2011

American Gas - April 2011
Contents
President’s Message Safety Is Job One
In the Know Gas Quality: When Science and Policy Intersect
In the News
Safety First Partnering for Progress
The New Realities of the Natural Gas Industry: From Wellhead to Customer
Part I: Then There Was Abundance
Part II: through the Pipeline
Part III: Priority Pathways for Growth
Going for the Green
Places to Be
Noteworthies
Advertisers’ Index
Jobline
Marketplace
Facts on Gas

American Gas - April 2011