Durban - Pietermaritzburg residents could soon receive their water, electricity and rates bills by sms, a municipality spokesperson said on Monday.
The move was aimed at making the municipality more environmentally friendly and saving the city money, Msunduzi municipal spokesperson Brian Zuma said.
Residents were being invited to join the scheme. The municipality hoped to have compiled a database of residents who received their metro bills by sms by the end of the week.
"It is a green environment campaign and at the same it is a cost-saving exercise."
Residents would not be forced to receive their bills by sms.
Msunduzi Democratic Alliance chief whip Rodger Ashe said that if the system worked he would welcome it. He said the city's database of addresses was out of date.
"With this system, at least they (the municipality) will know that they (the residents) have received the bill."
However, he said he would prefer to receive his bills by email.