Finance Department

Contact Info

Shannon Smith, Director
1330 College Street - P.O. Box 538
Newberry, SC 29108
Phone: 803.321.1007
Fax: 803.321.1009

Business License Email Address:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Important Phone Numbers:
Report an outage (8:30AM - 5:00PM): 803-321-1018
Report an outage (after hours): 803-276-0311
Questions about your bill: 803-321-1007
Questions about your garbage: 803-321-1020
Water/sewer taps or yard lights: 803-321-1018

Office Hours

8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

The City of Newberry will be opening the drive-thru at 8:00am Monday-Friday

About the Finance Department

The City of Newberry Finance Department serves primarily to bill, collect, disburse and account for City monies. The major billing activity is centered on the City’s water, sewer, electric and garbage systems and includes the reading of all City of Newberry water, effluent, and electric meters. The major collection activity involves utility bill payments for water, sewer, electric and garbage services and the customer service duties associated with these utilities.

ONLINE BILL PAY CUSTOMERS
The City does not have a 3rd party agreement on Utility payments. The only way to pay your bill is by coming in to City Hall, bank draft, or directly from the City's Website. Please note that the City’s official bill pay website is through www.sc.gov. Payment submitted through any other payment service is not endorsed by the City of Newberry and any late penalties that result from payment made to any other payment service other than the City’s official payment site, is the responsibility of the customer. If you are not sure if the payment site you visit is the City's official site, please call the Finance Department at (803) 321-1007 to confirm the official site. If you feel like you are being scammed please contact us to ask questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is PayGo? Do you offer a prepaid utility payment option?
A: PayGo is a pay-as-you-go service for your utility bill. With prepaid billing, you pay for your utilities how and when you choose. There are no security deposits, and you can track your usage on your smartphone or online. There is no enrollment fee to set up a prepaid account. You can get started simply with a $30 payment to your account.

You can make cash payments to your PayGo account from City Hall during normal business hours, or you can make online payments 24 hours a day at www.newberryutilities.com. Access information will be provided when your account is created.

Call (803) 321-1007 for help enrolling in PayGo.

Q: Can my penalty be waived?
A: The only way we waive penalties is if you sign up for bank draft. There are no penalties for prepay accounts however. If you’re interested in prepay, click here.

Q: Why is my bill so high?
A: There are several factors that affect your bill. If you’d like to schedule an appointment to speak with a Customer Service Representative to go over ways to lower your bill, please call 803-321-1007.

Q: What can I do if I have a water leak?
A: If you think you have a water leak that may have affected your bill, the City will allow an adjustment to the sewer portion of your bill only. The adjustment will not be done until you bring in a receipt from a plumber showing that you had the leak repaired. For more information, please call 803-321-1007.

Q: Are there minimum bills if I use no electricity or water?
A: Yes. The minimums are listed here.

Q: What do I do if my trash is not picked up?
A: If your trash has not been picked up on the designated day, please call the Public Works department at 803-321-1020.

Q: I am a new business in the City of Newberry, what do I do?
A: This web guide should help.

Q: What are your current rates?
A: Current rates can be found here.

Q: Can I make a partial payment on my bill?
A: No. Any amount left on your bill is eligible for disconnection when your account becomes delinquent. We do offer payment plans. If you’d like to see if you qualify for a payment plan, please call City Hall at 803-321-1007.

Q: Can a utility service be transferred from one roommate’s name to another roommate’s name?
A: The service can be transferred by terminating the current account and establishing a new account. The roommate who wants to take the service out of their name should contact our office to terminate their service. The roommate who wants to transfer service into their name will need to complete an application for service. Applications for service are available in our office or on our website.

Q: Does the City of Newberry require a deposit for utility services?
A: We do not require a deposit, however service fees do apply. Service fees vary from $20 to $50 depending on whether a person has had services in their name before, and if they want electric, water, and sewer services.

Q: May I change the due date of my utility bill?
A: We cannot change the due date of the bill. There are three billing cycles in Newberry and due dates are based on when your meter is read. You bill is mailed shortly after your meter is read and the bill is due 15 days after the bill is mailed. Prepay accounts do not have due dates. If you’d like to find out more about our prepay option, please call City Hall at 803-321-1007.

Q: How often do I have to get a business license?
A: Business licenses run from January to December. A business license expires on 12/31 each year. You have until April 30 of the following year to renew your business license without a penalty. After April 30 penalties will be assessed. Business license applications can be found here.