Otago ratepayers have only a few days before penalties on unpaid regional council rate accounts take effect.
The deadline this year is October 31.
In the past, penalties were not imposed until January 1, but this year the council moved the date to November 1 in an effort to get more people to pay their bills on time.
Of the 112,500 rateable properties in Otago, only 51,000 have paid this year's bill, 7500 have elected to pay by direct debit on October 31 and 726 by the new three times a year direct debit option.
Council corporate services director Wayne Scott said the previous payment rules, which included the different due and penalty dates, caused confusion for many ratepayers.
In the past, many who forgot to pay before their summer holidays ended up with a 10% penalty. In 2011-12, about 12,000 rate accounts incurred a penalty, he said.
This year, all who had not paid by next Thursday would incur a 10% penalty, with another 10% added for bills still unpaid by May 1.
