Customer Service Center
Customer Care & Billing FAQs
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Utilities, Inc. and its subsidiaries implemented a new customer care and billing system on June 2, 2008. These Frequently Asked Questions are to provide answers to those that may have questions about the transition.
What does this new system do for me?
Our new system provides many advantages for our customers. Your new bill provides a cleaner design which includes itemized billing, consumption graphs, and billing history. In addition, our new system provides real time dispatching which will increase operating efficiency and improve our already quick response times. Your bill is now more closely linked with the period in which the services were provided/used, therefore you can change your usage patterns (if desired). Of importance to many customers, we are pleased to let you know that you will be able to access your account online in the near future (we will announce to you when that service is available).Did my usual billing date change?
Unless your bill has been estimated, your meter is being read at approximately the same time it has always been. However, bills are now being generated closer to the period for which that service was provided. This means that you will be able to more closely relate your bill with your particular usage pattern. It also means the normal date your bill is due may have a one-time shift ahead. Subsequent bills should follow at the normal interval.I used to only pay for water and/or wastewater service, now with the new bill format it looks like I am paying for more services (i.e. base charges, usage charges, taxes, etc.)?
The new bill simply makes the total payment due easier to understand by itemizing each charge. There are NO new charges as a result of this implementation. Your bill is still being calculated in accordance with the applicable tariff. It is now just easier to see how the total charge was calculated.Who do I make my check payable to?
Checks should be made payable to the name shown on your bill (in most cases this will be the name of the specific subsidiary providing your service).
I am not on a tiered water rate and I received a higher than usual (for summer) bill, what happened?
It is possible that your first monthly bill was estimated. In certain circumstances, this bill was underestimated. In that event, you were not billed for some consumption until the following cycle. You were not billed for any water that you did not use, you were just charged later for that usage.I am on a tiered water rate and my bill was estimated, how will the “corrected” bill be calculated?
If your bill was estimated and you are on a tiered rate, it will not be possible to know precisely in which month usage occurred. Therefore, in those cases we are re-calculating bills so it has the lowest possible cost to the customer (even though some consumption may have occurred in the higher tiers). Your total consumption between your last two actual reads will be spread evenly across the affected period. No action is required on your part; you will see an adjustment on an upcoming bill.I received my bill late and therefore the date that it was due had already passed. I don’t have to pay a late fee do I? Unfortunately, some customer’s bills were delayed or not received. In these circumstances, any late payments will be reversed. You do not need to call Customer Service to be credited for the late fee, these specific late fees will be credited on an upcoming bill.
I received two bills very close together, am I being overcharged?A number of customers may have experienced a delayed first bill cycle. This delay then shortened the timeframe for the second bill or customers may have been billed for two periods together. This issue should be resolved after you have received your first two bills. In no event are you being charged for services that were not provided.
I’m on auto draft and my bill shows I have a prior balance due. Why?
In some limited events, there were two bills generated more closely together than usual. In that event, the auto draft may not have been due until after the second bill was generated and thus a balance due was shown on the second bill. Your next bill will reflect both payments.I used to be able to pay my bill early and no auto draft payment would be processed that month, can I no longer do that?
In our new system, once auto draft is set-up, it can only be cancelled by calling Customer Service one business day before the payment is scheduled to be drafted. Sending in an early payment will not automatically cancel the auto draft.My bank account was drafted twice in one month, why?
A small number of customers may have experienced a delayed first bill cycle. In some circumstances, this means the second bill arrived only a short time later. This meant that you may have possibly had two drafts in one month. In no event are you being charged for services that were not provided or charged twice.I submitted a payment through my online banking account and it is not reflected on my statement as being received (or it was credited much later). Why?
In order for payments to be posted promptly, customers should enter (or update) their new customer number when making online payments.I am on a budget and have historically received your bill every month at the same time. Can you change my due date back to what it was?
You will continue to receive your bill one time per month, there has only been a one-time shift in your billing schedule. Unfortunately, we are not able to set up individual customers with their own due date and the majority of customers indicate a preference to have their bill closer to the period when the services were incurred.I use PayByPhone and it doesn’t accept my new customer number, what do I need to do to use this service?
PayByPhone has made system modifications to accept a 10 digit account number and this issue has been resolved. If you do not currently use this service and would like to, please contact PayByPhone at 877-527-7852.I use PayByInternet and I can’t find Utilities, Inc.
This issue is not related to our new billing system, but rather relates to finding Utilities, Inc. on PayByInternet’s website. Please search by either “Utilities” at your usual site, or preferably, please click https://www.paybyinternet.com/cgi-bin/pcipbi.cgi?dnis=7852 and book mark for your future convenience.Did Utilities, Inc. buy the company that provides my water and wastewater service?
Our new bills more prominently display the name of the parent company. Utilities, Inc. is and has been the parent company of your water and wastewater provider. There has been no recent change in ownership, we are simply displaying the parent name more prominently.I called Customer Service, but was on hold for a long time. How can I speak to someone?
During limited days of our transition, we have experienced unusually high call volumes. While we are still experiencing a slightly higher than usual number of calls, wait times have returned to less than a couple of minutes in most areas.