MLGW customers can now opt to receive online bills as part of the utility's new My Account services. The service is free to all MLGW customers. Customers who enroll in eBilling, an optional paperless billing service that issues email notification rather than mailing a printed bill, can also make electronic payments directly from a checking or savings account without added fees. Payments can be manually issued each month, or customers can select the recurring payment option that drafts the bank account each month on the bill's due date. In addition to these electronic payment options, eBilling customers may use any of MLGW's existing payment methods.

Enhancements to the My Account service include the ability to view up to 12 months of previous utility bills and bill payment history, plus options to receive reminder notification up to 10 days before the bill is due. Residential customers also have access to the My Account Dashboard, a feature launched in August to provide energy management information to help users understand and control utility costs. These features are part of MLGW's enhanced web-based customer services for households, businesses and organizations who prefer to contact MLGW via the Internet.

"We are trying to be more flexible with our customers by giving them more payment options," said Ira Carbage, Manager of Payroll, Cashiers and Banking for MLGW. "What we're about now is improving customer relations. This new online billing service is another way for customers to interact with us. It is something our customers have asked for and we are pleased to present it to them."

To access these features, customers must click on the My Account link located at www.mlgw.com and follow the instructions for creating a personal user ID and password. Customers must have their 16-digit MLGW account number and the 6-digit My Account Access Code, which is printed in the blue shaded area on the front page of MLGW bills. Customers make selections regarding eBilling, reminder notices and other options during enrollment, or later by accessing the My User Profile link within the application. The registration takes about three minutes to complete. Customers who had previously accessed in MLGW's My Account Dashboard must re-enroll, as usernames and passwords created prior to 10/31/07 were deactivated when electronic billing was introduced this week.

Since electronic billing went online Wednesday, more than 1,200 MLGW customers have signed up to take advantage of this new benefit.

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County. A 2007 survey of large metropolitan areas showed that MLGW has the sixth lowest combined rates in the nation.