Save a Tree Today! Paying Your Consumers Energy Bill Online Means Benefits for the Environment

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Jul 23, 2010, 06:30 ET

JACKSON, Mich., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers Energy is encouraging customers to help the environment by choosing online billing. In addition to the any-time convenience of online billing – these customers can feel good about making a difference for the environment.

"Paper bills are made from trees. Paper makes up nearly 40 percent of the trash in the U.S. Getting more Consumers Energy customers to choose our easy-to-use online services means a net gain for the environment," said Tom O'Masta, executive manager of customer operations for Consumers Energy. "Online customers are green customers."

More than 450,000 Consumers Energy customers now use online billing to pay and receive their bill electronically. That number's grown by 16 percent in just the past year.

"Online billing is free, safe and secure. It saves each customer about $5 a year in postage," said O'Masta. Customers can pay their monthly bill online through an automatic withdrawal from their checking account or by using their MasterCard or Visa card in the new recurring card payments option. Customers also may pay as they go each month by scheduling payments through the pay over the net option.

"In addition to paying their bill online, customers can save time and money through a number of options always available on Consumers Energy's website," said O'Masta. These options include: Reporting a power outage; receiving a service restoration estimate following a power outage; selecting or changing their payment method; setting up payment arrangements; reporting a payment or meter read; starting, transferring or stopping an electric or natural gas service; checking electric or gas rates; or tracking home energy use.

Information on how to begin paying your bills online through eServices is available at: www.consumersenergy.com

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at www.consumersenergy.com

SOURCE Consumers Energy