Calls for KC to scrap paper bills charge

PRESSURE is growing for Kingston Communications to scrap controversial plans to charge customers for receiving phone bills through the post.

As revealed in yesterday's Mail, the telecom firm, based in Carr Lane, city centre, propose to charge customers £1 to received paper bills from January 1.

But the plans provoked outrage from KC customers, in particular elderly people and those without a computer, who say they are unable to pay their bills over the Internet.

Now councillors from both local authorities have pledged to address the issue, which is expected to be raised at forthcoming council meetings.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of East Riding Council, condemned the charge as "heavy-handed" and "confrontational".

He said he is reluctant to make payments online because of the risk of hacking and fraud.

Cllr Parnaby said: "A lot of people – myself included – feel uncomfortable about making payments online.

"We have a growing elderly population and the vast majority won't want to pay online."

According to KC, the charges have been introduced to cut the company's carbon footprint.

The firm claims cutting the amount of paper used to produce the bills will reduce the need to chop down trees.

Councillor Stephen Brady, leader of the Labour group at Hull City Council, said they should have consulted the public before implementing the charge.

He said: "It is supposed to benefit the environment, but why didn't they engage people in discussion on the environment before they did anything?

"The least they could've done is hold consultation meetings to engage the public ... they could have gone away with some really good ideas.

Cllr Brady said the issue was to be discussed at a council meeting called for November 4, where they would be calling for KC to rethink the policy.

The Mail put the councillor's concerns to KC.

But despite mounting pressure, Andrew Peterson, head of consumer marketing at the company, said it would still be introducing the charges.

Mr Peterson said: "We feel by introducing this small charge, it is the most appropriate way of encouraging a large percentage of our customers to make the change to KCOnline and reduce the environmental impact of producing bills.

"We have already identified a number of customers that will be excluded from the charge, where we feel it be difficult for them to manage their accounts online.

"However other customers that continue to receive a paper bill will be charged £1 per paper bill from January 1, 2009."