Make council tax less taxing – Residents encouraged to receive their council tax bill by email

Shropshire Council are reminding households across the county that they can get their council tax bill emailed directly to them instead of receiving a paper copy through the post.

The council e-billing’s service which has been running for the last 12 months offers a more efficient, faster and convenient way to receive and check your council tax bill.

What are the benefits of e-billing?

• It’s free to use
• Your bill is issued direct to you and is not delayed by post
• You can view your bill on your computer, laptop or mobile device as soon as it is available and keep a copy on file so you always know where it is
• You still have the choice to download and print your bill in PDF (Adobe) format if you ever need to. You will need an Acrobat reader which you can download for free at the Adobe website
• You can redistribute copies of your bill quickly and electronically
• It helps the council to reduce our printing, sorting and postage costs, therefore saving money
• It saves paper, so it’s better for the environment
• Each person named on the bill can receive their own copy.

Councillor Mike Owen, Cabinet Member for Resource, Finance and Support said:

“Shropshire Council’s e-billing service fits in with the way many people are already doing their banking and paying their bills. Many people receive bills and correspondence from utility companies and other service providers electronically so it makes total sense for the council to do the same.

“We want to make paying Council Tax bills as hassle-free as possible and we hope lots of residents will take the opportunity to benefit from the advantages receiving an e-bill has to offer.

“This would be more convenient for you, and if most residents received their bills by email, rather than in the post, we estimate that it would save thousands of pounds each year. For every 3,000 people who sign up to e-billing, up to £1,500 can be saved on postage costs alone. When the costs of printing and paper are added to that, it begins to mount up. This would be a really significant saving.” 

What happens next?

• Your future Council Tax bills will be sent in PDF format to your email address until you tell us to stop
• Our email will include a link to the latest booklet which contains explanatory notes on how your Council Tax is spent, support to help you pay your bill, and much more.

If there are two or more people named on your latest council tax bill then you can either get their authorisation to have the bill emailed to your chosen email address, or they can request a separate e-bill to be emailed to their email address. They will need to register for e-billing separately to do this. If neither of these options are taken, we are required to post a separate paper bill, alongside an e-bill, to your address.

All you need to sign up, is your Council Tax Account Reference – this can be found on your last council tax bill. To sign up visit www.shropshire.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-paperless-billing/, before 20 February, click on the link, and then enter your council tax reference and your personal details.

For more information about our e-billing service, contact Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9002 or by email council.tax@shropshire.gov.uk.