Next month, the Starkville Electric Department hopes to unveil a more convenient way for customers to pay their bills.
Thanks to SED’s billing provider, Southeastern Data Corporation, the department plans to launch a smart phone application giving customers another option for paying bills and accessing basic account information.
The Starkville Board of Aldermen unanimously approved implementation of the application at last Tuesday’s meeting, after Terry Kemp, SED general manager, gave the board an update on the project.
While SED customers have been able to make bill payments online for some time, Kemp said the department has seen trends towards mobile access use throughout the utility industry, and this was an opportunity to give another option to customers.
He also added that with the fiber optic cable ring and advanced meter readers being installed throughout the city, SED customers could soon have access to up-to-the-minute utility usage.
But for right now, says Kemp, “We’re just in the process of getting the app set up with the various mobile devices so customers can take care of business.”
Much like the fiber optic ring, the new app is another building block for the SED and the city. As reported to The Dispatch in July, Kemp sees the city being able to adapt quickly to technological advancements.
“Once we install, it really puts us in a position to add on,” he said. “We look at this as a part of an ongoing process from a city standpoint to build a platform to really take advantage of new technology.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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