bill for Dec apparently must have gotten lost in mail-late fee issue

i paid our Dec bill and sent in mail but just now found out it was never received which means it must have been lost in mail.  so i got a late fee of $29.06 on my latest bill for Feb which just came in mail.  i just went online and paid the Dec bill again since it never arrived there by mail. not my fault that it was lost in mail.  i dropped it off in mailbox at a post office as well.  i'm going to have to start paying it in person again or online i suppose.  i usually have 3 checks so that is why i pay in person or send in mail lately due to covid.  also mail takes forever and i sent Jan around 16th and it just got taken out of my account.  guess i will start paying online from now on and have the others that owe me give me cash or check to me that i can then deposit.    how can i get late fee taken off?