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Utility Billing Policy & Procedures (City of Hickory)

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City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
Utility Billing Policy & Procedures
Objective: To bill for utility service accurately and promptly, and to take timely and
reasonable actions to collect past due amounts.
Scope: All utility customers are billed by the City of Hickory. A utility is defined
as water service, sewer service, and/or sanitation services.
A. Utility Billing Set Up
1. Initial Contact. Upon receiving a request for new utility service from an
industry or from a residential customer, the Public Utilities Department is
responsible for determining meter size and for placing the meter. The
Billing and Collections Division is responsible for having the customer
complete the application, collect the appropriate deposit amount, and
complete set up of the customer account.
2. Application. A completed application for service must be received and
reviewed for completeness by the Billing Coordinator prior to installation
of new service or releasing responsibility of prior customer if residence is
sold, transferred, or leased to a new tenant. An application is reproduced
in Appendix 1.
Any customer who is not the property owner must provide the above
information plus a current photo ID, and a lease agreement (which
includes the service address and the term of the agreement) signed and
dated by the tenant and the landlord.
3. Customer Deposit. The purpose of a customer deposit is to try to ensure
that all utility charges are collected, which helps keep rates from unduly
increasing for those customers who do pay their bills.
i. Any person requesting utility service who has previously had an
unpaid bill charged off by the City will be required to repay this
amount, plus pay a deposit.
ii. Any other person requesting utility service will be required to pay
an initial deposit based on the requested services.
iii. The City has the right to apply the customer deposit to unpaid
utility charges after an account is more than 60 days past due. If
all or any portion of a customer deposit is applied to past due
charges, and the customer continues to receive utility services, the
City may require the customer to replenish deposit amounts at the
discretion of the Finance Officer.
4. Refund of Deposit. The City reserves the right to retain deposits
indefinitely to assure payment of utility charges. No interest will be paid
upon deposited amounts. However, the City may elect to refund deposits
in the following situations provided the account is at a zero balance:
i. After 60 consecutive months of payments received on time and
without instances of returned payments of any type; or
City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
ii. Upon customer request for termination of service and City
determination that either the residence or business will remain
vacant or another responsible person has applied for service; or
iii. Other circumstances satisfactory to the Finance Officer that all
future utility bills will be paid in their entirety and in a timely
manner.
The City retains the option of effecting refunds in cash or applying to
outstanding or future utility charges. No interest will be credited to any
deposits. No refunds will be made for amounts less than $1.00.
5. Transfer or Disconnection of Service. A customer will remain
responsible for any utility charges until a properly completed Application
for Termination or Transfer of Service is accepted by the Customer
Service Representative. A copy of this form is reproduced in Appendix 2.
A Public Utilities Department staff member may visit a location where
service has been terminated without a new customer assuming
responsibility to verify that the location is and remains vacant. The
property owner of record is responsible for any utility consumption that
occurs on an inactive account.
B. Utility Billing Procedures
1. Billing.
a. Bills shall be prepared monthly for each billing cycle.
b. Bills are due 20 days from the billing date. Payment may be
made by check, money order, bank ACH draft, in cash at the
Collections counter, or by any other means offered by the
City.
c. All bills not paid within 30 days are subject to cutoff. If
payment is not received by the 30
th
day at 5 pm, a late fee
will be added to the customer’s account, and the account is
subject to disconnection.
d. If a bill is returned to the City of Hickory by the post office
as undeliverable, the customer service representative shall
make all reasonable efforts to obtain a forwarding address
and correct the address in the Utility records. In the event
that the bill becomes delinquent, the customer service
representative shall follow the collection efforts below.
e. It is the customer’s responsibility to contact the City of
Hickory in the event that they do not receive a bill within 45
to 60 days of initiating service, or within 35 days of their
previous bill.
f. Payments will be applied to customer accounts in the
following order: fees and miscellaneous charges, sanitation
charges, sewer charges, water charges.
City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
2. Returned payments.
a. All checks returned for uncollected or insufficient funds will be
presented to the customer’s bank twice before contacting the customer
for replacement.
b. Bank drafts and other payment types will only be presented once, and
if returned, the customer will be contacted immediately. The customer
will also be removed from the bank draft service.
c. Customers will be contacted by telephone first, if possible. The
administrative assistant will also send a letter notifying the customer of
the event and requesting replacement funds or alternative payment
arrangements.
d. Customers presenting checks and drafts which are not honored by their
banks will be assessed a charge to reimburse the City staff
administrative time in accordance with the fee schedule in effect at
that time. Any such fees will be added to the account and must be paid
with other past due charges in order to continue Utility service.
e. Customers who do not make good any returned checks or bank drafts
and applicable fees will be considered to have not made any payment,
and will be subject to procedures for the collection of past due Utility
charges.
3. Collection of Past Due Utility Charges.
a. Accounts 30 days past due. A cut off notice will appear on your bill if
the account is 30 days past due. No second notices will be given. If
payment is not received by 5 pm the day before the cutoff date noted
on the bill, a late fee in accordance with the fee schedule in effect at
that time will be added to the customer’s account. The account will
then be disconnected.
b. Accounts over 90 days. If payment is not received within 90 days, the
City may take one or more of the following actions, based upon the
judgment of the Finance Officer as to the most optimum method of
securing payment:
1. The billing coordinator may forward the name, address, and
balance due to the City’s attorney who will prepare a collection
letter explaining the legal consequences of non-payment.
