Patent Publication Number: US-11651340-B1

Title: Integrated utility distribution and automated billing

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/350,693, entitled “INTEGRATED UTILITY DISTRIBUTION AND AUTOMATED BILLING,” by David et al., filed Nov. 14, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/255,845, entitled “INTEGRATED UTILITY DISTRIBUTION AND AUTOMATED BILLING,” by David et al., filed on Nov. 16, 2015, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to systems and method for utility distribution and payment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Utility companies provide a plurality of customers with access to utilities (e.g. electricity, water, gas, cable, etc.). To receive payment for the customers&#39; utility usage, utility companies traditionally seek payment by generating individualized bills for each customer, sending the individualized bills to the respective customer (e.g., electronically or via paper mail), and then by receiving and processing separate payments from each customer. Further, financial institutions that hold accounts for each customer typically process a large number of individual customer bill payments for each utility billing cycle (e.g., individual customer checks, individual customer bill pay instructions, individual customer electronic funds transfers, etc.). 
     The traditional utility billing and payment scheme is costly to both utility companies and financial institutions. Utility companies often employ entire work forces to generate bills and to collect on bills. Further, many utility companies are charged deposit or transfer fees by financial institutions and/or bill pay service providers associated with each incoming payment. Further, financial institutions have internal costs associated with each money transfer, such as automated clearing house (ACH) transaction fees, check processing fees, and the like. Customers also have expenses, such as bill pay fees and check costs, associated with utility bill payments. 
     SUMMARY 
     An example embodiment relates to a method of controlling provision of a set of utilities by a financial institution. The method includes receiving, by a processor of a financial institution computing system associated with a financial institution, utility usage information from a set of utility meters associated with a plurality of customers of the utility company. The plurality of customer are enrolled in an auto payment program offered by the financial institution and the utility company. The financial institution is a different entity than the utility company. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a utility account balance for a customer of the plurality of customers based at least in part by an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the plurality of customers for a billing cycle by aggregating, by the processor, the received utility usage information for the billing cycle. The method further includes determining, by the processor, that the utility account balance exceeds a threshold permitted past due amount. The method further includes sending, by the processor, a stop signal to a utility meter associated with the customer, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off provision of the utility to a property serviced by the utility meter. 
     Another example embodiment relates to a system. The system includes a customer financial account database that stores customer financial information concerning a plurality of customers of a financial institution. The system further includes a customer utility company database that stores associations between a plurality of utility meters and the plurality of customers. Each of the plurality of customers are holders for an account with the financial institution and wherein the financial institution is a different entity than a utility company. The system further includes network interface configured to communicate data to and from the plurality of utility meters, a plurality of customer communication devices, and a utility company computing system associated with the utility company. The system further includes memory having stored thereon instructions. The system further includes a processor in communication with the memory. The processor upon execution of the instructions is configured to receive utility usage information from the plurality of utility meters. The processor is further configured to determine a utility account balance for a customer of the plurality of customers based at least in part by an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the plurality of customers for a billing cycle by aggregating the received utility usage information for the billing cycle. The processor is further configured to determine that the utility account balance exceeds a threshold permitted past due amount. The processor is further configured to send a stop signal to a utility meter associated with the customer, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off provision of a utility to a property serviced by the utility meter. 
     Another example embodiment relates to a non-transitory computer-readable media that has computer-executable instructions embodied therein that, when executed by a processor of a financial institution computing system associated with a financial institution, cause the financial institution computing system to perform a process. The process includes receiving, over a network, utility usage information from a set of utility meters associated with a plurality of customers of a utility company. Each of the plurality of customers enrolled in a utility billing and payment program offered by the financial institution. The financial institution is a different entity than the utility company. The process further includes determining, a utility account balance for a customer of the plurality of customers based at least in part by an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the plurality of customers for a billing cycle by aggregating the received utility usage information for the billing cycle. The process further includes determining that the utility account balance exceeds a threshold permitted past due amount. The process includes sending, over the network, a stop signal to a utility meter associated with the customer, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off provision of the utility to a property serviced by the utility meter. 
