Reasons to Shred Old Utilities
In the digital age, it seems we’re always hearing of data breaches and identity theft. It can be difficult to keep your information secure online, but what about in the physical world? It is no less important to hide personal information from prying eyes when it is on paper than it is to protect your data in the cloud. If you are wondering, “Why should I shred old utilities,” we have a whole list of reasons for you to consider.
What are Old Utilities?
Utility bills come in the mail, pile up on your counter, and then what? Once you have paid them, is there any reason to hang onto them? Unless they contain tax-deductible expenses, you really don’t need to keep them at all, after they have been paid. Even if they do have important information, there is no reason to keep them longer than one year. Letting them lie around not only creates dreaded paper clutter in your home, but also opens you up to fraud and identity theft, should they fall into the wrong hands.
Why Shred Old Utility Bills?
You probably know that your confidential, sensitive documents should be shredded, but why shred old utility bills? Consider the information on these bills. Your name, address, phone number, and other personal information, written on the bills, could help a scammer steal your identity. You could be facing credit cards opened fraudulently in your name, or someone could use your utilities information to have gas or electric turned on at another address. Shredding these bills gives you peace of mind. But why not just throw them into the recycling bin? There is no guarantee that putting them in the recycling bin will keep them out of the landfill or out of the hands of thieves. Shredding them keeps your personal information safe and can dramatically reduce the amount of trash you send to the landfill.
Top Reasons to Shred Utilities
- When you shred utility bills, you protect yourself against fraud. Criminals are crafty, and if they can gain access to the information on your account, they can wreak havoc. Opening accounts, taking out loans in your name, and making unauthorized purchases are within the realm of possible actions by a thief with your personal data. This kind of fraud can result in serious damage to your credit, as well as a great deal of trouble for you. Shredding documents destroys them irreversibly, so that you are protected.
- Shredding utilities protects your personal information. Even small pieces of personal information can be used to steal identities. You can tear your bill into smaller pieces and throw it into the trash or recycling bin, but this may not be enough to conceal pertinent information from a savvy thief.
- You can thwart an account takeover by shredding old bills. Stealing your id is only one part of what a thief can manage once access is gained. Someone who has stolen your identity can gain control of your utility account, impersonate you, gain access to other account, and more. To keep your information private and your accounts safe, shredding is the way to go.
- Shredding excess paper is good for the environment. Shredding and recycling paper, including utility bills, is an environmentally responsible thing to do. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, one recycled ton of paper fiber saves 17 trees, 360 gallons of water, 100 gallons of gasoline, and 10,400 kilowatts of energy. Not only that, but it frees 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, and keeps 60 pounds of pollutants out of the environment.
Keep your personal information safe by Shredding Old Utilities
Shredding your old utilities is only part of the solution. You also need to find a company to take care of the shredding and keep your personal information safe. Either by coming to your business and shredding onsite, or by transporting your documents in secure containers to a shredding facility, a reputable shredding company will keep your confidential information protected.
Choose Shred Time LLC for all your Shredding Services
If you are not wondering “should I shred old utility bills?” but rather how you should go about it, Shred Time can help. Founded in 2010, Shred-Time Inc is a locally owned and operated information and data destruction company in Los Angeles, California. Our trustworthy and experienced team provides excellent customer service, 7 days a week, for both residential and business clients. At Shred Time, we are committed to providing affordable services to all of our clients, regardless of the size of their business, and we operate with the utmost integrity. Our services include walk-in or pick-up shredding services, and shredding done onsite, at your location, to avoid compromising security. We also offer x-ray film destruction and recycling, garment destruction, and hard drive destruction services, and we provide our clients with secure containers at no cost, so that materials can be transported securely to our shredding facility. Whether you need documents shredded or hard drives destroyed, we can ensure that your sensitive data does not fall into the wrong hands. Committed to providing our customers with an accessible, efficient, and secure form of information destruction, we are just as dedicated to compliance with state and federal laws. For more information on our services and how we can help you, contact us today.