Read Your Utility Bills!

[Palehorse]

I just got slapped with a one month utility bill, (water,sewer, electric, trash) by the city of Anderson in the amount of $1,013.34!

Of course I called and complained, telling them there has to be a screwup, and the person on the other end of the phone told me that I "had been receiving estimated bills for the prior 6 months of the year and that this was just catching up due to an actual read".

First of all, why in the hell did the city go to the extra expense of installing electronic meters if they aren't going to drive by my house and read them? One of the reasons they utilized in validating this extra expense was the elimination of estimated reads. Well, where the hell has the person who reads our meters been the last 6 months? I think it is a bunch of crap myself, and a scam used to drain the citizens of this city of their funds. 

Read your bill every month! If it is estimated call and complain as loudly as you can about it. Moving forward I am going to call them every month that my bill comes in estimated. 

[me]

I was under the impression that what they installed on the elec meters was like the water meters and the read was done automatically and no one had to drive by any longer which was why all the meter readers lost their jobs.

[Palehorse]

I was under the impression that what they installed on the elec meters was like the water meters and the read was done automatically and no one had to drive by any longer which was why all the meter readers lost their jobs.

I have the electronic version for both electric and water, and whether they have to drive by or can read them from the office, it was not done. Estimated for the prior 6 months, and guess what? This months electric portion is also estimated! 

But I think you might be right about them supposedly being able to read them from a central location. So why in the hell wasn't it done???

[me]

for about 1 1/2 yrs now that place has been a zoo.   

[Palehorse]

for about 1 1/2 yrs now that place has been a zoo.   

I am sick of this city punking everyone! It is about time somebody punked them back!

Last year I ran sprinklers on my lawn for two months, and paid some hellacious bills for it; to the tune of 400-600 dollars each month. Because of it I decided that I wasn't going to pay the CoA for liquid gold any longer, and did not water my grass; not even one time. THEN I get sandbagged by them anyway!  That's bull*$##. There has to be something that can be done about this crap!

Heck this whole month we have not had the AC on in the house, just to economize and try to maintain the utility bills at a manageable level; and so they punk me for it! 

[pariann]

That is messed up. They are supposed to be able to read the meters from the central office.  That the Wifi that they installed all over the city of anderson was done to enable that.

My electric, water etc for the month was actually a couple of dollars cheaper than last month.

[Anne]

Was it just one part of the bill that was way up or all of it equally? If it was just water and you don't have any soggy areas in your yard, check under your house if you have a crawlspace. My mother had a "small" leak under her house and it never was bad enough to "flood" the crawlspace but it sure did raise her water bill.

We kept our well for watering the lawn, washing cars, etc. Still have to pay electric for the pump but it still comes out cheaper.

[Palehorse]

Was it just one part of the bill that was way up or all of it equally? If it was just water and you don't have any soggy areas in your yard, check under your house if you have a crawlspace. My mother had a "small" leak under her house and it never was bad enough to "flood" the crawlspace but it sure did raise her water bill.

We kept our well for watering the lawn, washing cars, etc. Still have to pay electric for the pump but it still comes out cheaper.

Water. And we are on a slab so no crawl. If the pipes had burst we'd be at least knee deep in the 11,500 gallons of water I supposedly used. And the yard is so dry the dirt feels like concrete.

They're scamming me!

[me]

Water. And we are on a slab so no crawl. If the pipes had burst we'd be at least knee deep in the 11,500 gallons of water I supposedly used. And the yard is so dry the dirt feels like concrete.

They're scamming me!

Ah, check your toilet flap.  In this hard water they go bad quick and let a little water leak and then refill and you might not notice.  I've had that happen numerous times and just happen to catch it at the right time.  They usually need replaced around once a year on average.


The bill still shouldn't have been estimated though and you would have caught it quicker if that is it.

[Palehorse]

Ah, check your toilet flap.  In this hard water they go bad quick and let a little water leak and then refill and you might not notice.  I've had that happen numerous times and just happen to catch it at the right time.  They usually need replaced around once a year on average.


The bill still shouldn't have been estimated though and you would have caught it quicker if that is it.

Nope. All 2 years old, and the house has been on conditioned water since almost day one due to the hard water. And I check them every month anyway when I sanitize the throne reservoirs.

[Palehorse]

I just spent 2 hours talking to these jackasses and getting nowhere with them. Make a long story short, they just giggled and laid it on me. (I paid the damned thing).

Funny, they can tell me exactly how much water I used sinc ethe last read, but they have to estimate my bill for the last 6 months??? WTH!

City council meeting here I come! 

[Palehorse]

READ YOUR UTILITY BILLS

Recently I received a utility bill that included over $900.00 for water and sewer charges for one month! When I went to the office and spoke to a manager about it, I was informed that it was a "catch up" bill for the previous 6 months!

Each of us that live within this community has paid for an electronic meter to read our water and electricity charges each month. This extra expense was paid by every home owner in the city of Anderson, and after we paid it an overwhelming number of   people that read the meters each month were laid off; because they now can read your meter from the office! So why are we getting estimated bills?

Look at your utility bill each month, and if there is an "E" next to the meter read, call the office at the number on the bill and complain. Or better yet:

If you have been victimized by this sandbagging tactic, plan to show up at the city council meeting and voice your anger over this unconscionable tactic being utilized by the city of Anderson!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009
7:00 P.M. - COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

Voice your concerns BEFORE they victimize your family too!

[Palehorse]

If 6 months of my urine and turds are worth $789.00, I think I'll start crapping and pissing in a bucket.

[Palehorse]

Effectively it is costing me $.08/gallon to use the water around here. 

[me]

If 6 months of my urine and turds are worth $789.00, I think I'll start crapping and pissing in a bucket.

If you had been paying a minimum bill for those 6 months it figures out even more.