     These and other features, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram of a network of computing systems according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a flow diagram of a method of registering a customer for utility billing and payment program offered by a financial institution according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a flow diagram of a method of providing batch payment to a utility company according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a flow diagram of a method of receiving payment from a customer for utility usage according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a flow diagram of a method of taking action with respect to a past-due customer utility account according to an example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring generally to the figures, utility distribution and payment systems and methods are described in which a financial institution individually bills and collects from individual utility users and provides batch payment to the utility company. The financial institution facilitates the aggregate utility billing by agreeing with a utility company to serve as a billing service for a subset of utility and banking customers. Each of the customers agrees to participate in the billing service offered by the financial institution. The utility company provides the utility to the customers via smart meters located at the properties receiving the utility (e.g., the customer&#39;s home, business, or other property). The smart meters provide individualized usage information to both the utility company and the financial institution. At the end of a billing cycle, the financial institution sends one aggregate payment for all users of the subset to the utility company. The financial institution then collects funds from the utility customers associated with the batch payment by performing internal transfers within the financial institution. Accordingly, the described systems and methods eliminate the billing and collection responsibilities for the utility company. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a block diagram of a utility distribution and billing system  100  is shown according to an example embodiment. As described in further detail below, the system  100  facilitates both the delivering of a utility to a customer  102  (e.g., to a property of the customer  102 ) by a utility company  106  and payment for the utility usage of the customer  102  by a financial institution  104 . The utility company  106  provides a utility (e.g. electricity, water, gas, cable, etc.) to the customer  102  via the utility line  108 , and the utility meter  110  installed at the location receiving the utility tracks the utility usage of customer  102 . Each of utility meters  110  is associated with an individual property of an identified customer  102 . The customer  102  can be an individual, an organization, a government entity, or a business. In some arrangements, a given customer  102  can be associated with multiple utility meters  110 . For example, a customer  102  may be a business having multiple locations, each of which receives the utility from the utility company  106 , and each of which has its own utility meter  110 . 
     In a traditional arrangement, the utility company  106  individually bills each customer  102  for that customer&#39;s utility usage based on that customer&#39;s utility usage data received from the utility meter  110 . In this arrangement, the utility company  106  is responsible for collecting individual payments from each customer  102  and for managing any disputes that arise. This process is repeated for each of the thousands—sometimes millions—of customers of the utility company  106 . The traditional utility distribution and billing arrangement is a costly and inefficient process for all parties involved in the utility payment and billing. As described in further detail below, the system  100  addresses the inefficiencies of the traditional utility billing and collections arrangement. 
     In system  100 , the utility company  106  contracts with the financial institution  104  to arrange for the financial institution  104  to provide aggregate payment for the utility usage of a plurality of customers  102 . The plurality of customers  102  may be a subset of the entire customer pool of the utility company  106 . The plurality of customers  102  are both customers of the utility company  106  and account holders with the financial institution  104 . The financial institution  104  receives each customer&#39;s utility usage information from a respective utility meter  110  associated with the customer  102 . Based on aggregate usage information for all customers opting into the batch billing system and current utility rates, the financial institution  104  prepares and transmits a bulk or batch payment to the utility company  106 . 
     The utility meter  110  is a smart utility meter that includes a network interface, memory, a processor, and optionally a display. In some arrangements, the utility meter  110  is an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The utility company  106 , upon installing the utility meter  110  at the property associated with the customer  102  (e.g., a residence, a workplace, or another property), programs the utility meter  110  with a unique meter identifier and correlates the unique meter identifier with the customer  102 . As the utility meter  110  measures the utility usage of the customer  102  at the property, the customer&#39;s utility usage is stored in the utility meter&#39;s  110  memory. The utility meter  110  communicates data over the network  114  via the network interface. In some arrangements, the utility meter  110  is configured to periodically transmit usage data (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) along with the unique meter identifier. The data may be transmitted to the utility company computing system  116  or the financial institution computing system  122  via the network  114 . In some arrangements, the data relates to operating instructions, such as utility start instructions, utility stop instructions, or the like. In some arrangements, the data stored on the utility meter  110  and data communication privileges associated with the utility meter  110  may be initially limited to the utility company  106 . However, as will be described in greater detail below, upon the financial institution  104  agreeing to pay the utility bills of the customer  102 , the utility company  106  provides the financial institution  104  with access to the information stored on the utility meter  110 . Additionally, after forming the agreement, the utility company  106  can provide the financial institution  104  with the unique meter identifier associated with the customer  102  for identification of the customer  102  as an account holder with the financial institution  104 . Using the meter identifier, the financial institution  104  correlate a particular property&#39;s utility usage with a given customer of the financial institution  104 . 
     The customer communication device  112  is a device used by the customer  102  to communicate with other computing systems, such as the utility meter, the utility company computing system  116 , the financial institution computing system  122 , or the like. The customer communication device may be any of a smartphone, tablet, computer, a PDA, or the like. The customer communication device  112  may have various software/applications installed thereon, including a utility company application, a financial institution application, and third-party applications. Based on the data recorded by the utility meter  110 , the customer  102  may receive utility usage data and pay utility bills via a utility company application. Additionally, the customer may input payment preferences as to how to pay utility bills that are transmitted to the utility company computing system  116  via the network  114 . Depending on the payment method selected by the customer  102 , the utility usage data can be sent, as will be described in greater detail below, to the financial institution  104  for the incorporation of the customer&#39;s usage data into a bulk payment to be relayed from the financial institution  104  to the utility company  106 . 
