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.  

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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