A utility bill that shows a previous balance means the last one wasn't paid in full. A run of these is how a property ends up with a disconnect notice and months of late fees.
The check
- On every bill, read the previous balance, payments received and late charges lines, not just the amount due.
- Flag any account where the previous balance isn't zero two cycles in a row.
- Total the late fees per account for the last 12 months.
- Find out which accounts still get paper bills. Mailed bills are the most common reason payments are late.
Fixes
- Move every account to e-billing, sent to one address your team controls.
- Ask the utility to waive recent late fees once the account is current; many will for a first request.
- Set due-date reminders a week ahead for any account that can't be autopaid.