Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Seattle City Light Over-billing(s)
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July 22, 2014 at 9:51 pm #612069
pupsarebestParticipantAny other fellow West Seattle folks discover their recent electric bill to be astronomically high?
Our bill was more than twice the amount for the same billing period last year (1084 KwH [2013] vs. 2567 KwH [2014]).
When I called for an explanation, the employee was courteous, but ultimately not very helpful in helping me understand this disparity.
Our bill WAS estimated for this last period, (May 1-July1) but supposedly, estimated bills are to be based on the previous year’s consumption for the corresponding period.
So why is our bill more than twice what we consumed a year ago???
We do not air-condition and strive in every way to conserve electricity.
We live on Gatewood Hill, neighbors next door and across the street also had estimated bills that were much higher than a year ago.
I am just curious how many others are experiencing this phenomenon as well.
July 22, 2014 at 11:57 pm #811315
twobottlesParticipantInteresting. I just received my August bill and it was actually about only 75% of what I would have expected. Maybe you’re paying part of mine? ;-)
I live in North Admiral.
July 23, 2014 at 12:44 am #811316
BearsChickParticipantPlease remember SCL is adjusting their meter read dates this summer, so your current bill is very likely out of cycle from what you’re used to. Could be more than 8 weeks, or it could be significantly less than 8 weeks of service. I just received my first new cycle bill and it was o nly for a little more than a week of service.
July 23, 2014 at 12:48 am #811317
I WonderMemberWe had the exact same thing. Our bill had been estimated each cycle since October (??!!) I never caught it as our bills were relatively pedestrian. But last month it was 2x as much as normal becasue they finally read the meter. So I called and found out it was being estimated b/c the reader said our gate was blocked (it was not, and especially since last Oct.! Somehow it was different this month even though we didn’t do anything different). The thing to look out for is that you don’t get billed at summer rates if the estimate was for the winter months. This to me is some sort of scam in itself. I requested an adjustment based on winter, not summer rates.
July 23, 2014 at 1:14 am #811318
pupsarebestParticipantI understand that eventually, when a proper meter reading is taken, everything will “come out in the wash”—still, I do not really want to front SCL more than twice what I owe them.
These kinds of high/low readings do not engender faith or trust in the accuracy of our bills, regardless of season.
July 23, 2014 at 2:05 am #811319
SemeleParticipantI didn’t realize that SCL had been adjusting their dates. That would explain why my last bill was extremely low(and I mean ridiculously so) and the bill I got last week is more along the lines of what I would see in the winter time. It was almost double what I normally see during the Summer months.
July 23, 2014 at 2:26 am #811320
trickycooljParticipantThanks for the heads up. I just looked at my bill and it’s for 4/30/14-7/1/14 but estimated. I just looked at my digital meter and it’s 300 kWh lower!! I have a digital meter so there isn’t any problem reading it and it’s easily accessible. Frankly I was out of town a ton during this cycle too. Grumble grumble have to call SCL tomorrow morning. Fun!
July 23, 2014 at 4:14 am #811321
queseraMemberI saw your post, opened our bill, and it is also about double. And it’s NOT because it’s for so many more days–this bill is for 56 days, whereas last year at this time they billed for 60. I know I’m not using double the electricity. This is absolutely insane. And I agree, this definitely erodes our trust. Add me to the list of people calling City Light tomorrow! I wish I could bill them for my time–“estimated” to whatever I want it to be, of course.
July 23, 2014 at 4:41 am #811322
JeannieParticipantI guess Mr. Carrasco, City Light boss, has to cover his payments to Brand.com to “improve” his reputation, plus he’s peeved that our mayor didn’t grant him a hefty raise after all.
“Seattle City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco has issued an abject apology over recent “mistakes,” including the theft of copper wire from the utility, as well as inept handling of a recent, pending, substantial increase in his $245,000-a-year salary.”
July 23, 2014 at 5:28 pm #811323
trickycooljParticipantThis is maddening!
