How do I print utility bills?

Period End Checklist

This is part of the Period End Checklist. At the appropriate time, print the utility bills. The statement that summarizes billed amounts for services, such as light, power, or water, is a utility bill.

Step 1: Print Utility Bills

Set up the report properties to print utility bills.

Do this...

1. Open Connect Utility Management > Reports > Utility Bills.

2. Select a report title.

3. Fill in the options on the report.

Use the sections in this help topic to fill in each field. The fields are listed in alphabetical order.

4. Load the paper for printing utility bills in the printer.

5. Click Print (CTRL+P).

The utility bills print.

Step 2: Correct and reprint incorrect bills

From time to time, a utility bill may get jammed in your printer. It may also print with incorrect information. If a utility bill did not print correctly, you may need to reprint it. Follow these instructions to reprint a utility bill.

Do this...

1. Open Connect Utility Management > Reports > Utility Bills.

2. Set up the utility bill options.

Use the same options as you used to print the original utility bill.

3. Was there a paper jam?

Yes, there was a paper jam. Go to the Forms tab to enter the check number of the check, or checks, that jammed in the printer in the Restart field. Doing this will only reprint the checks that were lost in the paper jam.
No, the utility bill has an error on it. Make sure the error is corrected in the customer's file before you try to reprint the check. Then, use the Selection Criteria on the Report Options tab to select the customer number.

4. Click Print (CTRL+P).

The utility bills are re-printed.

Options

Check minimum amount against

A minimum amount is the amount from the Delinquent Minimum Balance field on the Organization > Organization tab. The routine compares the Minimum Amount to the Delinquent Balance. If the Minimum Amount is greater than the Delinquent Balance, Prior Account Balance, or Current Account Balance, then account is delinquent.

A delinquent balance is an amount that is past due.
A prior account balance is the account balance from the previous month. For example, if the current month is May then the prior account balance is the balance from the month of April.
A current account balance is the account balance from the present month.

Use Check Each Service Balance to define which amounts to include in the delinquent balance. This is an example of total delinquent account balance: If an account has a $100 credit on water, and a $75 debit on sewer, then the account is not delinquent because the system looks at the total account balance ($100 - $75 = $25).

This is an example of total delinquent service balance: If an account has a $100 credit on water, and a $75 debit on sewer, then the account is delinquent because the program looks at the balance for the sewer service.

What do you want to use to compare against the minimum amount?

Use the delinquent balance. Click to select Delinquent Balance. Do you want to use the total delinquent account balance or the total delinquent service balance? To use the total delinquent account balance, deselect the Check Each Service Balance checkbox. To use the total delinquent service balance, click to select the Check Each Service Balance.
Use the prior account balance. Click to select Prior Account Balance.
Use the current account balance. Click to select Current Account Balance.

Credit balance customers

A credit balance occurs when an account is overpaid.

Disconnected customers

A disconnected customer is an active customer with utility services that have been shut off.

Due date

The due date is the date when payment is owed.

Do you want to use the default date as the due date?

Yes, I want to use the default date as the due date. Continue to the next step.
No, I want to use a different date as the due date. Click Advanced Options to change variable the system is using to set the due date. If you would like to select a different day, because the due date falls on a weekend for example, select the Calendar Date option. Then, you can click the Calendar button to choose a different date.

Exclude customers who have made payments since

When a customer makes a payment before the payment due date, the payment is on time. The customer account is in good standing. On the other hand, when a customer does not make a payment before the number of delinquent periods has elapsed, the customer account is a delinquent.

When a customer with a delinquent account makes a payment before the date in the Exclude Customers Who Have Made Payments Since field, the customer will not be included on the report.

Do you want to exclude customers that have made a payment on a delinquent account by the given date?

Yes, exclude customers that have made payments. Use the Exclude Customers Who Have Made Payments Since field to enter a MM/DD/YYYY.
No, do not exclude customers that have made payments. Delete the date from the Exclude Customers Who Have Made Payments Since field. The field should be blank.

Forms

A form is a document that has been set up to print information, such as text, titles, or variables.

Do you want to use the current form?

Yes, I want to use the current form. Continue to the next step.
No, I want to use a different form. Click on the Forms tab > Form Options subtab. Then, select a different form name from the Form drop-down list.

Include

Use Include to choose which customer types to include in the report. A customer type is a label that defines the behavior for a customer group. Select the corresponding checkbox to include the customer type.

Include equal pay customers

Equal pay is a payment option that averages power usage from the last twelve months and divides it into equal monthly payments. An equal pay customer pays an equal amount regardless of the portion of utilities used in the current period. Use this option to include equal pay customers with delinquent amounts.

