Citizens Utility Board Intern Details Why You Should Always Analyze Your Utility Bill
On average, the typical electric utility customer is not aware of all the charges inside the utility bill he or she is paying for. If you are like me, you will get the bill in the mail every month, open it, be upset about how high it is, and call to pay your bill before they threaten to cut it off.
Last month, I decided to take my electricity bill to the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) to use it as a demonstration for a presentation. My boss pointed out an expense that she did not recognize, nor did I. I had been charged $16 for “uncleared check.” Might I add that I have never paid with a check in my life, I always call and pay using my account and routing info. For safety purposes I always write down the confirmation number in case a discrepancy should ever come up.
This unknown $16 charge gave me cause to pause, so when I went home that day I called my electric company. Before I could give customer service an earful, the employee told me: “Sorry, we made a mistake. We will take it off.” I was happy to save $16, but that got me thinking; How often do they make mistakes? How many consumers pay extra because they “made a mistake?” and why are we as consumers not aware of what we are paying for?
This boils down to: think twice before you pay. James Joyce, an Irish novelist once said, “Mistakes are the portals to discovery.” As you receive your next months bill, open it and discover before you pay. It’s worth it, even if you get to save a little bit of money, or correct the mistake.
If you see something unusual on your bill and can’t get it resolved, give us a call at 651-300-4701.
CUB is here to help.
