Fairhope Public Utilities
Meter Department

Fairhope’s meter department is responsible for reading utility meters, billing the city’s more than 17,000 water, natural gas, and electric customers, collecting payments, and taking care of utility on/off orders.

For information on billing, contact Renae Robinson, Meter Department Supervisor, at 990-0121. The department offices are located at Fairhope City Hall.

For information about how to open a new account or to close an account, and for answers to frequently asked questions - such as:

• Have you received my check?
• Has my bill gone out?
• How do I get a city sticker for park admission?
• Contact City Hall at 928-2136.

Direct Payment Authorization Form

Meter Deposit Form

 

 

Meter Readers Stay on the Run

Fairhope’s crew of meter readers stays on the move every day, running up and down the streets of Fairhope and the roads of Baldwin County. Every month the six-man crew read approximately 7,700 gas meters, 6,500 electric meters and more than 12,500 water meters. And even though that sounds like enough to keep them busy, these guys also take care of all utility on/off orders and make personal collections on delinquent accounts.

   “We try to arrange the work so that they are reading meters about half a day and taking care of the rest of it half a day,” said Meter Department Supervisor Renae Robinson.

   The crew use hand-held readers that contain account information. “Each account’s history is in there, with a high and low range, so it can alert the reader if something’s unusual,” said Superintendent Renae Robinson. The meter readers are in and out of their truck all day long, walking about four hours every day in all kinds of weather and under all kinds of circumstances. “Dogs can be a problem,” said Robinson, “but there are only about 5 or 6 houses where the dogs are so bad that it requires an extra person just to keep an eye on the dog.” Once the meters are read, the information is downloaded into computers and the bills are printed at City Hall. The city sends out more than 16,000 utility bills every month in three mailings.

City Utility Fund helps those less fortunate

   Every month, Fairhope utility customers have an opportunity to make a donation into a fund that is used to help pay the heat, light, or water bill of someone unable to pay. Residents can simply write in the amount of their donation on their monthly bill, and add that amount to their payment check.

   “Some people add a little something to every payment, some make a couple of larger donations once or twice a year,” said James Gillespie, Superintendent. “The fund is, of course, most often used during the peak heating and cooling months, but it is available to those in need all year around.”

   The money is deposited into a special account and dispersed with the assistance of Ecumenical Ministries in Fairhope, which helps ensure that no one individual can use the money from the fund more than once a year. Direct donations to the fund can also be made at City Hall.

 

New Business licenses and permits

Starting a business in Fairhope

New-business information packets are available at City Hall from Revenue Officer Kim Higginbotham. Applicants are asked to fill out a short form regarding the nature of their business request. Most license fees are based on gross receipts or on a graduating scale. It is important that those wishing to start a business verify that the location of the proposed business is properly zoned for that specific type of business. Zoning information is also available at City Hall.

For information on business licenses and permits, including a list of rates,
contact Kim Higginbotham, Revenue Officer at 990-0160.

Business License (PDF)