Deciding bill frequency for the customer now ?!

[Lester]

..

Anyone else on quarterly bills get this email ??

Not one to gripe often, but this one really gets me, sorry AGL.

Email received this morning as my quarterly billing period sets to roll over is a few days.

We're moving you to monthly billing.

We're always looking for ways to help you keep on top of your energy usage. So, to provide you with simpler, more streamlined billing, you'll soon be receiving your electricity bill monthly instead of quarterly.

Benefits of monthly billing

Receiving monthly bills may make budgeting easier as you'll receive smaller bills, more regularly. An added bonus is that you can even choose which day of the month you'd like to receive your bill. 

Important information

It's important to note the late payment fee of $12 that currently applies on quarterly billing, will continue to apply on monthly billing. To find out more, check out the terms and conditions of your account.

What happens next

If you're happy to give monthly billing a go, there's nothing you need to do. Your last quarterly bill is on its way and after that, you'll receive your bills monthly.

If monthly billing isn't right for you

If you'd prefer to remain on quarterly billing, you can cancel monthly billing at any time. Simply log in to My Account (or register if you haven't logged in before) or download the AGL app to update your billing frequency to quarterly. If you need a hand, just give us a call.

So now I have to opt out . . . would rather have had an email saying if I'd like to opt IN to monthly billing, here're the advantages as WE see them.

So after 42 years with AGL, 39 of them now at our first home and still current address, and only ever missing a quarterly bill 2 or maybe 3 times over that, when a bill either wasn't received, or once I think I paid into my workshop account accidentally, AGL thinks I need simplified monthly payments.

Great for AGLs cashflow I guess.

I like paying 4 bills a year, not 12.

The ONLY reason I would possibly in any form like monthly billing is it will be a lot easier to do a power billing spreadsheet I'm working on.

It would allow for a mere maximum of 4464 lines of up to 31 days of 1/2 hourly data, instead of up to 13392 lines, but once I get time to work out the formulas and layout that work, it will be able to be done fairly quickly.

Anyway, opted quarterly again, and as a note, I had to click cancel monthly billing twice for it to register.

AGL please don't change things you aren't asked to, suggest, but leave it up to the customer.

[David_AGL]

Hi @Lester ,

Yes, as an AGL customer myself, I received the same email and like you, also opted back into quarterly billing. I certainly hear you on the frustration of the action being take automatically rather than on an opt-in basis. Thanks for sharing your feedback - I'll pass it along.

[Manuela]

Thank you both for your advice and comments . I see the change to monthly as a way for AGL to encourage direct debits - or what I call ‘set and forget’. 

[Lester]

Yes, many are very complacent with bills, and direct debit would be easier for many with monthly billing.

Cashflow advantages would also be great for a retailer getting payments so much more frequently too, but you can't blame a business for wanting that benefit.

Will keep paying mine on receiving my bill each quarter, until perhaps one day monthly billing is just required.

Not sure how prevalent it is, but I saw a lot of retailers on the energy made easy site that only had monthly options, and lower rates only where there was direct debit payment.