DENISON MUNICIPAL UTILITIES BUDGET BILLING
About Budget Billing
Budget Billing is not a discount program; it offers no savings or lower rates. The total annual cost for all your utilities remains the same, but customers have the convenience of a more predictable bill each month. Participation in the program is free and offered to all residential customers or other customers with average electric consumption of 3,000 kWh per month.
How Budget Billing is Calculated
If customers have an established usage history, the cost of all utilities used the previous 12 months is divided by 12. An average monthly cost is determined by multiplying that amount by a factor that takes into account projected utility rates.
A budget amount for customers who move into a home previously occupied by someone else is calculated based on the energy used by the previous occupant until the customer has established their own usage pattern.
Review of Budget Billing Amounts
Once enrolled, the Budget Billing Plan will be reviewed every March and September. Eligible residential customers also can choose a 12-month review. Depending on the selected review option, a budget bill amount may change up to two times a year.
During the review process, we recalculate your average monthly cost, take projected utility costs into consideration and factor in your budget balance – the difference between the amount billed and the cost of utility services used.
Customers receive a message on their bill when the Budget Billing Plan is reviewed. If the budget bill amount is adjusted, the message indicates the budget billing amount has changed. You also can sign up to receive an email or text alert when your budget amount is going to change.
Occasionally changing your budget bill amount helps us ensure you do not have an unnecessarily large budget balance.
How to Enroll
Download, complete and return the budget billing form to the DMU Business Office. It is recommended the customer’s utility account be current at the time of enrollment.
If you Cancel Budget Billing or Close your Account
Your budget balance is the difference in the amount you were billed and your actual usage. When you cancel your Budget Billing Plan or close your Denison Municipal Utilities account, the budget balance is applied to your next or final bill. If you were billed more than you used, the budget balance is a credit and will reduce the amount due. If you close your utility account any remaining credit balance will be refunded to you. If you were billed less than you used, the full amount becomes due with the next bill.