New electricity bills to feature more information

Water and electricity bills are to start being sent in a new format, giving more detailed information on consumption and carbon footprint, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said this morning.

The new bills will be split on two pages with the actual bill on the first page and the detailed information on the second.

Although the new format bills were launched today, they will be formalised in April with feedback from customers expected in the meantime.

Dr Gatt said that a more efficient customer care service where people could query their bills was also being launched.

The methodology of payment was being changed and it was now being made possible to pay bills by credit card, cheque and through internet banking. A pre-paid system will be introduced in April. The bills will be using the latest billing technology which can be upgraded as time goes by.

The minister said the 45-day time window by which bills can be paid will be retained. If not paid within this period, six per cent interest per annum will be charged as from the first 15 days.

Reductions were being introduced for people who paid immediately. Payment is to be made to ARMS Ltd (Automated Revenue Management Services Ltd), a company co-owned by Enemalta and WSC. It will be issuing the bills.

An internet portal where customers would be able to check their consumption levels practically on an hourly basis, is being launched in April.

On the installation of smart meters, the minister said that a pilot project which saw the installation of 9,000 meters including in the whole of Senglea and Kirkop was being assessed till the end of this month.

A process introducing the meters in the rest of the country will start in March. This was estimated to take three years but the plan was to do it in two. This would make Malta the only EU country to have smart meters installed throughout the country.

On the interconnector between Malta and Sicily, Dr Gatt said the six bidders were administratively non-compliant and Enemalta was returning the tender document, resulting in a six-week delay.