There are many advantages to receiving an online electric bill. Not only does it arrive to the consumer faster than any other method, but it also eliminates the need to rely on various postal services to deliver it. In terms of security, this is also a significant step because an online server is normally much more secure than a sealed envelope. Besides, viewing an online electronic bill on a website also allows the consumer to access plenty of additional information like past usages and ways to reduce power consumption. Receiving an online electronic bill is also a responsible choice since it reduces the utility company's need for paper products.
One of the leading methods of identity fraud is for a criminal to confiscate the incoming mail of his victim. By seizing the family's utility bill, he has all the information he needs to contact the power company and pretend to be the homeowner. This would allow him to gain access to personal information that could be used to falsely acquire credit, and this type of fraud takes place almost every single day. If a consumer opts to receive his statements in the form of an online electric bill, this type of fraud is much more difficult since the utility company's servers are much more secure.
Besides, consumers have their power turned off all the time simply because their utility bill was lost or delayed in the mail. With an online electric bill, the consumer has it available on his computer only seconds after the billing department sends it. Even if the incoming email is unintentionally deleted, the records remain on the utility company's servers so that it can be accessed at any time. An online electric bill also benefits consumers that travel frequently because their bill can be accessed from any computer system in the world.
Most utility companies also reward consumers for choosing to go paper-free by providing several additional tools and incentives on their website. For example, in many areas an online electronic bill will show how the consumer's power was actually used, how it compared to last month's invoice, and ways to conserve energy around the home. Some utility websites also show comparisons of other structures within the user's area so that customers can compare their overall efficiency to the homes and businesses around them.
Another large aspect of receiving an online electric bill is to reduce the need of paper products. An estimated four billion trees are cut down each year to be used for various types of paper, which has numerous effects on greenhouse gasses, global warming, and damage to the ozone layer. Even those who do not care about the environment ultimately benefit from an online electronic bill because those additional costs are eventually passed down to each consumer. Most consumers would probably agree that saving money and the environment at the same time is a very easy decision to make.