Why add another fee when living expenses are already high?

We know that any added cost is frustrating, and we don't take adding a fee lightly. The reality of today’s postal rate hikes, paper supply increases, and processing costs is that mailing physical bills has become significantly more expensive.

Rather than continuing to roll these rising paper-handling expenses into overall electric rates—which causes rate pressure for everyone—we separated the fee so that members who don't use paper aren't paying for it, and members who do want paper have full transparency into what that specific service costs to deliver. This transparency gives members more information upon which to assess the value of paper bills or electronic delivery.

Isn't sending a bill just part of basic customer service?

Providing clear, timely account information is absolutely a core part of our service. Digital delivery (email/text notices) carries almost zero incremental cost per person, whereas printing and mailing physical paper incurs continuous per-unit charges for paper, envelope stuffing, labor, and postage.

As a not-for-profit cooperative, every dollar we spend on annual expenses comes directly from our members through rates. Charging a separate fee ensures that members who choose digital billing aren't paying for the physical materials and postage of members who choose paper. It puts control over that expense directly in your hands.

I rely on my paper bill as a physical reminder to pay. What if I forget because I opt for electronic delivery?

That is a very real concern. If you're open to trying electronic delivery to save the $2/month, we have several setup options so you don't miss a beat:

• Automated Text or Email Alerts: You can set up notifications the day your statement is ready AND multiple reminders if your bill becomes past due.
• Auto-Pay Options: You can pair e-billing with automated bank or card payments so you never have to worry about a late fee.
• Print on Demand: You can still view and print a full PDF copy of your statement at home anytime if you like keeping physical records.

If you prefer to keep receiving your paper bill in the mail, you can certainly do so—the $2 charge simply covers the postage and printing required to keep that physical option available to you.

Does the $2 fee cost exactly $2, or is SMPA making a profit?

As a non-profit cooperative, SMPA does not make a profit on fees. The $2 rate was established based on the fully-burdened cost of paper delivery—which includes, mailroom services (such as paper, printing, envelopes, and postage), and returned mail handling.

While postage and vendor rates fluctuate, setting the fee at a stable, $2 amount allows us to absorb upcoming postal rate increases without having to continually change fee amounts on your statement. If the fee collects slightly more than the direct cost in a given month, those funds remain within the cooperative's operating margins and due to SMPA’s not-for-profit cooperative status those margins are allocated back to the members on a pro rata patronage basis. For more information on margin allocations visit our Member Dividends page.

Why is SMPA implementing a paper statement fee?

• Reducing operating costs for printing, labor, and postage expenses lessens rate pressure and allows those resources to be invested in other member programs and services.
• Paperless provides members with a quicker bill delivery, and enhanced communications. For example, consumers can receive notifications triggered by outages, alerts and important service notifications.
• Eliminating frustration over postal delays due to weather, staff shortages, etc.
• Going Green to protect the environment and sustain natural resources for current and future generations.

Is there a billing option where I don’t even need to see a monthly billing statement?

Yes, as a matter of fact there is. SmartPay is SMPA’s pay-as-you-use, prepaid billing option that puts the ultimate control of your usage and payments in your hands. With convenient text and/or email notifications you can stay on top of your usage, so you know when you need to add more to your account balance. If your account gets to zero your electricity is turned off, but adding money to your account automatically turns it back on 24/7, with no reconnect fee. SmartPay is simple and puts you in control. No more monthly billing statements with due dates and late fees. No more security deposits. Check out SmartPay.

How do I register my account with SmartHub?

You're a few steps away from it now.

First, grab one of your old bills with your account number on it, and your debit/credit card or bank draft credentials.

Next, follow the instructions for your device here.