2. The terms of the nonpayment may be communicated to any or all
of the nationally recognized credit reporting agencies.
3. Customer may be denied access to Utility services.
4. If a sewer-only account is cut-off, Public Utilities staff will leave a
door hanger at the service address noting the date of disconnection,
which must be at least one business day after placement of the
notice. Public Utilities staff will use spray paint to mark the
service connection location in the right-of-way for the dig-up crew.
If the customer wishes to reinstate service, the current tap fee must
be paid for replacement of the sewer tap in addition to payment of
all past charges.
City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
5. Remaining balances on terminated accounts may be transferred to
a customer’s active utility account for collection of charges due.
4. Extended Payment Option. If a customer cannot pay the entire amount of
past due charges at one time, the Finance and Collections Manager may arrange
with the customer to make partial payments over a specified period of time based
on account standing. If a customer does not honor the extended payment
schedule, the City may disconnect Utility service or take any other legal action to
collect past due charges.
C. Consideration of Credits and Refunds
1. Refunds.
No refunds less than $1.00 will be made on a customer’s account.
2. Credits.
a. Filling Swimming Pools
Credit may be extended for one filling of a swimming pool per
calendar year.
Full credit may be given for pools that have their meters properly
checked before and after the pool is filled. Consumption must be
500 cubic feet or more Above Normal Consumption to qualify for
a pool adjustment. (Above normal consumption is determined by
subtracting the high water consumption from the billing period
when the pool was filled, from an established average based on
previous billing periods).
b. Maintenance Problems
The City of Hickory may allow credit for Utility charges resulting
from leaks on the customer’s side of the meter.
1. Credit may be extended to the customer’s account only once in a
12 month period
2. The customer must provide to the City of Hickory a bill for
repairing the leak(s). This must be accompanied by a statement
confirming that a leak (or multiple leaks) had been repaired, and a
description describing where the leak(s) occurred.
3. The City of Hickory does not repair leaks on the customer’s side of
the water meter.
4. No credits or adjustments of $5.00 or less will be given unless the
cause for the credit or adjustment is an error by the City of
Hickory.
c. Contractor Adjustments.
Sewer and solid waste fees will be adjusted from a licensed contractor
account while a building is under construction. The contractor will
only be required to pay for the base water and consumption charges.
This credit will be terminated after six months, or when a Certificate
of Occupancy is issued, whichever comes first.
City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
Appendix 1 – Application for Service – Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Fee Services
Property and Applicant Information:
1) Full name, mailing address, home telephone and business telephone numbers of
responsible party receiving service (if married, provide name of spouse):
Name:__________________________________
If business, name of contact: ______________________________________
If married, name of spouse: _______________________________________
Billing address: _________________________________________________
City ____________________ State _________ Zip _______
Home phone: ____________________ Business phone: ________________
2) Street address of property receiving service:
Street: ________________________________ City: ___________________
Customer Billing Information:
PLEASE NOTE:
A. Utility Charges are the legal responsibility of the above party. A customer
will remain responsible for any utility charges until a properly completed
Application for Termination or Transfer of Service is accepted by a City
of Hickory Collections Customer Service Representative.
B. In addition to legal action against the responsible party, failure to pay such
charges when due may result in disconnection of service.
C. Original bills for Utility service will be mailed to the responsible party, at
the address specified on this form.
Customer’s Approval:
The undersigned certifies that the above billing contact information is correct,
he/she has read and understands paragraphs A, B and C under the section
captioned “Customer Billing Information” and he/she has received the new
customer packet of information detailing our Policy & Procedures.
Print Name: _______________________________________________
Signature: __________________________________________ Date: ______________
For City Use Only:
Customer ID# ____________________ Location ID# ________________________
Employees Initials __________ Date Received _______________________
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City of Hickory, North Carolina
Utility Billing Policy and Procedures
Appendix 2 – Application for Transfer or Termination of Service
Customer Name: ____________________________________________________
Service Address: ____________________________________________________
Home Phone # __________________Daytime Phone # ________________
Account #___________-____________
I hereby wish to:
____ Terminate service (Water, Sewer, & Solid Waste Fee Services)
Date Utility Service to be discontinued: ___________________________
• Monday – Friday
• The City provides next day service–same day services are not available
• Must be a future date-terminations will not be backdated
Address to mail final bill and/or deposit
refund as applicable: ____________________________
____________________________
Note: Your Utility deposit will be applied against your final bill and you will receive a
refund or bill for the difference.
_____ Transfer service to another location (Water, Sewer, & Solid Waste Fee Services)
Date OLD service to be discontinued: ___________________________
• Monday – Friday
• The City provides next day service-same day services are not available
• Termination must be a future date-terminations will not be backdated
NEW Utility service location: ____________________________
Date NEW Utility service effective: ____________________________
• Monday – Friday
• The City provides next day service-same day services are not available
New billing address: _____________________________
_____________________________
I hereby certify that the above information is true and accurate.
_______________________________ ________________________
Signature Date
_______________________________
Printed Name
COLLECTIONS FAX (828) 431-4593 Employees Initials_________
Date Received_____________
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Completed 23 January 2021

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