ComplaintsforPinellas County Utilities

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  During Covid Pinellas County Utilities charged me massive penalties for falling behind on my bill. The second time I fell behind on my bill in June of 2022 due to falling ill from Covid, they disconnected my water, forcing me to go and live with relatives. During this period, they continued to bill me monthly even though my water was cut off. Additionally they began charging me interest. I cannot live in my home without this basic human need - water - and they are insisting I pay nearly $1000.00 to get it reconnected. I am now facing homelessness due to this issue.They refuse to work with me and disconnected my water for a $148 bill despite the fact that they are holding a $215 deposit. All of the utility assistance programs I'm eligible for are unreachable and/or out of funds.They are a municipality that I cannot file a complaint against with the ********************************* or the Secretary of State so I have little recourse and they have zero accountability which is how they get away with and feel comfortable charging people for not using their services.If you read page 2 of the bill, you can see zero usage which I can demonstrate back to June 2022, the interest being charged and the deposit being held.

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  I do not see where this customer was charged massive penalties due to being behind on her payments.  This customer was charged one late fee in January 2020 of $9.81 due to a past due bill.  No other fees were charged during this period.  During September 2021, this customer was charged a late payment fee of $11.46 and a preterm fee of $18.  The late fee was reversed as a one-time courtesy.  She was charged another late payment fee in November 2021 in the amount of $13.45 and a preterm fee of $18.  In addition, we requested a security deposit of $215 due to 2 preterm fees within a 24-month period.  This is standard practice within the Utilities Industry with delinquent account activities.  The deposit is held for a period of two years and released with a good account payment history or applied towards the final bill.  Customer was provided with phone numbers for ********************** for financial assistance.  In January 2022, the customer was charged a late fee of $12.75 and a preterm fee of $18. She was disconnected for non-payment with a fee of $21.  She made payment and was reconnected with a fee of $16. 
  
  In March 2022 we received a partial payment guarantee from Daystar for $115.  We contact this customer by phone and email as a courtesy on June 2, 2022, to make her aware of a small past due balance that needed to be paid prior to June 7th to avoid termination of services.  Payment had not been made, so her services were disconnected on June 7, 2022. A lien was placed on account number ************ under the name of ***************************** as of 01/23/23 due to non-payment with two billing periods,four months, remaining unpaid.  The only fees that have applied to this account is the lien processing fee of $23 and lien interest. We are billing water,sewer, and backflow at this property. The charges billed are base charges only due to no usage.  

   The Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution ***** adopting revised retail billing practices, which included the water base charge for the County water system.  Base charges are assigned to capture the cost to the County for providing water availability to a customer.  We have fixed operational costs that continue whether the water service is on or off.  We assess these costs equally among all customers.  Fees charged to our customers must fund all costs incurred. ****************** is self-supporting,deriving its revenues solely from the services we provide.  Pinellas County Utilities receives no Ad Valorem taxes or any funds from the County General fund.

  Pinellas County Resolution ***** requires that base charges continue to bill to the owner of record until the property changes ownership.  Pinellas County Utilities levies base charges for services provided such as water, sewer, backflow, and reclaimed water.  These charges are part of a customer's bi-monthly bill and do not stop billing when water is disconnected.  The charges continue to bill to the legal owner of the property until a Certificate of Title or Deed is issued to the new owner.  Unpaid Utility charges are lienable and follow the sale of the property from owner to owner.  We will continue to bill this customer the base charges until there is a Certificate of Title or Warranty Deed either of which would indicate a change of ownership. Pursuant to Board approved policy, we will stop billing the base charges as soon as we get proof that the ownership of the property has changed hands.
  
