MILTON, Del. — The Milton Town Council unanimously accepted an advisory report outlining a plan to offer residents a one-time $2.50 credit on their water bills for switching to e-billing but opted not to advance the incentive at this time. Town Manager Kristy Rogers presented the report at the council’s Feb. 3 meeting. The report, requested in September, examined ways to increase e-billing participation to reduce administrative costs. Milton processes about 7,300 water bills annually at a cost of $24,000. Paper bills cost an estimated $3.34 each in supplies and staff time, while manual payment processing adds $5,800 annually. In the fourth quarter of 2024, mailing and processing 1,872 paper bills cost $7,700, compared to $804 for 335 electronic bills. To boost e-billing enrollment, the report recommended a one-time $2.50 incentive. Mayor John Collier said the initiative aligns with the town’s broader efforts to modernize communication, including a website update and mobile app launch. “This is an attempt to urge our residents to connect more to us electronically,” Collier said. “Maybe this will help segue people into using the app so they’re better informed.” Rogers acknowledged the transition would take time but emphasized the efficiency benefits. “What really is the time saver is the online payment portal,” she said. Despite accepting the report, the council opted to continue encouraging e-billing without offering the proposed incentive.