Recently, several Hartselle Utilities customers have reported receiving phone calls from someone falsely claiming to be a representative of Hartselle Utilities, demanding payment for past-due utility bills. The caller reportedly asked the customers, in one case a business with a home office in another city, to purchase a ‘Green Dot’ money card to pay their bill immediately in order to keep utilities from being disconnected, says Customer Service Manager Terri Harris.
“This is not how we handle delinquent accounts,” Harris says. “We make a reminder call 24 hours before utilities are disconnected,” she explains, “but we never call people after hours for disconnect notices, nor will we solicit payment or financial information over the phone from within our office.”
Hartselle Utilities does offer payment online and over the phone through a toll-free number. “If you are ever in doubt as to whether a call is actually from Hartselle Utilities,” Harris suggests, “hang up and call us at 773-3340. We can provide you with the toll-free number that you can call to pay your bill.”