     The utility company computing system  116  is either directly operated by the utility company  106  or by a third-party who manages the accounts of the utility company&#39;s customers. The utility company computing system  116  includes a customer account database  118  where information regarding utility usage, payments, and payment preferences of the customer  102  are stored. The utility company computer system  116  may transmit requests for payment to the customer  102  and receive customer payments and update the customer&#39;s account in the customer account database  118  accordingly. The utility company computing system  116  can also receive customer payment preferences and adjust the way in which payments from the customer  102  are requested depending on the user&#39;s preferred method of payment. For example, when the customer  102  communicates (e.g., via the customer communication device  112 ) a preference for paying via the customer&#39;s financial institution  104 , the utility company computing system  116  may make the customer&#39;s utility usage data accessible to the financial institution  104 . For example, the customer&#39;s utility usage information might be transferred from the customer utility account database  118  over the network  114  to the financial institution computing system  122 . Alternatively, the utility company computing system  116  may transmit instructions to the utility meter  110  that are received via the network interface thereon and configure the utility meter  110  to transfer the customer usage data to the financial institution computing system  122 . 
     In some arrangements, utility company computing system  116  further includes a customer financial institution database  120 , where information regarding the payment responsibilities of the financial institution  104  are stored. For example, If the customer  102  requests via the customer communication device  112  to pay for the utility via the financial institution  104 , the utility company computing system  116  either creates or updates the customer financial institution database  120  to indicate that the utility company is no longer responsible for collecting payment from the customer  102 . In some arrangements, the customer financial institution database  120  stores the details of the agreement between the financial institution  104  and the utility company  106 , such as the rate that the financial institution  104  will pay the utility company  106  for each unit of customer utility usage, the customer identification numbers that the financial institution  104  is responsible for paying for, and the frequency with which the financial institution  104  is obliged to make payments for the utility usage of the customer  102 . Upon the receipt of payments from the financial institution  104  and requests from additional customers to pay via the financial institution  104 , the utility company computing system  116  may update the customer utility account database  118  and customer financial institution database  120  accordingly. 
     As noted above, the financial institution  104  includes the financial institution computing system  122 . The financial institution computing system  122  includes a processor  124  and memory  126 . The memory  126  stores programmable modules that, when executed by the processor  124 , control the operation of the financial institution computing system  122 . The financial institution computing system  122  includes a network interface  128 . The network interface  128  facilitates the sending and receiving of data over the network  114  (e.g., to and from the utility meter  110 , to and from the customer communication device  112 , to and from the utility company computing system  116 , etc.). The financial institution computing system  122  includes a customer account database  130  that stores customer financial information and logs transactions that the customer makes using funds from the financial institution. 
     In some arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  includes a customer utility company database  132 . The customer utility company database  132  stores the details of the agreement between the financial institution  104  and the utility company  104 , such as the utility rates, customer identifiers, and the frequency with which the financial institution  104  is obliged to make payments. The customer utility company database  132  also stores the aggregate utility usage for all of the customers for which the financial institution  104  is obligated to make payments to the utility company. The utility usage data collected by the utility meter  110  of each customer  102  paying for utilities via the financial institution  104  is collected via the network interface  128 . The processor  124  is configured to process this data to determine the amount owed to the utility company  106  and to update each of the customer&#39;s account balances owed to the financial institution  104 . 
     With respect to  FIG.  2   , a flow diagram of a method  200  of registering the customer  102  for the utility billing and payment program offered by the financial institution  104  is shown according to an example embodiment. Method  200  is performed by the financial institution computing system  122  (e.g. by the processor  124 ). After method  200  is complete, the utility company  106  is relieved of billing and collection duties with respect to the customer  102 . The financial institution  104  takes over the billing and collection duties with respect to the customer  102 . 
     Method  200  begins when a customer request to participate in the utility billing and payment program of the financial institution  104  is received at  202 . The request is sent by the customer  102  from the customer communication device  112  and is received by the financial institution computing system  122 . To transmit the request, the customer  102  may interact with a financial institution application or website displayed on the customer communication device  112 . The request indicates that the customer  102  wants the financial institution  104  to handle the billing and collection for the customer&#39;s utility usage instead of the utility company  106 . In some arrangements, the request is in response to an advertisement or offer from the financial institution  104  or the utility company  106 . The request includes at least customer identification information, utility company identification information, utility company customer account information. The customer identification information may relate to, for example, the customer&#39;s username associated with a mobile banking portal used to access the financial institution  104 , the customer&#39;s name, the customer&#39;s address, or other identifying information. The utility company identification information allows the financial institution computing system  122  to identify the utility company  106 . The utility company identification information may be provided by the customer by interacting with the financial institution application or website (e.g., by selecting from a list of approved utility companies). The utility company customer account information may be in the form of a utility company account number associated with the customer  102  and the utility company  106 , customer login credentials associated with an online account management website of the utility company  106 , or the like. In some arrangements, the request also includes a utility meter identifier that identifies the utility meter  110  at the property associated with the customer&#39;s request. 
