 TITLE: Do Utility Company Inquiries Hurt Your Credit Score? CONTENT: Can Utility Bills Impact Credit Scores?\n---------------------------------------\nUtility bill payments typically don't affect your credit score because most utility companies don't report on-time payments to the credit bureaus. The exception is when you're severely delinquent on your payment, and the utility company sends your bill to collections.\nAt this point, the collection agency will typically report the past-due debt to the credit reporting agencies, which can significantly damage your credit score. The same can happen if the utility company charges off your account, assuming you're not going to pay.\nNow, however, your utility payments can have a positive impact on your credit report. Experian Boost™† is a tool that allows you to include utility and telecom payments in your Experian credit file.\nSimply give Experian access to your bank account data, verify monthly utility payments, and confirm that you want them included on your credit report. If the new information can increase your credit score, the boost will happen immediately.\nExperian Boost doesn't include late utility payments in its calculations, so you don't have to worry about those having the opposite effect. END