E-Billing Saves More Than Trees

Paperless billing can allow you to take your company's environmental commitment one step further. For example, New York utility company Con Edison publicizes its donation of $1 to a local nonprofit tree-planting fund for every customer who switches to electronic billing. Remember, too, to spread word of your vendor's efforts on your behalf. Billtrust, for example, plants trees in its clients' names as they reach certain levels of e-billing adoption.

As your e-billing efforts move forward, take advantage of the opportunity to highlight your company's other environmental initiatives, such as a paperless office, a green retrofit or simply reducing your company's carbon footprint .

And remember: It takes people a while to adopt new habits. Expect customers to go paperless over the course of months or years, not weeks.