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Does my history of paying utility bills, like telephone, cable, electricity, or water, go in my credit report?

It might. Most utility companies don’t provide consumer payment history data to the big three credit reporting companies about whether or how regularly you pay on time. However, if you fail to pay a bill and it is sent to a collection agency, the debt could show up on your credit reports from any of the three nationwide credit reporting companies.

If you have unpaid utility bills that have been sent to a collection agency, that debt will most likely appear on your credit reports.

And at least one specialty consumer reporting company, the National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange (NCTUE), shares information about new accounts and payment histories among the over 60 large telecommunications, pay TV, and utility companies that are members. A NCTUE member may use this information to decide whether to require you to pay a deposit before receiving services.

The CFPB has put together a list of some of the more common specialty consumer reporting companies, including NCTUE, along with some information about how you can obtain copies of your reports.


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