E.L.K. Energy is reminding customers to move to online billing as Canada Post goes on strike.
An agreement between Canada Post and the union was not reached by the strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Friday morning.
E.L.K. says service disruptions are expected in terms of bills being delivered, and mail-in payments could be affected.
Customers are being asked to stay on top of their account status to ensure payments are made by their due dates, and that residents can find their account information online, or visit the Customer Service office.
Sherry Bondy, E.L.K. Board Chair, says she doesn't want people to fall behind.
"Customers still have to pay their bill, so that's something to keep in mind. So in the meantime, if you can sign up right now for our online billing, that would be really helpful, and then you won't miss a bill."
She says residents who are unsure about online payments can go to the customer service office.
"E.L.K. Energy is one of the few utilities that still allows people to go into the office. So, that's the level of service that we continue to keep. So you can go into the E.L.K. Energy office, you can pay your bill right there, you can check your balance right there, and access your billing information."
Bondy says many residents like having physical mail.
"I am one of them, I love getting a hard copy of a bill. I keep it in my filing cabinet, so I understand why residents don't sign up for online billing. Sometimes emails are busy, and if you get an email and you're not able to check it that day, it gets lost, so I understand the rational for some people wanting to keep paper copies."
The E.L.K. Customer Service office is located at 172 Forest Avenue in Essex.
Due to the disruption in postal services, E.L.K. is asking that residents do not send payments through mail and be mindful that other payment options may take longer to reflect on your account.