STARKVILLE — Starkville Utilities customers may need to enroll in a new payment portal to pay their next bill, depending on their payment method.
Starkville Utilities General Manager Edward Kemp said the utility provider has been working to convert to a new software system for more than a year, after a contract with the previous software vendor ran out. The new system comes with a new customer portal, SmartHub.
“We’re rolling out this new SmartHub, which is the customer portal of that overall software package,” Kemp said. “We’re really excited about it. It does offer a lot more features and options for our customers, and also, that is going to grow over time as we open up new features.”
The SmartHub system will allow customers to pay bills, get account notifications, enroll in autopay, compare daily, monthly and yearly utility usage and costs, to get more insight into how they can improve their efficiency, according to a Thursday press release. It can also be programmed to send texts, emails and automated phone calls to customers.
Kemp told The Dispatch that Starkville Utilities’ old online customer portal is no longer active. For those who previously went through that portal online or in the app to pay their bills by e-check, they will need to sign up for SmartHub. Customers will also need to enroll to continue getting the $2 paperless bill monthly credit to their account. Customers who previously paid by bank draft, he said, will convert over and do not need to re-enroll.
To initially enroll in SmartHub online, customers should use their previous account number and add 001 to the end. After that, they should be able to access their account through the SmartHub app on their preferred devices (including phones, tablets and computers), Kemp said.
Creating a SmartHub account takes less than three minutes, the release said.
According to the Starkville Utilities website, the service provider will also accept payment in a few other ways.
Customers can use the “Pay Now” option for one-time payments only by going to the site https://sud.smarthub.coop/ui/#/paynow. The link is also available through the Starkville Utilities website. Customers can also make payments over the phone by calling at (662) 323-3133.
There is a convenience fee associated with each payment with both of these methods.
Starkville Utilities also will continue to accept payments through a kiosk in its lobby at 200 Lafayette St. and through representatives in the building’s lobby/drive thru. Customers using the kiosk will also need to add 001 to the end of their account number for the account to pull up.
While re-enrolling may cause a small inconvenience, Kemp said he hopes the customers have a “seamless” transition, which will provide them with even more features in the long run.
“We’re really hoping that they can take advantage of this and really manage the utility portion of their life however they would like to,” Kemp said. “We’re excited about it. This is a very robust platform. And for us, as a utility company, it really affects every aspect of our organization and our operation.”
Kemp said customers’ next paper bills will also look more user-friendly. All customers will receive their next bill physically, to notify them of the change, he said.
Customers can register for SmartHub at https://sud.smarthub.coop/ or by visiting starkvilleutilities.com and clicking the SmartHub button.
Learn more at starkvilleutilities.com.
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