Enwin Utilities Invoices Obtuse

Have you ever met anyone who says that their Enwin bill is easy to understand?  When you are trying to interpret your bill do you hold it out about two feet in front of you and slowly rotate it as you try to make sense of it?  Do you ever succeed in doing so?  There cannot be a more obtuse document on the planet. 

Another reader gives us a peak at their Enwin Utilities Bill.  For the record, this bill is for a home identical to the one from the previous post.  It is also located on the same street.  It will be included here for comparison.  This particular bill shows normal usage but as you will see there are some glaring differences in how it is presented.  

Click on Images to Enlarge

Here we are addressing the marked items on the first billing above.  Comparsons between the two will be drawn as we move along. 

Item 1: 
Indicates that in this example there was actual water usage (30 Cubic Meters)


Item 2: 
Also circled and indicated by an asterisk is a line item that doesn't even exist on the second invoice.
A "Debt Retirement Charge" of  $11.09.   What is this and why doesn't it exist on the other invoice?  Remember...These are identical houses on the same street and the same block.


Item 3:
A Water Main Replacement Levy of  $11.17.  This is uninteresting in itself except for one glaring fact:  The second invoice shows the levy as $7.38.  This is supposed to be a fixed charge for a set construction cost.  Some home owners are clearly paying more than others.  Why?   Here is another tidbit:  These mains were replaced 18 years ago.   The mains start at Wyandotte St. to the north and end at Ottawa Street to the south.  Seven blocks total covering 250 residences.  Using the lower of the two figures above ($7.58) spread over 250 dwellings the amount totals $22,740.00 per year.  Multiply that by 18 years and the amount of levies collected to date is $409,320.00. 

$7.58 (Water Main Replacement Levy)

X 250 dwellings on the street

= $1,895 per month

X 12 months

= $22,740.00 (Total Levy payments for one year)

X 18 years (Water mains were replaced 18 years ago)

= $409,320.00

(Amount of Levy paid since 1992)

If we use the higher of the two charges ($11.17) the total amount of levies collected to date is $603,180.00.  This is for a single, straight water supply line.  This question begs asking:  How much did this project cost in the first place?   When do these Enwin customers stop paying the levy?  Is the end nigh?


Item 4:
This is another keeper.  Total Waste Water Charges amount to $69.23.  It is derived from a "Consumption Component" of $55.07 plus a fixed component of $14.16.  Here is the kicker:  Actual water useage amounted to $7.98!  That is almost seven times the amount of the fresh water supply! 

In the end it is apparent that it is impossible to make sense of your Enwin bill.  As we see from these two examples the line item field is not fixed.  Line items such as "Debt Retirement Charge", whatever that is, is completely optional.  The fee for it is probably optional as well.  The levy for the water main replacement should be a fixed component but it is clearly not.  What was the actual cost for this simple project?  From the figures here we know that it is well over a half of a million dollars and climbing.  Enwin charges this
levy to the residents of the blocks affected and then they charge them again with a 116% rate hike for infrastructure replacement.   And once again, who knows what  a "Debt Retirement Charge" applies to.  Does Redundancy start with a capital R?   Last but not at all the least are Waste Water Charges.  Enwin is not simply matching your water consumption component; they are charging Windsorites seven fold.  Talk about gone with the bath water. 

So what are frustrated rate payers supposed to do?  For one thing, the residents who belong to the two invoices above have to call Enwin and get a few things straightened out.  Everyone should review their bills every month for anything that even smells like a discrepnency.  Enwin has to be challenged on every suspect line item.  Call your councilors.  This is an election year so this might make a difference.  Within the next few weeks council is going to be voting on the pending 30% rate hike.  Windsorites have to call them now to let them know that we will not stand for it.  Councilors need to know how their constituents  feel and since they refuse to read blogs YOU have to tell them.  From these two invoices it is easy to deduce that there is a lot wrong at WUC and Enwin.  It's Windsor rate payers who are paying the price.  One man has been jailed so far.  It either gets worse or it gets better. 

Reference:   WINDSOR UTILITIES, ENWIN BILLING

Windsor Utilities, Enwin Continue to Heap Crushing Burden on Ratepayers

We learned from the Windsor Star about a Windsor Man who was arrested for threatening to blow up the Enwin building because he was infuriated about his utilities bill.  He has since been charged with uttering death threats.  It is hard for Windsorites not to empathize with the man.  Reader comments to the Windsor Star article took an immediate and unanymous position against their local utility and their municipal government on this one.  See:  Windsor man arrested...    It gets stranger...

