Duplicates happen when a bill arrives by mail and email, when a vendor resends an invoice, or when one PDF holds several statements that also arrived separately.
The check
- Export 12–24 months of utility payments from your accounting system.
- Sort by account number, statement date and amount. Any exact repeat is a candidate.
- Before asking for money back, confirm it isn't a recurring flat charge (some sewer or trash bills are the same every month).
Getting it back
- Send the utility or vendor both payment records and ask for a refund or a credit on the next bill.
- Note who approved each payment so the process can be tightened.