     Based on the information received with the request at  202 , the customer&#39;s status as an account holder with the financial institution  104  is verified at  204 . In some arrangements, in order to enroll in the utility billing and payment program offered by the financial institution  104 , the customer  102  must be an account holder with the financial institution  104 . Accordingly, the financial institution computing system  122  cross-references the received customer identification information against information stored in the customer financial account database  130 . If a match is found, the customer  102  is verified as having an account with the financial institution  104 . In the event that the customer  102  is determined to not be an account holder with the financial institution  104 , the financial institution computing system  122  transmits an account signup request to the customer communication device  112 . The account signup request allows the customer  102  to provide the necessary information to open and fund an account with the financial institution. If the customer provides the required information and initial funding, the financial institution computing system  122  creates a new account for the customer  102  and stores the new account information in the customer financial account database. If the customer  102  does not create a new account and is not an existing account holder, method  200  ends. The description of method  200  continues under the assumption that the customer  102  is an account holder (or creates a new account) with the financial institution  104 . 
     In some arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  verifies that the customer  102  has a threshold amount of deposited money or a threshold amount of credit required to enroll in the utility billing and payment program at  204 . For example, if the customer  102  has a checking account or a savings account with the financial institution  104 , the balances of the checking and savings account may be positive. If the customer has a credit account, a home equity line of credit, a mortgage, etc., the account balances may be negative. Stored in the memory  126  of the financial institution computing system  122  may be data tables that contain account thresholds that determine customer eligibility to participate in the financial institution payment method. For example, at  204 , the financial institution computing system may determine whether the customer&#39;s checking or savings account is above a certain threshold. Alternatively, if the customer is running a negative account balance, the financial institution computing system may determine that the customer&#39;s amount owed to the financial system is below a certain threshold. If the threshold conditions for customer participation in the payment method are not met, then the method  200  ends. The description of method  200  continues under the assumption that the customer  102  has the appropriate amount of funds or credit available. 
     After  204 , the customer  102  is verified as a customer of the utility company  106  at  206 . The financial institution computing system  122  verifies the customer  102  as a customer of the utility company  106  by sending a message to the utility company computing system  116  indicating the customer identification information and/or the utility company customer account information received at  202 . The utility company computing system  116  cross-references the received customer identification information and/or the utility company customer account information against the customer utility account database  118  to determine if the customer  102  is a customer of the utility company  106 . If the customer  102  is not a customer of the utility company  106 , the utility company computing system  116  transmits a denial message to the financial institution computing system  122 , and method  200  ends. If the customer  102  is a customer of the utility company  106 , the utility company computing system  116  transmits an approval message to the financial institution computing system  122 . The approval message confirms the customer&#39;s status as a customer of the utility company  106 . In some arrangements, the approval message includes the unique identification of the utility meter  110  associated with the customer, the current balance of the account associated with the customer, and the agreed upon utility rate (i.e., cost per unit of utility) the customer  102  pays the utility company  106 . 
     After verifying the customer&#39;s status with the utility company, an approval message is sent to the customer  102  at  208 . The approval message is sent from the financial institution computing system  122  to the customer communication device  112 . The approval message indicates that the customer is approved for the utility billing and payment service offered by the financial institution  104 . The approval message may include terms that need to be accepted by the customer  102  prior to finalizing the customer&#39;s enrollment in the utility billing and payment service. In some circumstances, the customer  102  may have a plurality of accounts with the utility company  106 . For example, the customer  102  may have a plurality of properties that each receive electricity from the utility company  106  and that each have an individual utility meter  110 . In these circumstances, the approval message may require that the customer  102  provide an indication as to which of the properties or utility meters  110  are to be enrolled in the utility billing and payment service (e.g., by checking or unchecking boxes on a user interface presented on the customer communication device  112 ) to the financial institution computing system  122 . 
