Melita would like to assure John Guillaumier (June 11) and also all its customers that the invoices that it issues are always available for free in electronic format.

Guillaumier has taken exception to a fee, which has still to be applied, for subscribers who decide to receive printed bills mailed to their address of choice. This is not a change in terms and conditions and affected customers had been informed of this development on signing up to the terms and conditions of their contract.

In addition to all efforts undertaken over the past years to promote free electronic billing, Melita has also defined the current calendar year as an additional transition period by applying a discounted charge that covers the direct cost of mail, now standing at 31c.

As customers would surely understand, Melita has no control over third party charges, such as postage and bank transaction fees, to mention a few. Postage charges and the costs associated with processing, producing and delivering bills to customers have spiralled upwards over the last few years.

Melita is always focused on giving more value to its customers. Over the last few months, Melita has given free access to its customers to two new services, namely, TV Everywhere (TV for smartphones and tablets) as well as melitaWIFI (high speed next generation Wi-Fi).

Applying a charge for printed and mailed bills has been an industry norm in Europe and the US for many years across several industries including banking, telecoms and aviation, to mention a few.

A similar tariff, albeit at a higher charge, is also exercised by other telecoms operators in Malta.

Customers are encouraged to visit http://my.melita.com to subscribe to free electronic billing.