Do you want to print the report for equal pay customers?

Yes, print the report for equal pay customers. Click to select Include Equal Pay Customers. Now, fill in the date range and the number of payments that should be submitted during the date range.
No, do not print the report for equal pay customers. Click to deselect Include Equal Pay Customers.

Include standard payment customers

A standard payment customer is a customer that pays for the portion of utilities used in the current month in the following month.

Do you want to print the report for standard payment customers?

Yes, print the report for standard payment customers. Click to select Include Standard Payment Customers.
No, do not print the report for the standard payment customers. Click to deselect Include Standard Payment Customers.

Mailing date

The mailing date is the date the statement will be sent.

Do you want to use the current date as the mailing date?

Yes, I want to use the current date as the mailing date. The current date is the default mailing date. Continue to the next step.
No, I want to use a different date as the mailing date. Select a different MM/DD/YYYY from the Mailing Date drop-down list, or click Advanced Options.

Periods delinquent

A period is the completion of a cycle. The periods delinquent is the number of periods that have elapsed since the last payment was received. The default setting is stored in the Delinquent Periods field on the Organization > Dates tab > District subtab.

Do you want to use the default setting to determine which customers to include on the report?

Yes, use the default delinquent periods. Click to select Use District Default.
No, let me set the number of delinquent periods. Click to deselect Use District Default. Then, enter the number of periods in the Periods Delinquent field.

Print copy for cosigners with cosigner name/address

A cosigner shares joint responsibility for an account. Use Print Copy for Cosigners with Cosigner Name and Address to send a copy of the bill to the cosigner that is listed on the account.

What do you want to do?

Yes, send a copy of the notice to the cosigner. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to select Print Copy for Cosigners with Cosigner Name and Address.
No, do not send a copy of the notice to the cosigner. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to deselect Print Copy for Cosigners with Cosigner Name and Address.

Print copy for customer accounts

Use Print Copy for Customer Accounts to send a copy of the bill to the customer's mailing address.

What do you want to do?

Yes, send a copy of the notice to the cosigner. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to select Print Copy for Customer Accounts.
No, do not send a copy of the notice to the cosigner. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to deselect Print Copy for Customer Accounts.

Print copy for landlords with landlord name/address

A landlord is the owner of property that is leased or rented to another. Use Print Copy for Landlords with Landlord Name and Address to send a copy of the bill to the landlord that owns the property.

What do you want to do?

Yes, send a copy of the notice to the landlord. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to select Print Copy for Landlords with Landlord Name and Address.
No, do not send a copy of the notice to the landlord. On the Additional Report Options tab, click to deselect Print Copy for Landlords with Landlord Name and Address.

Print final billed customers only

A final billing is the name given to transactions that record the last, or final, billing. Use Print Final Billed Customers Only to print a bill that is limited to customer accounts that have been terminated by recording a final billed amount.

What do you want to do?

I want to print a bill for customers with final bills. On the Report Options tab, click to select Print Final Billed Customers Only.
I do not want to print a bill for customers with final bills. On the Report Options tab, click to deselect Print Final Billed Customers Only.

Report dates

Report Date is the report date range.

Do you want to use the current date as the report date range?

Yes, I want to use the current date. Continue to the next step.
No, I want to use a different date range. Change the Report Date, or click Advanced Options.

Service dates

Normally, the Service Date will default the beginning and ending dates for the current service period. You can use the drop-down list to select a different date.

Shutoff date

The shutoff date is the date when service will be shut off if payment is not received.

Do you want to use the following month end as the shutoff date?

Yes, I want to use the following month end as the due date. Continue to the next step.
No, I want to use a different date as the shutoff date. Click Advanced Options to change variable the system is using to set the due date. If you would like to select a different day, because the due date falls on a weekend for example, select the Calendar Date option. Then, you can click the Calendar button to choose a different date.

Update customer's credit rating

A credit rating evaluates the credit worthiness of an issuer of specific types of debit. In the case of Caselle, the credit rating is a rating that is assigned by the organization to evaluate a customer's credit worthiness.

You can use this option to update a customer's credit rating when the customer is included on the Shutoff List/Notices.

Do you want to add a shutoff comment to the customer's file?

Yes, add a comment to the customer's credit rating. Click to select Update Customer's Credit Rating.
No, do not add a comment to the customer's credit rating. Click to deselect Update Customer's Credit Rating.

Zero-balance active customers

Use Zero-balance Active Customers to include a customer when the customer does not have an activation or termination date, has an activation date that occurs after the current date, or has a termination date that occurs before the current date, AND the account does not have a positive or negative balance.