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The news last week that Tucson Electric Power Co. is going to accelerate disconnect notices for customers unable to pay bills on time is an unwelcome development for many of the city's poor families.

However, for some of those families, the solution could be as simple as going to direct payments, a tactic endorsed by NACHA, a nonprofit electronic-payments organization based in Herndon, Va.

And whether a family is struggling to pay bills or not, going to electronic payments is one way ratepayers in our community can protect the environment — by getting rid of one envelope and paper check at a time.

The Star's Shelley Shelton reported Friday that TEP will start sending disconnect notices when one bill goes unpaid and the next bill goes out. Previously, ratepayers could accumulate two unpaid bills without receiving a cutoff notice.

In addition, TEP will require deposits from customers who are late with payments more than twice in a calendar year.

The change in TEP's policy is significant because in Tucson electric bills are much higher in summer than in winter, and the hotter months are just around the corner.

Direct payments — such as TEP's SNAP plan — could be one solution for some families, though not all of them.

We recognize that some financially strapped families don't juggle bills and put off utility payments because they want to, but because they have to. When money is tight, day-to-day expenditures for food, education and health care take priority.

However, for families that have a bit of wiggle room in their budgets, direct-payment plans — in which the money goes directly from a checking account to creditors — can help foster financial discipline and keep a household running smoothly.

Since most direct-payment plans transfer money by a specified date each month, ratepayers have to be disciplined enough to maintain a certain balance in their checking accounts so that they don't incur bank overdraft fees. With some practice, maintaining a minimum balance to meet expenses becomes second nature.

NACHA says people who use direct payments for bills save a minimum of $150 each year by avoiding stamps, envelopes, paper checks and late fees from utilities and retailers. The group also says people improve their credit ratings because all payments arrive on time.

NACHA says that 84 percent of people who use direct payments are "very satisfied" with the process.

For people in our community who want to do their part to protect the environment, there's an added bonus. NACHA says that for every 38,000 bills paid by direct payment:

● 1 ton of paper is saved;

● 2 tons of trees are preserved;

● 16,450 gallons of water are saved;

● 1,941 pounds of solid waste is avoided;

● 60 pounds of air emissions are eliminated;

● and 5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are avoided.

That's only for paying bills electronically. Consumers who have Internet service can cut down further on paper waste by choosing to receive bills only electronically via e-mail and doing away with paper billing. More and more utilities, retailers and banks are offering this option.

Many of the bills, credit card and bank statements that arrive at homes wind up in the trash anyway, if they are opened at all.

If ratepayers can handle their finances with paperless billing, we believe this is an easy way for them to do their part for the environment in this age of global warming.

Many consumers have already moved away from writing checks when they go to the grocery store or the mall. That's because they've discovered the ease of debit cards.

By embracing technology even further with direct payments and paperless billing, some families might find it easier to make monthly payments on time every time. And we can all play a small part in protecting the environment.