Can I change the "due date" on my bill?
Will you take a post-dated check?
Do you ever publish your rates?
How does your direct bank payment program work?
Where in town can I pay my MDU bill?
Do you have special rates for senior citizens?
How many days do I have to pay my bill and what are the late fees?
Why can't MDU bill all my accounts on one bill so I can just write one check?
How is Balanced Billing calculated?
Why do I have to pay a balance when I leave Balanced Billing?
What is therm billing?
Can I change the "due date" on my bill?
No, your "Due Date" is based on a certain number of days from which a bill is generated which is determined by when your meter is read.
Will you take a post-dated check?
No. Post-dated checks are not considered legal tender.
Do you ever publish your rates?
Yes, at least once a year we include a bill insert that explains our various rates and how to use them in determining your bill. Also, our current rate schedules are always available for your information at our offices.
How does your direct bank payment program work?
Our "Easy Pay" Plan is available to residential customers whose account is current. After you have signed up for "Easy Pay," your monthly Montana-Dakota bill will be deducted from your bank account approximately 14 days after the bill is prepared. Just as in the past, you will receive your normal monthly bill statement so you know how much has been deducted. Please call your local Montana-Dakota telephone number for details on "Easy Pay."
Where in town can I pay my MDU bill?
Many of our towns have payment drop boxes or we have a payment arrangement with a local merchant. Please call your local Montana-Dakota telephone number to find out if you can pay your bill in your town.
Do you have special rates for senior citizens?
No, we do not have special rates for senior citizens because the difference would have to be made up by our non-senior customers. However, if you are having difficulty paying your bill, please call us so we can work out a payment arrangement with you.
How many days do I have to pay my bill and what are the late fees?
You have 21 days from the date the bill was rendered to pay your bill without being assessed a late fee. Late fees are 1 percent per month on the unpaid balance.
Why can't MDU bill all my accounts on one bill so I can just write one check?
Unfortunately, our current billing system cannot handle multiple accounts for a single customer. However, we are working on a new system that can handle multiple accounts billed within a five-day period.
How is Balanced Billing calculated?
Balance Billing is our average or levelized billing plan for residential customers whose accounts are current. We simply add your previous 11 months electric and/or natural gas consumption to that of your current billing period, multiply times the appropriate rate and divide by 12. This procedure is sometimes called a "running average." With Balanced Billing, wide swings in your monthly energy bills are held to a minimum allowing you to more effectively budget your monthly bills.
Why do I have to pay a balance when I leave Balanced Billing?
In order to keep your account current, we require you to pay any balance due resulting from Balanced Billing when you leave the program. Likewise, if you have a credit balance, we will refund it to you upon your request.
What is therm billing?
Therm billing is a method of more fairly charging you for the natural gas you purchase from us by billing you for the energy content of natural gas. Being a gas, natural gas expands in volume depending on the elevation of your residence or business. Also, our gas comes from many different fields and therefore can vary in its energy content. By recognizing these two variables and converting them to British thermal unit content of the gas you receive, you pay for usable energy not volume.
