Direct answer: Residents know when their service stops and who to call, and we print and mail a letter to every affected address you list. You upload the notice and the filtered list, check the proof and the full price, and approve. USPS delivery times vary, so mail early enough.
Planned outage? Notify residents from your desk.
By the USMail.ai team, more than 50 years of combined expertise in printing and mailing
When does a mailed outage notice make sense?
For planned work you schedule well ahead: a main replacement, line rebuild, meter change-out, hydrant flushing or a substation upgrade. USPS lists First-Class Mail at 1-5 business days on its First-Class Mail page, and USPS delivery times vary, so a letter fits work that is at least a week or two away. For emergencies or work scheduled on short notice, mail is too slow. Use phone alerts, texts, social posts or door contact first, and mail a written copy afterward if you want residents to have one on file.
What should the notice say?
Keep it to what residents need to plan their day: what work is happening, the date and the expected start and end times, which streets or areas are affected, what to do before and after (such as storing water or running taps clear), and a phone number for questions. Plain words beat technical terms. If the date may slip, say how you will tell residents about a new date.
How do we reach only the affected area?
Filter your list in your own billing or mapping system before you upload, down to the service addresses on the affected feeder, main or street. USMail.ai mails to exactly the list you supply. Every address comes from you. We check every address before mailing, and the AI never suggests or adds one.
Who uses these notices?
City water and electric departments, rural water districts, electric co-ops and gas utilities. The person who mails them is often the same clerk who handles billing. Other utility mailings, such as disconnection and rate notices, are on the utility notices hub. If main work leads to a boil-water advisory, the mailed follow-up is on the boil-water follow-ups page.
How does mailing work on USMail.ai?
You upload. You approve. We produce. You upload the notice as a PDF or document, add your mailing list, and check the proof on screen. You see the complete price before you approve, and nothing prints until a person on your staff says yes. From our own production floor: we print, envelope and hand each piece to USPS, and you see the proof and the full price before you approve.
If plans change, you can unapprove an approved job before its mail date, and the money goes back on your meter balance, not your card.
What do we upload?
Upload the outage notice as a PDF or document, exactly as you want it printed, plus the filtered list of names and mailing addresses. Every address on that list gets the same letter. If two areas have different dates, upload them as two mailings so each street gets the right date.
What does it cost?
Letters starting at $1.15, postage included. For a one-page, single-sided, black-and-white First-Class letter. You see the full price for the whole mailing before you approve. A meter balance is optional, and you can pay per mailing. USMail.ai is an AI print-to-mail platform, not USPS.
What if the work date changes?
Plans often slip with weather, parts and crew schedules. If you approve a mailing and the date moves before the mail date, you can unapprove the job, fix the notice and approve it again. If letters are already out, upload a short update with the new date to the same list. Say plainly in the first notice how you will share any changes, such as your website or a phone line, so residents know exactly where to look.
What does USMail.ai not do?
We don't schedule crews, map outages, send texts or hang door notices. Your outage plan and your list stay in your own systems. We print the letter you upload, as you approved it, and hand it to USPS.
What do people ask about USMail.ai?
Can we mail the outage notice to one neighborhood only?
Yes. Filter your list to the affected addresses before you upload. We mail to the list you supply.
Is mail fast enough for an emergency outage?
No. Use phone, text or door contact first for emergencies. Mail fits planned work, and USPS delivery times vary, so mail early enough.
Can we send two dates to two areas?
Yes. Upload each area as its own mailing with its own notice and list, and approve each one.
Do you hang door notices?
No. We print and mail letters. Field work such as door notices stays with your crew.
When does my letter go to USPS?
By default, letters you approve before 10 p.m. CT are handed to USPS the next business day (Monday to Friday). USPS delivery times vary. USPS handles delivery from there. There are no contracts, subscriptions or setup fees.