How to stay on top of utility bills

6 minutes read | Posted on: Mar 23, 2023

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By: Smaya Anand

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It’s already a burden to have to pay rent and utility bills each and every month, so there’s no reason why you should have to spend extra energy on stressing about all your options regarding them! We’ll try to answer all your bill-paying questions in this blog, which discusses your credit score, late fees, and even how you might pay bills in installments [i.e. pay in 2 or pay in 4 for bills].

Can I pay utility bills in installments?

Yes, you can pay utility bills in installments. Part of the growing trend of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment plans, Pay-in-Installment programs allow users to split the bills in four payments, paid in intervals of a couple weeks. If you make each installment plan payment on time, in most cases, you will pay no interest. You'll get whatever you order or buy as fast as you would by paying the balance immediately. Instead of having to pay for something all at once, you can spread out the financial pain over several (usually four) payments. One company that offers these services is NeonForLife.

How does Neon help with utility bills?

As mentioned, Neon can help customers split the financial burden of their bills with Pay-in-4. But Neon also makes the process of paying utility bills much more convenient because all bills are centralized on one platform, and can be put on Autopay so that you spend less time paying bills. You’ll have much less to worry about if you let Neon take care of your utility bills.

What utility bills does Neon cover?

The most common bills that we pay are utility bills like electricity, gas, water and other bills like rent, HOA, insurance, parking, home security, internet, and wireless. Almost any bill can be paid by us, if all information required for these bill payments is mentioned. This includes the payment details, bill amount, and due date.

How might late fees on utility bills affect me?

While late fees may not seem to change the amount that you owe that much, they can add up very quickly, forcing you into possible hardship. And once you miss one payment, others can snowball, creating a large problem. Make sure to remember that each utility and provider has a different policy when it comes to late fees. Amounts vary, and so does willingness to forgive late payments.

How do utility bills affect my credit score?

Unfortunately, the FICO score (which is the major credit score used by most merchants) cannot be positively affected by your utility bills. Even if you always pay on time, your credit score won’t increase. However, your credit score can be negatively impacted if you pay your utilities late, because your provider may send your account to a collection agency, which will most likely send your information to a credit bureau. Also, paying your utility bills late will result in late fees, which may make it more difficult for you to pay other bills on time, and that will further decrease your credit score.

Can I increase my credit score if I pay my bills on time?

Your credit score may increase if you pay bills on time, but that only applies to certain bills. As mentioned earlier, utility bills will not affect your FICO credit score, unless it’s negatively. However, if you pay installment loans or revolving credit on time, that will be reported to credit bureaus. Installment loans are any kind of loan where you have borrowed money and you’re paying it back on a monthly basis. This includes student loans, mortgages, and personal loans. Revolving credit is any agreement that permits you to repeatedly borrow money which you repay monthly, although it typically just refers to credit cards.

How does T-Mobile bill pay work?

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Make sure you understand T-Mobile’s billing cycle– though you pay monthly, your first payment will be due twenty days, not a month, after you sign up. This payment will cover the twenty days that have already passed and the remaining days in the month. After your first payment, each payment will be one month apart.

To make a payment:

  1. Open the T-Mobile app
  2. Select the “Bill” tab at the bottom of the screen
  3. Select “Make a Payment” and choose the amount
  4. Enter your payment information. This can be a credit card number or bank account information.
  5. Under “Date”, choose a date for the payment to process.
  6. Once you’re satisfied, select “Agree and submit”.

If you would rather not go through all of that every single month, you can also put your T-Mobile bills on Autopay. To do that:

  1. Open the T-Mobile app.
  2. Select the “Bill” tab at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Select “More payment options”.
  4. Select the “Autopay off” section.
  5. Enter a payment method (card or bank account).
  6. Once you’re sure your information is correct, select “Agree and submit”

Are there any apps that help me manage my utility bills?

NeonForLife is a great app to help lower, manage, and overall bring more convenience to your bill paying. It consolidates all of your bills on one platform and lets you split them into installments, using its own thorough credit decisioning process to help you qualify for its $2,000 credit line. This is super helpful for those with thin credit files, no credit, or bad credit. It’s also very useful because with its Autopay feature, it can pay your bills for you.

What is “Lower My Bills”, and is it legit?

Lower My Bills is a platform that can help you reduce your mortgage, credit card, insurance, loan, and home services bills. It allows users to compare different providers of these services in order to determine the lowest-priced, most convenient option. It has high consumer ratings, with 4.5 stars on Consumer Affairs and 3.7 on TrustPilot.

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