W.U.C. and Enwin have decided that they want to load Windsorites with an additional 30% rate hike.   The burden on  rate payers weighs in at a staggering 116% since 2007 (the 30% increase will be spread out over three years).  

In case anyone has forgotten, the original 86% was explained off as earmarked for replacement of Windsor's aging water supply and sewer infrastructure.  As can be expected there were immediate questions.  Like:  "Windsorites have been paying utility bills since the beginning.  A part of those monies was supposed to go towards infrastructure maintenance and replacement costs along the way.  Why didn't this happen and where did all of that money go?  Why are we, all of a sudden, paying again and why all at once?"  Those observations and concerns were for deaf ears as far as WUC is concerned.  Their rationalle for the latest additional 30% is creative:  "We need it to replace aging infrastructure".    The Mayor's response:   "Pay as we go". 

As it is, people in Windsor are having a hard time with current rates.  Windsor Rate Hikes and Seniors   People have reduced consumption only to find that their bills have doubled.  Orange door tags are being hung in abundance and Enwin is showing little concern.  One Star commenter wrote:  "I'm on the budget plan and often end up paying my bills bi-monthly, but they always get payed in full or overpaid when I pay them.  Needles to say, I get a lot of notices.  I just find it funny that they send threatening notices for an amount less than $400.00 when they have $1000.00 of my money accrued in their account.  What are they really threatening to do, shut off my power and send me a check?  The mere thought just makes me shake my head in bewilderment."  
And this one:  "Is this true...Bright orange piece of not paid your bill paper!  Well aren't they the compassionate ones.  Hope Enwin is proud of themselves, who do they have in their Public Relations Department anyway?  Shame on you Enwin."   So all of this frustration leads us to...

The Big Experiment

A lot of people are very angry with the amount of adders and surcharges on their bills.  What do you think?Take a look at this billing that one reader sent in:

Click on images to enlarge

Pay particular attention to all line items with red markings and numbers.

Item 1:  
Right out of the gate they start with a late fee of .76 cents.  Keep in mind that no electricity was   used and no water was used for at least two months in a row.

Item 2: 
Circled numbers indicate zero usage for both hydro and electricity.

Item 3:
An $11.70 delivery charge to deliver nothing.

Item 4:
A .25 cent regulatory charge???

Item 5:
All of a sudden we have a total electricity charge of $12.55 but no electricity has been consumed.  Instead of "Total Electricy Charge" why don't they call it "Total Added Charges"?

Item 6:
A fixed water meter charge of $16.84.  How much could a meter be worth?  This one is at least 26 years old.  Thats 312 months X $16.84.  Thats $5,254.08 and counting!

Item 7:
A watermain replacement levy of $7.58!  The water main on this particular street was replaced over 20 years ago.  So what do they need extra infrastructure money for?  Why the rate hikes?

Item 8:
Now we have a total water charge of $24.42 but no water was consumed.  Again...Why call this "Total Water Charge"?

Item 9: 
A waste water fixed component of $14.16 even though no water was consumed so none could have been wasted.

Item 10:
Here they have to admit that there was no consumption.  $0.00.   Bet they had to struggle with that.

Item 11: 
Total waste water charges of $14.66.   Maybe this should be called an "Empty Pipe Fee".

Item 12:
A total amount due of $51.89 of which none is hydro or water.  That means that $50.53 (tax and late fee deducted), the entire bill, is just service charges!

Fun With Math Anyone?

It is now safe to assume that each of 83,825 households (2002 statistics) pays at least $50.53 each month without using any water or hydro at all.  That works out to $4,235,677.00 each month!  Times that by 12 months in a year and you get  $50,828,127.00.  Adjusted for the water component alone the number is $38,807,622.  This figure does not include the margins on product/service and it does not include commercial and industrial figures.  No wonder filling the downtown canal with municipal water doesn't make the mayor flinch.   The obvious question on every rate payers mind:  "What is WUC/Enwin and the City of Windsor doing with all of that money and why do they need more"? 

By the way...The average homeowners bill as published in the Windsor Star is $87.46.  How can that possibly be when the above water bill based on zero consumption is $38.58?  There is obviously something in  Windsor's drinking water.

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