Moulton's Adds Utility Payment Service

By Tammy Daniels
02:56PM / Thursday, October 18, 2007

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Cathy Moulton behind the counter at Moulton's General Store.

NORTH ADAMS - Area residents now have two places downtown to pay their utility bills.

Moulton's General Store on Main Street is accepting payments for telephone bills and, in the next few days, expects to begin taking electric bill payments as well.

"It's about being a good community member," said owner Cathy Moulton. "We're doing this out of the kindness of our heart to help the community."

Nassif's Professional Pharmacy had accepted utility bills for years until dropping the service after Verizon began charging customers $1 to pay their bills there. The phone company had been absorbing that charge by the bill payment service. Customer complaints and a drop in the number of people using the service led the pharmacy to stop taking payments July 1.

Moulton said Western Union had approached her and her husband, Mark Moulton, about setting up an electronic payment service at the general store. After talking it over, they decided it was good for customers and good for the downtown.

"This is another reason for people to come to Main Street," Cathy Moulton said.

In addition, TD Banknorth is continuing to accept Berkshire Gas bills.

City Councilor Marie Harpin thought it was great news. "Now there are two places people can go right on Main Street to pay their utility bills," said Harpin, who also is head of Northern Berkshire Community Action. She wanted to make sure people knew the service was available again.

Western Union installed the payment machine three months ago but it only recently came online. Verizon, MCI and AT&T payments are being accepted now; technical issues have delayed adding National Grid but it should be online shortly.

There is a dollar fee still being charged by the phone companies to make an electronic payment. Once up and running, National Grid payments will be free.

Moulton said the dollar fee must be in cash and is nonrefundable - if a customer cancels the payment, he or she won't get their dollar back.

The dollar fee upset customers when it was instituted earlier this year but other options - paying by phone or writing a check and mailing - can also be costly. Moulton believes the convenience will be worth the price for many.

Cash or check can be used to pay the utility bill. Checks will be run through a scanning machine and voided on site; the account information will be electronically sent to the utility. Customers will get their voided checks back right at the counter. Moulton said the payments should post the next day.

The store is accepting payments Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 2 for now. Moulton is the only one trained to process the payments and she wants to make sure it operates smoothly before training her employees. She hopes to be able to accept payments weekdays and Saturdays soon.

People could once pay their utility bills at a range of venues - from banks to supermarkets. Harpin recalled how utilities used to have their offices on Main Street or close by. Now, many people are turning to the Internet, paying bills through online banking or directly to companies.

But not everybody - some people don't have access to computers or trust their finances on them. Others may be trying to avoid the delay of mailing a payment. Moulton hopes some of those people will benefit from the service, especially once National Grid is added.

That won't be soon enough for one disappointed customer, who was turned away Thursday morning. She was hoping to pay her electric bill before heading out of town. "But where else can I pay it?" she asked plaintively.

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