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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,553 posts, read 81,067,970 times
Reputation: 57723
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When a meter is changed out the following bill should show 4 readings
1. The last previously billed reading on the old meter
2. The removal reading on the old meter
3. The installation reading (often 0000000) on the new meter
4. The bill period end date reading on the new meter
The difference between the readings on the old meter is added to the difference in readings on the new meter to determine the consumption.
What can happen with human error or billing system bug is that the customer is billed for the consumption between readings 1. and 4. above.
If the reading 1. on the old meter was something like 9018920 and reading 4. on the new meter was something like 0000023 then the calculation would be based on the old meter going all the way around to 9999999 then 0000000 and starting over, resulting in a huge bill as in this case.
If your bill does not show all 4 of those readings you should at the very least ask to see them. I have seen this happen often when the new meter is read for the current billing cycle before the meter exchange has been entered into the system or it was entered incorrectly.
When a meter is changed out the following bill should show 4 readings
1. The last previously billed reading on the old meter
2. The removal reading on the old meter
3. The installation reading (often 0000000) on the new meter
4. The bill period end date reading on the new meter
The difference between the readings on the old meter is added to the difference in readings on the new meter to determine the consumption.
What can happen with human error or billing system bug is that the customer is billed for the consumption between readings 1. and 4. above.
If the reading 1. on the old meter was something like 9018920 and reading 4. on the new meter was something like 0000023 then the calculation would be based on the old meter going all the way around to 9999999 then 0000000 and starting over, resulting in a huge bill as in this case.
If your bill does not show all 4 of those readings you should at the very least ask to see them. I have seen this happen often when the new meter is read for the current billing cycle before the meter exchange has been entered into the system or it was entered incorrectly.
Bingo, sounds like the problem and something for others who are currently having their electric companies switch out their meters. Be there, jot down the reading of the old meter (you have the previous bill), jot down the beginning reading of the new meter, keep all those numbers until your bill comes in.
When a meter is changed out the following bill should show 4 readings
1. The last previously billed reading on the old meter
2. The removal reading on the old meter
3. The installation reading (often 0000000) on the new meter
4. The bill period end date reading on the new meter
The difference between the readings on the old meter is added to the difference in readings on the new meter to determine the consumption.
What can happen with human error or billing system bug is that the customer is billed for the consumption between readings 1. and 4. above.
If the reading 1. on the old meter was something like 9018920 and reading 4. on the new meter was something like 0000023 then the calculation would be based on the old meter going all the way around to 9999999 then 0000000 and starting over, resulting in a huge bill as in this case.
If your bill does not show all 4 of those readings you should at the very least ask to see them. I have seen this happen often when the new meter is read for the current billing cycle before the meter exchange has been entered into the system or it was entered incorrectly.
Thank you for the information.
I don't know if that is the issue & only due to the fact that this is not the first bill we've received since the old meter replaced with the smart meter. The previous quarter fell in to the "normal" range for this property.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,553 posts, read 81,067,970 times
Reputation: 57723
Another issue is that quarterly billing is irresponsible. Monthly is best, though many utilities that still read meters with humans do bimonthly to save labor cost. The longer between bills, the longer any hidden leak will be running before you have any indication.
Another issue is that quarterly billing is irresponsible. Monthly is best, though many utilities that still read meters with humans do bimonthly to save labor cost. The longer between bills, the longer any hidden leak will be running before you have any indication.
Unfortunately I have no control over the space in time of the water/sewer billing "charged for" cycle.
Never had an issue with it before (20+ years).
The issue remains that we don't have a hidden leak. The meter wouldn't be reading "normal" for the time between the outrageous bill & the human reading before the changing out of old smart meter to a new smart meter & units used.
I would much rather have quarterly- used to be that way (it was quarterly combined water/trash/sewage) - they split it all out so now instead of 4 bills/yr. I get 24!! I also have to pay more as they charge a min. for water every month whether it is used or not.
Put the water bill in a the name of a separate LLC in the future, kind of ridiculous they city will not allow tenants to put water in their name.
City is only lookout for themselves and knows it easier to collect from a owner vs a tenant. But why should the landlord be liable for the tenants use of water, so so the city can collect. That should be the cities problem as the tenant is the one using the water the contract should be water company with tenant.
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