The City of Great Falls is continuing to work on upgrading software for its Utility Department, and on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, shared the following update:
As the Utility Department is progressing through a recent software conversion, we wanted to share some helpful information concerning bills and payments for Utility Accounts.
• There will be no delinquent charges until all payment systems are fully operable.
• Your utility bill may arrive 3-5 days later than normal and may look different than you are used to.
• There may be a small delay in the processing of payments.
Although our online payment system and phone payment system are unavailable until our conversion is complete, there are many other convenient ways to pay your bill in the interim.
• You can pay your bill through USPS mail.
• If available to you, you may utilize your banks online bill pay.
• There is a drop box located on the South side of the Civic Center marked for utility payments. Envelopes are provided.
• You can visit the Civic Center in Room 104 to pay in person during normal business hours.
Please contact Utilities Customer Service at 406-727-7660 with any questions.
In mid-May, the City of Great Falls released the following information:
The City of Great Falls Utilities Department is changing to a new utility billing software called New World. During the software conversion from May 22 - June 3, 2024, staff will not be able to view information or process any transactions until the new system is up and running. In order for data to convert over to the new system, the current system must be shutdown. The implementation date for New World is June 3, 2024, barring any unforeseen technical issues.
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Even though the monthly billing statements will look the same, ACCOUNT NUMBERS will be changing. The first 6 digits will remain the same, but the numbers after the dash will be dropped and replaced with a 3 digit number. (Example 123456-123) Customers will need to replace old account numbers with new account numbers for all payments. Failure to update account numbers will result in payment posting delays and may lead to misapplied payments. The June billing statements will reflect the new account numbers.
Online payments and payments made over the phone are processed through a third party vendor called Paymentus. Online payments and payments made over the phone before 11:59 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 will be applied in the current system. Online payments and phone payments will be disabled after May 21, 2024 and will most likely be down for about 30 days while Paymentus is integrated with New World.
All payments received after Tuesday, May 21, 2024 will be held and manually entered into the new system beginning Monday, June 3, 2024. This includes cash, checks, and billpay payments. Since the account numbers on these held payments will reflect the current account number and not the new account number, there will be posting delays. The June billing statements may not reflect all payments made by customers due to the anticipated payment posting delays.
If a customer calls to inquire about a payment being received during this time, staff will not be able to confirm receipt of the payment. In addition, there will be delays in generating and processing paperwork during the transition. Staff will not be able to complete address changes, transfers of ownership, or look up account balances or consumption trends.
Since staff will be training on the new system, it might be difficult to reach a representative. Utilities staff will be checking voicemails and returning calls but will not be able to view or process any transctions until the new system is available on June 3, 2024.
The public’s patience during the deployment of the new utility billing software is appreciated. The Utilities Department is working diligently to make the transition as seamless as possible for customers.
Please contact Utilities Customer Service at 406-727-7660 with any questions.
