Amarillo City Council approves $85,000 utility billing audit after overbilling issues
Amarillo City Council approved $85,000 for a third-party audit of the city’s new utility billing system after billing problems affected thousands of customers, including reports of bills that were larger than normal.
The audit was approved June 30, 2026, with the intent to independently validate whether bills generated by the system are accurate and to review the system’s integrity—so the city can better understand what went wrong and reduce the chance of repeat issues.
What the City Council approved
News reporting on the council action says the city approved an outside, third-party audit tied to concerns about incorrect or inflated utility bills.
Importantly, the approval is an accountability step during system stabilization—not an instant declaration that every affected account has already been corrected.
Why some customers’ bills changed in 2026
Amarillo switched to a new utility billing system in 2026. The city says the system launched March 31, 2026, with the first bills under the updated setup sent out in April.
That transition included assigning new account numbers. The city’s resident guidance also notes that some payment features tied to the old setup may need to be reconfigured.
What the audit is meant to answer
While the city continues working with impacted customers, the approved third-party audit is intended to:
- Validate whether utility bills produced by the system are accurate
- Assess the system’s integrity and identify process or technical weaknesses that could lead to incorrect charges
- Help ensure lessons from the rollout are applied so problems don’t recur
What Amarillo customers should do now
Because the new system is still being stabilized, the city’s guidance focuses on practical steps tied to the updated billing setup:
- Use your new account number to pay. The city says customers were issued new account numbers under the updated system.
- Re-enroll AutoPay/Paperless. The city’s guidance says previously scheduled payments and automatic features may not carry over to the new system, so you may need to set them up again using your new account number.
- Pay through the correct portal. The city directs customers to its payment portal for utility billing—PayAMA.
Late fees: what the waiver does—and doesn’t—cover
The city’s utility billing guidance includes a late-fee waiver through June 2026 as part of the transition. But the city also cautions that this waiver does not apply in the same way to accounts that were already past due before the transition window.
If you’re unsure how the waiver affects your specific balance, check your account details and contact the city’s Utility Billing Department for help.
If your bill looks wrong, don’t wait
If you believe your bill is incorrect—whether the total looks unusually high, you think credits weren’t applied correctly, or you’re not sure how your new account number changed your balance—contact Amarillo’s Utility Billing Department promptly.
Ask for a review of your account and charges, and if applicable, inquire about adjustments or credits related to billing issues during the system transition.
What to watch next
The immediate takeaway for residents: Amarillo has moved toward formal, outside review with the approved $85,000 audit. As the city and vendors continue stabilizing the rollout, customers should keep using their new account numbers for payments and monitor for any city updates on audit progress and customer outreach.
For most customers, the best near-term action is to verify your account number, confirm payments are set up correctly in the new system, and reach out quickly if anything doesn’t match what you expected.
Sources
- NewsChannel 10 / KFDA: Council approves $85K audit of Amarillo utility billing system (June 30, 2026)
- City of Amarillo: Utility Billing System (resident guidance + launch date + account-number change + late-fee waiver through June)
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