Crazy Water Bills After New Battery Installed

**Valley Twin** · 08-29-2012, 06:25 AM

Anyone else having this problem? Itron installed the new battery on my water meter in late June or early July. Get my bill in late July and see that it's four times what it normally is. Check the interwebs and see that the amount of water they say I used is enough to supply a small industrial company.

Called PWD and they asked if the blue dial was spinning (which would signify a leak). It's not. The reading on the meter isn't even close to the one reported on my new crazy bill. More importantly, the initial reading on my bill doesn't match the final reading on my previous bill.

Nice lady at PWD says she'll have someone call me to set up an appointment to come look at the meter (still waiting for that almost 4 weeks later). Meanwhile, find out that at least three other homeowners on my block got outrageous bills as well. We're talking little old ladies living alone getting bills for $350 a month - and it's not just "catch up" because their batteries weren't reporting right, they're getting $300+ monthly usage for two months running now. All have called PWD and all have been told they'll investigate, but unlike me, they were told that "investigate" means they'll have the accounting department look into it.

WTF?

**StrangeTanks** · 08-29-2012, 06:49 AM

PWD stinks. I'm currently involved in a dispute with them. Renovated a house, of course the plumbing was stolen before I bought it. Had a new water meter installed. 3 years later I get an "estimated" bill for close to $2000. Called in to dispute the bill. Itron replaced the battery. Eventually PWD sent an investigator, oh yeah I see the problem, the meter was installed backwards.

Its been about a year and a half since I first started the dispute, finally having my hearing next month.

**StrangeTanks** · 08-29-2012, 06:49 AM

You might want to try calling the PA utility commission.

**D-man** · 08-29-2012, 08:19 AM

My bills have been normal after my battery replacement. I believe they did more than just replace the battery. I watched the Itron guy as he was working in my basement and he removed the entire "gauge" from the meter and replaced it with a new one. I don't know if they did this to everybody.

Valley Twin - It sounds like your problem may be related to an installer error. If multiple people on your block are experiencing the same problem, it probably has to do with the installer that was working in your area.

**JasonMcElroy** · 08-29-2012, 09:10 AM

So glad I saw this.

Just got a bill that was double the usual amount and we're really water conscious, trying to conserve as much as possible. Was wondering what happened.

Now I recall that they "changed the battery" about six weeks ago.

Sadly, life is too short to f uck with these clowns for weeks and weeks, having endless phone calls and arguments over $60.

Guess I'll pay it and shut up for now. We'll see what the next one looks like.

Jason

**sullivjo** · 09-04-2012, 09:30 PM

Ours went up but we attributed it to watering the garden and me being off during the summer and home during the day. We did however notice there seems to be a pattern in the graph on the bill that just seems too coincidental for our readings to be an actual usage and not an estimated usage.

**O.H. Lee** · 09-04-2012, 09:46 PM

Just before they do anything to your meter, make a note of the reading. Even better take a photo of it. After they are done take note of the reading and a photo.

Compare these readings with your next bill

**StrangeTanks** · 09-11-2012, 11:33 AM

Well, just got done with my hearing with water revenue. What a joke. Basically its a mickey mouse hearing where they will make up any excuse to charge you as much as they can.

Basically, they said, "since we installed your meter backwards, we can estimate your water usage at whatever we want. Even if thats 5 or 6 times what normal usage would be." "Its not our responsibility to make sure your meter is behaving correctly its yours, and you should have called to complain."

**Burholme06** · 09-11-2012, 11:55 AM

What were your bills like while the meter was installed backwards? Zero?

**StrangeTanks** · 09-11-2012, 01:58 PM

I receive a giant pile of water bills every month. I just add it all up and write a check.

I saw the list of meter readings and yes, it was going backwards since 2008, but it doesn't appear as though it was reading correctly. Water usage was something like 10000ccf per month. In 2011 they decided the estimated usage would be something like 8ccf per month. Which is freakin crazy, its a one bedroom house with a single woman living in it.

I'm filing an appeal and filing a complaint with the utility commission.