     After the customer  102  provides the necessary approvals and any required indications of utility meters  110  to be enrolled in the utility billing and payment program, the customer  102  is registered as a participant in the utility billing and payment program at  210 . The financial institution computing system  122  stores the customer&#39;s utility information (e.g., any utility meter identifiers, rate information, property information, utility account numbers, etc.) in the customer utility company database  132 . As described in further detail below, when the customer  102  is enrolled in the utility billing and payment program, the utility company  106  is relieved of billing and collection duties with respect to the customer  102 , and the financial institution  104  assumes these duties. In return, the financial institution  104  issues periodic batch payments to the utility company  106  for all customers enrolled in the utility company billing and payment service offered by the financial institution  104 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , a flow diagram of a method of providing batch payment to the utility company  106  is shown according to an example embodiment. The method  300  is performed by the financial institution computing system  122  (e.g., by processor  124 ). The batch payment is provided from the financial institution  104  to the utility company  106  for all customers  102  enrolled in the utility billing and collection program provided by the financial institution  104 . Each customer  102  enrolls in the program through method  200  (described above with respect to  FIG.  2   ). 
     Method  300  begins when utility usage data from the utility meters  110  is received at  302 . The utility usage data is received by the financial institution computing system  122  from each of the utility meters  110  associated with each of the customers  102  enrolled in the utility billing and collection program. Each utility meter  110  transmits individual utility usage data for the property serviced by the utility meter  110 . The individual utility usage data includes the unique utility meter identifier associated with the given utility meter  110 , and a quantity of utility provided to the utility meter  110 . The quantity of the utility provided may relate to an amount of kilowatt hours of electricity, a number of gallons of water, a number of cubic feet of natural gas, or the like. In some arrangements, the utility usage data includes additional utility usage metrics (e.g., rate of usage, time of usage, etc.). The utility usage data is received by the financial institution computing system  122  at regular time intervals (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). In some arrangements, the utility usage data is received in real-time. To ensure proper payment, the financial institution computing system  122  cross-references each unique utility meter identifier with known unique utility meter identifiers associated with enrolled customers  102  (e.g., by cross-referencing a listing of known unique utility meter identifiers stored in the customer utility company database  132 ). If utility usage data is received from non-enrolled utility meters, that utility usage data may be discarded by the financial institution computing system  122 . 
     The received individual utility usage data is aggregated at  304 . Each non-discarded individual utility meter usage data is totaled by the financial institution computing system  122  to determine an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the customers enrolled in the utility billing and payment program provided by the financial institution  104 . The financial institution computing system  122  stores the aggregate amount of utility usage in the customer utility company database  132 . In some arrangements, the aggregate amount of utility usage is continuously updated within a given billing cycle (e.g., as described below with respect to  306 ). 
     The financial institution computing system  122  determines if the billing cycle is over at  306 . The billing cycle corresponds to the agreed upon billing period between the financial institution  104  and the utility company  106 . For example, the agreed upon billing period may dictate that the financial institution  104  makes monthly batch payments to the utility company  106  for all utility usage of enrolled customers during a given month. If the billing cycle is not over, method  300  returns to  302 . 
     If the financial institution computing system  122  determines that the billing cycle is over at  306 , the total amount owed for the billing cycle is determined at  308 . In some arrangements, the financial institution  104  contracts with the utility company  106  to pay a flat rate for each unit of utility used by the customers  102  enrolled in the utility billing and payment program. In such arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  multiplies the aggregate utility usage calculated at  304  by the flat rate to determine the total amount owed to the utility company  106 . In other arrangements, each customer&#39;s usage (or utility meter&#39;s usage) may be assessed a different rate by the utility company  106 . In such arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  multiplies each individual usage data over the course of the billing cycle by the individual rate charged by the utility company  106 . This calculation is repeated for each customer  102  to determine the total amount owed to the utility company  106 . 
     Payment is transmitted to the utility company  106  at  310 . The financial institution computing system  122  transmits payment to the utility company  106 . In some arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  transmits payment via an account clearing house (ACH) transfer or a wire transfer. In other arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  sends a payment request to a check processing vendor that issues a check to the utility company  106 . In further arrangements, the utility company  106  is an account holder with the financial institution  104 . In these arrangements, the utility company  106  performs an internal transfer of funds between a financial institution holding account and an account held by the utility company  106  (e.g., by updating the customer financial account database  130 ). In some arrangements, the payment made by the financial institution  104  to the utility company  106  is guaranteed. Accordingly, the payment is not contingent on the financial institution  104  receiving payments from the individual customers  102 . In exchange for the guaranteed payment, the financial institution  104  may negotiate a discounted utility rate from the utility company  106  such that the financial institution  104  can collect a surcharge from the customers  102 . Alternatively, in exchange for the guaranteed payment, the utility company  106  can pay the financial institution  104  a guarantee fee. In some circumstances, the utility company  106  shifts responsibility of turning on or off provision of the utility through a utility meter  110  at the time of accepting the guarantee. The financial institution  104  can then control (i.e., suspend, restart, stop, start, meter, etc.) provision of the utility to a given customer based on the account status. For example, if the customer is way behind on payments, the financial institution computing system  122  can transmit a stop utility message to the appropriate utility meter  110  such that the customer cannot accumulate more debt from utility usage. 
