FROM early April Cooma residents will no longer be able to pay their electricity bills at the Country Energy office in Sharp Street.
The Essential Energy service centre at 138 Sharp Street, Cooma will close on Friday April 12.
The service provides retail electricity services on behalf of Country Energy, and is being closed due to the significant reduction in over-the-counter customer payments, with customers increasingly choosing to pay electricity bills online, or over the phone.
Essential Energy said that to continue operating the centre would prove costly, and be of minimal benefit to customers.
Following the closure, customers who wish to pay their Country Energy electricity bill in-person will have to visit the Post Office.
Essential Energy Regional General Manager South Eastern, Phillip Green, said the centre's employees would be eligible for redeployment to new roles in Essential Energy's network operations.
"We will retain our depot operations in Cooma and our ESC employees will relocate to the depot after the closure, where they will be eligible for redeployment to roles within Essential Energy's network business," Mr Green said.
"Currently we have 41 employees based at the depot, and two based at the ESC.
"Our core business - providing electricity network services, will continue as usual in Cooma".
