Marco Island  is switching to a new payment system for utilities.  It's also installing new water meters, and, according to the city, some customers likely will pay more.

Marco Island utilities customers who want to pay online will have to register on the new website, even if they were signed up on the old one.

And the city said it now will charge a 3.5% fee if a customer uses a credit or debit card to pay online. If a you set up Auto-Pay, you must use a card or electronic check. Those options will result in extra fees.

However Marco Island said there's no fee if you mail a check, or drop off a check at a payment box at city hall. Utility bills still will be mailed to customers.

Last summer the Marco Island City Council authorized these changes. During a two-month transition period, the city will not charge late or penalty fees on utilities payments.

At the same time a contractor is installing new water meters on Marco Island. They replace meters that were, in some cases, more than 50 years old. The city said it found that a lot of older meters did not record all the water being used. The old meters were under-reporting water use. That led to lower bills for some homeowners.

The new meters are supposed to accurately measure all water used. So the city is saying that some customers will notice higher utility bills than in the past.

Here is the link to the new payment website for utilities on Marco Island:

https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/marcoislandfl

Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.