     In arrangements where the financial institution computing system  122  maintains a running total aggregate utility usage amount, the aggregate utility usage data is reset at  312 . The financial institution computing system  122  resets (i.e., zeroes) the aggregate utility usage data, and the method  300  returns to  302 . If the aggregate utility usage amount is not a running total, the method restarts at after  310 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , a method of receiving payment from a customer  102  for utility usage is shown according to an example embodiment. The method  400  is performed by the financial institution computing system  122  (e.g., by processor  124 ). The method  400  begins when utility usage data from the utility meters  110  is received at  402 . The utility usage data is received by the financial institution computing system  122  from each of the utility meters  110  associated with each of the customers  102  enrolled in the utility billing and collection program. Each utility meter  110  transmits individual utility usage data for the property serviced by the utility meter  110 . The individual utility usage data includes the unique utility meter identifier associated with the given utility meter  110 , and a quantity of utility provided by the utility meter  110 . The quantity of the utility provided may relate to an amount of kilowatt hours of electricity, a number of gallons of water, a number of cubic feet of natural gas, or the like. In some arrangements, the utility usage data includes additional utility usage metrics (e.g., rate of usage, time of usage, etc.). The utility usage data is received by the financial institution computing system  122  at regular time intervals (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). In some arrangements, the utility usage data is received in real-time. 
     The individual utility usage data is associated with identified customer accounts at  404 . The financial institution computing system  122  cross-references each unique utility meter identifier with known unique utility meter identifiers associated with enrolled customers  102  (e.g., by cross-referencing a listing of known unique utility meter identifiers stored in the customer utility company database  132 ). The financial institution computing system  122  associates the individual utility usage data with a matched customer. The association is stored in the customer utility company database  132 . If utility usage data is received from non-enrolled utility meters, that utility usage data may be discarded by the financial institution computing system  122 . 
     The amount owed by the customer is calculated at  406 . The financial institution computing system  122  calculates the amount of money owed to the financial institution  104  based on each customer&#39;s individual usage. The amount owed is calculated by multiplying the customer&#39;s individual utility usage amount received at  402  by the cost of each unit of the utility (e.g., each kilowatt hour electricity, each cubic foot of natural gas, each gallon of water, etc.). The cost of each unit of the utility may be different for each customer  102 . Additionally, the cost of each unit of the utility assessed to each customer  102  may be different (e.g., more expensive) than the cost of each unit of the utility charged to the financial institution  104  by the utility company  106 . The markup in the cost of each unit of the utility may be retained by the financial institution  104  as a fee for taking over the billing and collection responsibilities from the utility company  106 . 
     Each customer account balance is updated at  408 . The financial institution computing system  122  updates each customer account balance based on the amount owed calculated at  406 . The updated account balances are stored in the customer utility company database  132 . 
     A notification is sent to each customer  102  indicating the updated account balance at  410 . The financial institution computing system  122  sends the notification to each customer (e.g., via the customer communication device  112 ). The notification includes an account balance, an indication of utility usage amount, and an indication of a due date. The notification may be any of an e-mail, an e-statement, a paper statement, an online banking message, or the like. In some arrangements, the notification includes an alert that an expected utility future utility bill will overdraw an account (e.g., a checking account or savings account) at the due date. In such arrangements, the account alert or notification is based at least in part on both (1) current account balance information of a customer&#39;s checking or savings account and (2) current utility usage or usage trends of the customer. If the customer is at risk of overdrawing the account used to pay the utility bill, the financial institution  122  can suggest a transfer between accounts for the expected overage. Alternatively, if the customer is at risk of overdrawing the account used to pay the utility bill, the financial institution  122  may provide the customer the option to shut off provision of the utility through the utility meter  110  associated with the utility account. Accordingly, the financial institution computing system  122  can transmitting a stop signal to the utility meter  110  associated with the customer account. 