Called City Light (206-684-3000), Press 2 for Billing, Press 5 for Disputes, Press 1 for high/estimated bills = Recording, see our website.
Called City Light (206-684-3000), Press 2 for Billing, Press 5 for Disputes, Press 4 for information on disputing a bill = Recording, see our website.
See website instructions on how to dispute a bill: If you have questions and/or disputes about your bill or utility procedures, you have the right to confer with a representative at (206) 684-3000….Step 1: Contact us right away: a charge is not considered in dispute until you have contacted us.
It’s a feedback loop! They clearly don’t want us contacting them. Next step, mash zero until someone answers the phone.
Edit: sent a dispute to this link: https://seattle-p1csrprodcwi.motorolasolutions.com/ServiceRequest.mvc/SRIntakeStep2?id=CLGENINQ&templateid=&guid=18ee7074267b4a25aa02094ce1aff001&srID=
Also, their “estimate” is using a 38% increase in daily kWh. Guess they are trying to pay Carrasco’s bills.
July 23, 2014 at 9:09 pm #811324
JeannieParticipantSince City Light and Mr. Carrasco don’t give a —- about our concerns, try contacting the mayor or even Jesse Jones or perhaps the Seattle Weekly, since they broke the news about Carrasco’s corruption. It isn’t the kind of “sexy” story that the media loves, but City Light is likely hoping we’ll just shut up and pay.
July 23, 2014 at 9:29 pm #811325
queseraMemberThey are estimating a 38% increase?! What the…? Did my household acquire a new person I don’t know about? Where did that number come from?
July 23, 2014 at 10:17 pm #811326
trickycooljParticipantMy usage last year for this period was 17 kWh/day. This year they estimates over 23 kWh! Even more frustrating is that during this billing period I was in Europe for two weeks (I unplugged nearly everything in the house except appliances) and I have spent two weekends in Portland. I haven’t added anything major, no AC, same ceiling fan. No major electronics changes nothing new. I know there was a dollar increase on the rates but my usage should be the same or less and they’ve over stayed it by 400 kWh or more for this billing period, just based on a quick meter read last night which is now 23 days past my billing cycle. This bill cost wise is almost on par with a winter bill. So frustrating. Makes me want one of those meters that broadcasts the readout to the utility so they can’t lie on their estimations. They did this to me once in my old apartment complex where my bill doubled to over $200 in the summer. I suspect they didn’t read each unit’s meter correctly. I read it myself with help of the complex manager and called them out. They made me pay the high bill anyway and tried to blame it on house guests or more laundry using more hot water spiking the electric bill. But then the next month my bill was a mysterious $6. Six whole dollars. They screwed something up and never admitted to what. Probably happening again.
July 23, 2014 at 10:26 pm #811327
queseraMemberI just talked to City Light. The rep was very helpful and confirmed that our meter was misread by one number. She corrected our bill down $100, so it seems like it’s back where it belongs. Maybe a meter reader needs to be re-trained?
July 23, 2014 at 11:32 pm #811328
trickycooljParticipantHey thanks for giving me the hope there was a person on that phone number! I just stayed on the line pretending I didn’t have a touchtone phone. :)
When I said the read was way high, they took my read from yesterday and put it in the computer. I had 2 choices, send someone out to do a read and make an adjusted bill (good choice if you’re under estimated) or pay current bill and have a really low one next actual read (good choice if it’s in your budget). I went with the 2nd option since it’s only the price of a winter bill and doesn’t hurt the pocket book just comes as a big surprise with time away and warm weather. Bottom line ALWAYS check your meter when it’s estimated. And here’s hoping the new meter route I’m on is a little more frequent and accurate. That’s one phone call chore done for the day…
July 24, 2014 at 3:02 am #811329
JeannieParticipantAs Carrasco said to Councilwoman Sawant during a hearing today, “Mistakes were made.” (which, by the way, is the weasel-speak for “I screwed up.”)
July 24, 2014 at 4:14 am #811330
I WonderMemberBe sure your final bill is being calculated under the proper season also.
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