Starting 1 January next year, Water Authority of Fiji says only those who have a legitimate reason for using traditional postage will continue to receive their bills via post, urging all other residential customers to sign up for electronic billing (E-Billing) by the end of this year.
The directive comes as WAF prepares to stop the practice of sending bills via post ensuring customers obtain their bills and other advisories in a timely manner whilst allowing the authority to save up on resources that can be better use in strengthening their infrastructure and supply capacity thereafter.
“The new policy is aimed at offering a consistently superior bill delivery experience for customers, thanks to the speed and reliability of the platforms,” WAF said in a statement.
“As part of WAF’s ongoing initiatives to improve and streamline service delivery, WAF has invested in E-Billing, via email, and SMS billing. During the pandemic, this not only provided a safe, easy and convenient alternative for our customers, it also kept WAF staff safer, as there was less need for the personal handling of bills.”
Customers who register for the service are able to receive their bills, as well as overdue and disconnection alerts, either through email or on their phone via SMS billing, giving them more time to plan their bill payments and avoid disconnection.
“E-Billing benefits both our customers and WAF – By switching over to E-Billing, issues that were part and parcel of traditional postage can be avoided, such as bills going missing, while at the same time, conserving crucial resources and directly reducing expenses which have been steadily rising due to the increased charges for printing and postage.”
So far all of WAF’s commercial and institutional customers have signed up, with half of our residential customers registered.
“The Authority would also like to reassure our customers who have legitimate reasons for using traditional postage that they will be exempt, as we understand that not all of our customers will be able to adopt E-Billing or SMS Billing.Residential customers who are elderly, or live alone, and do not have access to electronic devices, or are unable to use them, can reach out to us so we can make arrangements to keep having their bills mailed to them. We will require evidence of these claims, which we will make all reasonable efforts to facilitate. This exemption will also apply to our maritime customers living in regions with network issues who will need to have a physical statement for payment.”
As an added incentive, WAF is giving 50 customers the chance to win a prize of $100 if they register before the deadline.
- To register, all you need to do is:
- Fill out the required sign up form, which is available on our website at https://waterauthority.com.fj/email-sms-billing-request…/ or at your nearest customer service centre.
- Attach a scanned copy of your Tax Identification Number (TIN) letter or FRCS joint ID Card with a scanned copy of your ID (either Drivers License, Passport or Voter registration card).
- Submit the completed form online through contact@waf.com.fj or drop it at the available drop bins at the nearest customer service centre.
- If you are not the account holder, please provide the account holder’s consent with the completed form and identification card copy.