     The financial institution computing system  122  determines whether the customer  102  is enrolled in auto payment at  412 . The customer  102  may be enrolled in an auto payment program offered by the financial institution  104 . If enrolled in the auto payment program, the financial institution  104  is authorized to transfer funds directly from a customer account held with the financial institution  104 . In some arrangements, there may be a limit on the amount of funds transferred. For example, the customer  102  can authorize the financial institution  104  to automatically transfer up to a designated amount of money (e.g., $100) each month to pay for the utility. If the amount owed for the utility usage is in excess of $100, the customer  102  may wish to receive an alert of the unusually high utility bill prior to sending payment. Accordingly, at  412 , the financial institution computing system  122  determines whether the customer is enrolled in the auto payment program and if the updated account balance is less than or equal to the designated amount of money (if applicable). The auto payment program can be incentivized by the financial institution  104  to encourage customers  102  to enroll in the auto payment program. For example, the financial institution  104  can offer the customers a discounted utility rate, a rebate, or the like for enrolling in the auto payment program. If the customer is to receive an alert (e.g., as described above), the financial institution computing system  122  transmits the requested alert. 
     If the customer is enrolled in the auto payment program, and if the updated account balance is less than or equal to the designated amount of money, funds are transferred from the customer account at  414 . In some arrangements, the transfer occurs internally between accounts held within the financial institution  104 . In these arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  performs the transfer of funds by executing an internal transfer from an account associated with the customer  102  held with the financial institution  104  to an account held by the financial institution  104  (e.g., a holding account, an escrow account, etc.). The internal transfer avoids the costs and time delays associated with performing an ACH transfer, a check transaction, or a credit/debit card transaction. The financial institution computing system  122  effectuates the transaction by updating the customer financial account database  130  accordingly. In other arrangements, the customer  102  provides alternate payment sources, such as an account with another financial institution, a credit card, a debit card, an electronic check, a paper check, or the like. In such arrangements, the financial institution computing system  122  initiates the transfer of funds via an appropriate method, such as initiating an ACH transfer from the account with the other financial institution to the holding account at the financial institution  104 , initiating a credit card charge, performing a check deposit, or the like. After the transfer of funds occurs, a payment confirmation is sent by the financial institution computing system  122  to the customer  102  (as discussed in further detail below with respect to  420 ). 
     If the customer is not enrolled in the auto payment program, or if the updated account balance is greater than the designated amount of money, a payment due notification is sent at  416 . The financial institution computing system  122  sends the payment due notification to the customer  102  via the customer communication device  112 . In some arrangements, the payment due notification is included in the notification sent at  410 . The payment due notification includes an indication of an amount owed to the financial institution  104  for the utility usage and a due date for making payment. 
     Still referring to  FIG.  4   , at  418 , the financial institution computing system  122  determines if payment was received within the due date of the notification sent at  416 . If a payment was received, a payment confirmation is sent at  420 . The payment may be received either in response to the notification sent at  416  or as a result of the transfer at  414 . The financial institution computing system  122  sends the payment confirmation to the customer  102  via the customer communication device  112 . The payment confirmation may be any of an e-mail, an e-statement, a paper statement, an online banking message, or the like. In some arrangements, the financial institution  104  can incentivize early payments ahead of the due date. For example, the financial institution  104  may offer a slight discount to customers paying the utility bill ahead of the due date. As another example, the financial institution  104  can incentivize a group of customers enrolled in the utility billing and payment program by offering a group discount if a threshold number of customers pay early (e.g., if 70% of customers pay early, everybody in the group gets a 5% discount). In other arrangements, the financial institution  104  can provide advice to delay customer payment for the utility past the due date by providing the customer  102  with investment advice. For example, in some situations, the late fee associated with paying the utility bill past the due date is less money than can be made by utilizing that same money in a short-term investment product offered by the financial institution  104 . 
     If payment was not received within the due date of the notification sent at  416 , the financial institution computing system  122  may begin collection procedures at  422 . The collection procedures may include any of freezing funds in a customer account held at the financial institution  104 , stopping utility delivery via the utility meter  110  (e.g., by transmitting a stop instruction to the utility meter  110 ), sending additional payment notices, or a combination thereof. One such collection procedure is described below with respect to  FIG.  5   . Method  400  is repeated for each customer enrolled in the utility billing and payment program offered by the financial institution  104 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , a flow diagram of a method  500  of taking action with respect to a past-due customer account according to an example embodiment. The method  500  is performed by the financial institution computing system  122  (e.g., by processor  124 ). The method  500  may be performed, for example, in place of or after  422  of the method  400 . 
     A customer account is determined to be past due at  502 . The financial institution computing system  122  determines that the customer account is past due based on utility billing and payment account information stored in the customer utility company database  132 . An account may be considered past due if the customer  102  associated with the customer account owes a threshold amount of money to the financial institution  104  and/or the customer has not provided a minimum (or full) payment on an owed amount after a threshold amount of time (e.g., a number of months, a year, etc.). 
