WOWZERS!!!!!!!!! Imagine my shock when I am told I have a $4,700.00 utility bill!!!!!!!!! For me to have $4,700 utility bill, ALL of the following things would have to happen:
1) My heater or air conditioner on 24/7, 20 degrees higher or lower than the outside temperature;
2) All of my water systems dripping, leaking, cracked pipes and gushing out into the street;
3) My gas line being ruptured all month and gas flowing out into the atmosphere;
4) Steven, Vivian and I taking 5 baths a day and leaving the water running all day;
5) Have every electric system in our house plugged in, running and going 24/7, which includes leaving all lights in the house on, 24/7.
And then, even if we did ALL of that, for a one month period, I still don’t think I would have a $4,700 bill!
I did not get my utility bill this month and, upon a disconnect notice in mailbox yesterday, I called to see what was going on. I checked my Excel Spreadsheet and noted that I did not receive a bill, but that I had the funds allotted waiting on the bill to come in. So, upon the getting the disconnect notice, I called the City of Alexandria Utility Department to let them know that I have the money to pay my bill, it was just that I did not get a bill this month.
So, I called and imagine my surprise when they told me that my bill last month was $4,700!!!!!! The lady said that it could not possibly be right and saw that my meter was re-read, so she recalculated my bill (I heard her tap-tap-tapping on the calculator) now I only owe $1,017.00….what??? My bill has never, ever, ever been that high! So, I went to the Utility Office and sat there a while to talk to one of the supervisors. After seeing two people and waiting a while, a supervisor came out and she asked me why I did not come in after getting the $4,700 bill (like this is my fault) and I informed her that I never got it. I received a rather short typed notice that some utility bills were sent out in error, but I trashed it, not thinking about it, waiting on my bill to come in. After all was said and done, she assumed that someone saw that my bill was $4,700 and pulled it and sent someone out to re-read the meter. It was re-read, but no new bill was sent out. Then, looking closer, over $500 was penalties and late fees from the $4,700 not being paid. They forgot to adjust the bill to take those penalties off. I never got a bill so how could I be penalized for not paying it?
They were nice about it, for once. But she kept telling me that I should have called in….that I should have asked for a bill….that I should have known something was wrong…. hmmm….. I always pay my utility bill when I receive it, so usually it is paid 2 weeks before the due date. So, I did not think it odd to not get a bill, I just assumed I had already paid it. In my Excel Spreadsheet, based on my usage from last year, I have that amount held out in my budget waiting on the bill to come in. If they don’t send me a bill, how will I know what to pay and when to pay? Whatever…………
So, after all was said and done, my bill was reduced from $4,700 to around $500. That is a BIG difference….lol….. I still didn’t get a copy of my bill to compare my usage to last year’s usage. When I asked for a copy of it, you would have thought that I was stupid based on the looks I got. I told them I like to see my usage from year to year and I base my budget calculations as such. Still got a stupid look. I didn’t push my luck. I paid my bill, and left. I just hope none of that stuff appears on next month’s bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Andrea
Perpetual Renovator 