**HammRadio** · 09-11-2012, 02:27 PM

we noticed a doubling of the bill last month. Thought it might have been increased usage: Flowers but we were on vacation for a whole week during that month. We did notice our stormwater charge was 50% of the bill. The PWD changed how they are calculating the stormwater charge... its based on your gross area * rate plus impervious area * rate of your Parcel. (in july they took 75% and added it to 25% of a metered rate...) next year it will increase to 100% of the parcel rates... for us this coincided with the battery replacement... unfortunately we don't have copies of previous bills at hand to verify the difference. will check that out later... also a note that in October rates will increase something on average of an additional 4 bucks a month. So prepare for that... I thought it was interesting that the PWD is offering a Stormwater assistance program... likely because of the doubling of the bills.... here's a link on the stormwater: City of Philadelphia

**Politburo** · 09-11-2012, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by HammRadio

we noticed a doubling of the bill last month. Thought it might have been increased usage: Flowers but we were on vacation for a whole week during that month. We did notice our stormwater charge was 50% of the bill. The PWD changed how they are calculating the stormwater charge... its based on your gross area * rate plus impervious area * rate of your Parcel. (in july they took 75% and added it to 25% of a metered rate...) next year it will increase to 100% of the parcel rates... for us this coincided with the battery replacement... unfortunately we don't have copies of previous bills at hand to verify the difference. will check that out later... also a note that in October rates will increase something on average of an additional 4 bucks a month. So prepare for that... I thought it was interesting that the PWD is offering a Stormwater assistance program... likely because of the doubling of the bills.... here's a link on the stormwater: City of Philadelphia

Stormwater rate for residential properties is based on city averages, not your actual property details. The charge is $11.06 and was added in July 2010. Not sure why that page doesn't make it clear.. see http://www.phila.gov/water/Stormwater/pdfs/Res_FAQ.pdf

**JasonMcElroy** · 09-12-2012, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by Politburo

Stormwater rate for residential properties is based on city averages, not your actual property details. The charge is $11.06 and was added in July 2010.

Well, my last bill shows a stormwater charge of $27.32, which is roughly 50% of the bill. This is for a small twin in Germantown.

Jason

**Politburo** · 09-12-2012, 10:57 AM

Weird, it seems like you're getting charged the 75% of SWMS for non-residential properties <5,000 sqft (but not the corresponding 25% of meter-based charge). That was the only way I got ~$27.

Regardless, this is not correct, see Regulation 304.2.. note also that PWD's map has you at the $13.66 ($11.06 flat rate + $2.60 billing fee).

http://www.phila.gov/water/pdfs/PWD_Regulations.pdf
PWD Stormwater Map Viewer | Philadelphia Water Department

**JasonMcElroy** · 09-12-2012, 12:44 PM

Thanks for the link to the regulations. That'll come in handy.

Still going to just wait and see what the next bill looks like before wasting any time on this.

Dealing with Phila-based utilities and offices makes my skin scrawl and adds greatly to my accumulated frustration (i.e. - make me into more of a dick than I care to be).

Thanks again,
Jason

**paul100** · 09-12-2012, 09:47 PM

For everyone with a higher then normal bill, please check your bill carefully. Last month my bill seemed high, almost double. It turns out the bill is for a two month period. This two month bill was for the period right after they changed the battery. I just got my current bill and it is just for one month.

**roxyfoxy** · 09-14-2012, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by paul100

For everyone with a higher then normal bill, please check your bill carefully. Last month my bill seemed high, almost double. It turns out the bill is for a two month period. This two month bill was for the period right after they changed the battery. I just got my current bill and it is just for one month.

But why is it for 2 months? We paid our July bill, and we just got a bill for July AND August combined!

**manayunkmom** · 09-14-2012, 09:29 AM

My water bills always averaged about $60.00 - $65.00 per month. Since I have had the new battery installed I have received two bills. The first one was for $87.00 and the one that I just received yesterday was for $96.00. The bill that I received yesterday was for July 28 through August 30. MM