     A past due notification is sent at  504 . The financial institution computing system  122  sends the past due notification to the customer  102  via the customer communication device  112 . The past due notification may be any of an e-mail, an e-statement, a paper statement, an online banking message, or the like. The past due notification includes an indication of the amount owed, including any interest or late fees, and an indication of the final date to make payment before non-payment procedures (e.g., account collection procedures, utility shutoff, etc.) are implemented. 
     The financial institution computing system  122  determines whether the customer  102  made a payment within the payment window at  506 . If a customer payment is received within the payment window, the customer&#39;s account balance is updated. The financial institution computing system  122  updates the customer utility company database  132  to reflect the new balance. If a customer payment is not received within the payment window, non-payment procedures are implemented at  510 . The non-payment procedures include any combination of freezing funds in a customer account held with the financial institution  104 , transferring funds from a customer account held with the financial institution  104 , notifying a collection agency of the past due account, or a combination thereof. In some arrangements, the non-payment procedures include transmitting a stop signal to the utility meter  110  associated with the customer account. Once the stop signal is received by the utility meter  110 , the utility meter  110  cuts off provision of the utility to the location serviced by the meter  110 . The stop signal may be transmitted directly by the financial institution computing system  122 . In other arrangements, the stop signal is transmitted by the utility company computing system  116  after receiving a request from the financial institution computing system  122 . 
     The above-described utility billing and payment program achieves more efficient utility billing and payment than traditional utility billing and payment schemes. The above-described utility billing and payment program avoids the expenses (e.g., bill mailing costs, transaction costs, collection costs, etc.) associated with individual billing and collection. Additionally, because many of the customer utility payments occur wholly within the financial institution  104 , the payments can be processed and received quicker than in the traditional utility billing and payment schemes. The above-described utility billing and payment program can be modified to non-utility providing billers, such as merchants or entities having a large number of recurring customers or paying parties (e.g., fitness centers collecting membership dues, government agencies collecting taxes, crowd-funding groups collecting payments, etc.). 
     The above-described utility billing and payment program also provides the financial institution  104  with additional information about its customers  102 . The additional information can be leveraged by the financial institution  104  to increase the effectiveness of other products provided to the customers  102 , such as budgeting tools, financial planning services, and the like. For example, the financial institution  104  can recommend to a customer to adjust a water heater temperature or a home thermostat to help achieve savings goals based on the additional information gained from the customer&#39;s participation in the utility billing and payment program. 
     The embodiments described herein have been described with reference to drawings. The drawings illustrate certain details of specific embodiments that implement the systems, methods and programs described herein. However, describing the embodiments with drawings should not be construed as imposing on the disclosure any limitations that may be present in the drawings. The present embodiments contemplate methods, systems and program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing its operations. The embodiments of may be implemented using an existing computer processor, or by a special purpose computer processor incorporated for this or another purpose or by a hardwired system. 
     As noted above, embodiments within the scope of this disclosure include program products comprising non-transitory machine-readable media for carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain function or group of functions. 
     Embodiments have been described in the general context of method steps which may be implemented in one embodiment by a program product including machine-executable instructions, such as program code, for example in the form of program modules executed by machines in networked environments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that performs particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Machine-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represent examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps. 
     As previously indicated, embodiments may be practiced in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers having processors. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such network computing environments may encompass many types of computers, including personal computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and so on. Embodiments may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by local and remote processing devices that are linked (either by hardwired links, wireless links, or by a combination of hardwired or wireless links) through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. 
     An example system for implementing the overall system or portions of the embodiments might include a general purpose computing computers in the form of computers, including a processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit. The system memory may include read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). The computer may also include a magnetic hard disk drive for reading from and writing to a magnetic hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk, and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk such as a CD ROM or other optical media. The drives and their associated machine-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of machine-executable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer. It should also be noted that the word “terminal” as used herein is intended to encompass computer input and output devices. Input devices, as described herein, include a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, joystick or other input devices performing a similar function. The output devices, as described herein, include a computer monitor, printer, facsimile machine, or other output devices performing a similar function. 
     Any foregoing references to currency or funds are intended to include both fiat currencies, non-fiat currencies (e.g., precious metals), and math-based currencies (often referred to as cryptocurrencies). Examples of math-based currencies include Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and the like. 
     It should be noted that although the diagrams herein may show a specific order and composition of method steps, it is understood that the order of these steps may differ from what is depicted. For example, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Also, some method steps that are performed as discrete steps may be combined, steps being performed as a combined step may be separated into discrete steps, the sequence of certain processes may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete processes may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any element or apparatus may be varied or substituted according to alternative embodiments. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Such variations will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. It is understood that all such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software and web implementations of the present disclosure could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various database searching steps, correlation steps, comparison steps and decision steps. 
     The foregoing description of embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from this disclosure. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principals of the disclosure and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as expressed in the appended claims.