Traditional vs. Paperless: Which billing option works best for you?

Is it time for you to shift to paperless billing? Or should you stick to receiving traditional statements?

Nowadays, a few clicks on your computer or taps on your mobile phone can be all you need to accomplish essential tasks like managing bank funds or buying groceries.

With Visayan Electric’s latest supplemental service called eBillTxt, you can even receive your monthly utility bills via text message—cutting your usual waiting time for the bill to arrive and saving paper in the process.

READ MORE: Visayan Electric bills now accessible via text

Some find these digital options more convenient and time-efficient, but there are still people who prefer the traditional way of receiving bills. If you’re unsure which one to pick, here’s a list of the pros and cons for both. 

Traditional billing

In the traditional way of receiving monthly utility bills, all you need is a mailing address. You won’t have to worry about accessing an electronic device and knowing how to operate one, which might take time to understand if you’re not tech-savvy. Why struggle to learn an e-billing system or create an online account if you can have your printed statements delivered to your doorstep instead, right?

It takes time for physical copies of your utility bills to arrive at your home, which can leave you scrambling to meet the due date to avoid penalties. | Register to eBillTxt

Some people may also opt for traditional billing because they have other uses for their bills’ physical copies, such as presenting them as proof of address for bank transactions. However, eco-conscious consumers may not favor traditional billing because printed statements contribute to the demand for paper production and the global paper waste problem. Manufacturing paper requires cutting down trees and using up resources while disposing of printed bills may involve dumping them in landfills or burning them at home. 

Take note that it also takes time for physical copies of your utility bills to arrive at your home, which can leave you scrambling to meet the due date to avoid penalties. 

Electronic billing

Do you often experience lost or delayed mail? Do you live in buildings where the mail tends to get mixed up? Do you and the people you live with frequently travel or leave home to work, so no one can monitor if the mailman has already dropped by? 

These occurrences can often lead you to pay your utility bills late, which subjects you to penalties and additional fees. Choosing paperless billing may help you avoid these since you can receive your bills as soon as they are ready—no matter where you are. For Visayan Electric consumers, all you need is a mobile phone to get a copy of your balance, due date, and a link to the bill in a Portable Document Format (PDF) file via SMS.

READ MORE: Do you wish to receive your Visayan Electric bills via text?

Aside from the potential late fees it may cause, lost mail is also a security concern because it might compromise your personal information stated on the printed bill. This situation can lead to fraud and identity theft, which electronic billing can help you avoid through encrypted files. Visayan Electric’s eBillTxt protects your data by locking your bill’s PDF file behind a password and making it accessible only to the registered user or account owner. 

Choosing paperless allows you to receive your bills as soon as they are ready—no matter where you are. | Contact Visayan Electric

Do remember that there’s still a chance of electronic bills getting buried in your email or text inbox, especially if you have too many messages coming from other sources as well. They may also get filtered into your spam or junk folder, so you might need to check your electronic mail regularly to avoid missing your bills.

If weighing these pros and cons makes you think that paperless billing works best for you, here are three easy ways to register an account with Visayan Electric’s eBillTxt.

How to enroll to eBillTxt

If you prefer to receive your monthly electric bills via phone, choose among these easy options to register your account:

1. Fill in the form through https://forms.gle/UAej3qdSvdRZEsqM9
2. E-mail info@visayanelectric.com to request a form.
3. Scan the QR code below: 

Scan the QR code to register to the eBillTxt service.

You can also learn more or inquire about the eBillTxt service through the Visayan Electric hotline (032) 230-8326 or by sending a message to the utility’s Facebook page. Customers may also visit the different Visayan Electric service centers to enroll their account in the new text service feature.