Budget billing cools down
students' winter heating bills
By Drew Stewart, posted 1/31/06

Energy bills have been heating up this winter, but there may be a way for students to cool off their wallets. To ease the pain of wintertime charges, the City of Columbia Finance Department offers a payment alteration called budget billing.

“Budget billing is a levelized bill,” Patricia Bollman, the utility and billing financer for the City of Columbia said. “We take your total previous year energy usage and divide it by eleven. That’s the bill amount you’ll pay each month.”

Paying a standard amount every month means that students can avoid the high heating costs of the winter season. This can be a blessing for Columbia residents on fixed incomes.

“Budget billing’s a great thing to have during the winter,” MU sophomore Serge Abellard said.  “This way I don’t have to worry about coming up with an extra $50 just to make the heating bill.” 

Because they’re paying a standard amount each month, students accumulate credit during times of low energy usage and work into that credit during periods where usage is considerably higher. Whatever credit is left, whether it’s in favor of the resident or the city, will be paid off at the end of the year.

“The goal is for you to not owe us that much money and for us to not owe you that much money,” Bollman said.

In its fourth year of employment, budget billing continues to rise in popularity. Bollman estimates that nearly 35 percent of all customers are using the service. She also approximates that 90 percent of customers on budget billing have given positive feedback. In the midst of a bitter winter, some students are sharing similar sentiments.

“With budget billing, I can make sure the house stays warm without having to worry about an outrageous bill,” MU sophomore Matt Underwood said. “When it’s as cold as it gets in Columbia, it makes a huge difference.”       

Anyone paying for utilities through City of Columbia or paying for natural gas through Ameren UE is eligible for budget billing. Customers can only be signed up for the service once a year and they must have a previous year’s residency. This ensures that the City of Columbia won’t be basing your standard monthly amount on a previous resident’s energy usage. If eligible, Columbia residents can contact the City of Columbia at (573) 874-7380 or can call Ameren UE at 1-800-552-7583. 

As for its future, Bollman gives a strong assessment on the merits of budget billing.   

“People use it, they like it, and it’s very non-problematic,” she said. “Budget Billing should be business as usual for years to come

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