The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1911-11-18
LIGHT COMPANY
SPRINGS INNOVATION


coupon book to its customers and intro
ducing an innovation in the sale Of its
electricity.
Hereafter the company's customers
will pay for their monthly service with
coupons from these books instead Of by
check or cash as formerly.
The principal part Of the clerical ex-
pense involved in an electric light COM
pany's operations lies in the necessity Of
calculating, billing, making and collect
ing the multitude Of small residence ac-
counts that 60 to make up its income.
In the past it has been customary for
the meter reader to visit the house,
read the meter and make record Of
the reading. This record was taken to
the Office where it was transcribed by a
clerk into the companys records, from
which record in turn bill for that par
ticular customer was made out, then
mailed to the customer
The customer then had to make out a
check and mail it or call at the COM
P"hs - oihSc oh' pay HIS piil III CASH OF
else the company had to send man to
collect at the residence.
II the company received its remittance
by mail it had in turn to check up the
remittance with Its record of the bill
rendered, make out receipt and in
turn mail the receipt to the customer.
Thus considerable bother and attendant
clerical expense was also multiplied by
the fact that the customers who are in
the habit Of paying cash frequently did
not have the money in the house at the
time the bill was rendered and the light
company had to send representative
two or three times to collect small bill
OF dollar or a dollar and half
In the course Of II year this clerical
expense becomes quite an appreciable
factor IN the company, separating cost
and in order to obviate it, the local COM
pany has adopted the coupon book sys-
TEN.
These coupon books are about the
size and type OF books used by banks rs
pass books. The books contain coupons
each OF which has face value OF five
cents. The customer purchases one OF
these coupon books and when the meet
er reader calls at the end Of the month
he asks for the coupon book and de-
taches thercfrom coupons representing
the value Of the service used during
that month. He turns all Of these cou-
pons in at the company's Office where
they are toatled up. All items Of calcu-
lating small bills, rendering same and
collecting them. the mailing receipts for
them are thereby done away with.
The books will be issued in two de-
nominations; namely $500 and $1,000.
In order that the customers may par
ticipate in the benefit to be derived from
this reduction OF clerical expenses and
bother, the company has made n very
liberal premium proposition. Each cou-
pom book will carrya premium coupon
exchangeable ut the company's office ut
heating or cooking appliances, on sale
at the companys Office.
The coupon OF the $500 book is worth
60 cents; in the $1,000 book, 81 20.
II any OF its customers desire, for any
reason whatsoever, to discontinue tho
companys service while still holding an
unused coupon book, they can return
the coupon book 10 the companys office
and the coupons therein will bs fully re-
funded IN cash.
While under its franchise, the com.
pany il entitled To net rate Of lie per
X. W. ii. for household service. with the
addition Of AN extra cent unless bills
are paid promptly, the coupons will be
torn out 10y the compsny's meter reader
al the rate OF l2c per X. w II. and tho
premium coupon gives the customer .
further discount which, II will be noted
ranges from 10 to II per cent depending
on the size OF the coupon book.
This gives the company's customers
service at less than lie net
The idea. while not original with the
Monte Vista Light, Heat and Power
Company. is certainly an ingenious one
and ono that should in every way work
10 the convenience OF both the customer
and the power company.
One hundred and twenty tickets
were sold from La lara TO Monte
Vista Wednesday to excursionists