Municipal gas and water customers are already familiarizing themselves with the city’s new utility bills, and soon will have a new option in paying them.

An online method should be available through the city’s Web site, www.vicksburg.org, by October, said Billy Gordon of the Information Services Department. Account information – payments, balances, due dates – should be available for viewing on the site by the end of next week.

&#8220We’re going to let that go a while to make sure that’s all up and running” before allowing online payments in six to eight weeks, Gordon said.

Customers may also be able to soon request bills through e-mail.

Vicksburg operates natural gas, water and sewer businesses and collects for them as well as the fee for contracted residential garbage collection on monthly bills. There are about 10,000 gas-meter connections.

The new paper bills sent out this week are aesthetically different (blue ink instead of black, and a few rearranged boxes), include late fees and are accompanied by changes in cutoff fees and dates, said Gas & Water Department Director Tammye Christmas.

Previously, bills included the metered charge and cut-off date, but did not include the fee for missing the date. Instead, a notice was sent to customers who had yet to pay after 10 days. The new system will list a balance and the past-due fee on the first notice while eliminating the second billing, Christmas said. Due dates will also be pushed back to 15 days from the mailing date, rather than 10. Orders to disconnect service are made 22 days after a bill is mailed if still unpaid.

&#8220It will save a third on postage alone,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman at the meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday, when changes were approved.

Corresponding to the Gas and Water Department’s expanded office hours, the fee to reconnect after nonpayment was also revised to a flat $20. A sliding scale of $8 to $24 based on what time of day a bill was paid had been in place. Single turn-ons before 1 p.m., when employees pick up work orders for the afternoon, cost $8, and $16 after 1 p.m. For two turn-ons, the price was $12 before 1 p.m. and $24 after.

&#8220It makes it one flat fee,” said Strategic Planner Paul Rogers, who drafted the ordinance amendment for the changes. &#8220It simplifies things and goes in line with the new billing program.”

Beginning next week, customers can obtain a password and number from the city to check their accounts online and will be able to pay via the Web once a deal is worked out and approved by the board with an outside company to accept credit card payments.

Gordon said the Web site topped 60,000 hits in May and 65,000 in June.

&#8220I’m curious to see how many people use this,” he said.

The city projects total revenue from metered sales of natural gas since October 2005 to top $8.7 million, water sales of more than $3.9 million, sewer sales upward of $3.3 million and more than $1.4 million for sanitation.

Last year, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 2-1 to raise gas prices by 25 percent, water by 15 percent, sewer by 5 percent and garbage collection by $2.10 per month.

There have been almost monthly changes in gas rates since, responding the market prices. Most have been upward.

Currently, a customer using 20 ccf of natural gas will pay $35.81, which is nearly double the cost in April 2005.