  This customer contacted us on July 3, 2024, regarding her outstanding balance.  We reconnected the water for this customer on July 8, 2024, and offered her an installment plan for the past due balance.  Installment plan No.40000005285 : 12 installments total -11 of them are $76 even 1 of them is $77.25, for a total past due amount of $913.25.   She was advised that if at any time during the installment plan period, her account becomes past due, the installment plan will automatically be deactivated, and she will be responsible for the past due balance in full. 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've been living at the same residence for about 5 and 1/2 years and my water bill is always between $190 and $210 my last billing cycle. It was high because I had a leak in my toilet which I fixed. But now this feeling cycle shows that I used ****** gallons. My bill was five times the normal amount there is a bunch of water company flags down my street and I'm wondering if they did work and it affected my water because the new estimate is out for this next billing cycle and it's back to normal

  Business response

  05/24/2024

  Good Afternoon,  After reviewing your statements, it appears your leak may have started during your statement for 11/15 - 1/16/2024.  That statement showed you used 22K gallons of water.  Your next statement that showed 82K gallons of water used was from 1/17 - 3/14/2024.  Your Most current statement of 3/15 - 5/14 shows you are back to normal with a consumption of 7K gallons.  As stated, you had a leak on your property, when was that leak repaired.  Once repaired, you can submit your invoice of repair, if it was repaired by a professional, or if you were able to make the repair yourself, you can complete the attached statement of repair (please make sure you get it notarized).  You can submit your paperwork to ******************************************** 

  Once we receive the paperwork, we will review to see if you qualify for a leak adjustment on your high bills.

  Please contact us at customer service at ************ if you have further questions.

• Initial Complaint

  05/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are trying to add on to my bill of ****** in which is previous renters. Im not the owner Im just a renter thats now responsible for other people bills. In which puts me in a bad bad spot

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  The customer has been informed correctly of our policy.  All Charges remain with the property.  The customer was advised we could provide him with copies of the invoices that show the previous unpaid balance.  He would need to contact the owner to discuss payment arrangements of the outstanding balance of $254.79.  If the owner is unwilling to pay the outstanding balance, we can work with the customer to allow him to make payments over few months.  He would need to call back into the **************** to make these arrangements at ************.  Attached to the original complaint is the letter the customer received that provides a detailed explanation of the charges.

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sending this informally as I prepare a more formal case for PUC, ********'s office, Attorney general, and consumer affairs. Have tried many times to work with this organization to fix this already.

  Business response

  05/03/2024

  This customer had a leak at their property during their 11/22/2023 - 1/23/2024 bill statement - The overall bill was $775.58 - Customer has already received a credit of $274.10 towards that bill.  This customer was also provided a leak adjustment on the next statement 1/24/2024 - 3/22/2024 of $12.18. This was communicated to ********************** on 4/19/2024 & 4/16/2024.  Total Adjustment ********************** received was $286.28.

  Customer response

  05/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21647702
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  So you are not willing to review this thoroughly and I need to further escalate? Note that the most glaring issue with your statement is as you know, the leak was reported and understood by all parties to be split over two invoices and the total was not the ~$700 you mentioned. It was $1,927.52 ($1,151.94 + $775.58). The leak was clearly located mostly in the period you are apparently not considering from your statement here. This lack of thought and care is why I had to escalate here and will likely need to escalate to the governors office, public utilities commission, and others. I will include these correspondence and mine over email so they can so how unreasonable and careless you have been so far. 

  Note, they have refused to call or share there calculations to help clear this up though I have offered several times to spend my time doing this process with them. Though, as you can see, something is clearly wrong and they just dont care.

  As I mentioned in the extended details that might have not been captured here (for those reading this and further escalations as it is clear Pinellas utilities does not care at all), a representative from their organization and I did the math together on the phone. She lead this conversation and did the math on her end sharing the results. The credit was supposed to be $900! Yet here I am on hour 10 working with them and THEY DONT CARE AT ALL. So frustrating this is what our city does for us :(.

  That being said, I am now seeking a full refund as their billing cycle is far too long and their meter technology is outdated which greatly contributed to the charges here. If they had been applicable to be reasonable and honest, we could have just settled on the $900 credit but this has been a nightmare dealing with this organization which does not care at all and gives the same error riddled thoughtless responses time and time again. Very upset and disappointed in Pinellas leadership appointing those who "manage" this organization.

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  05/15/2024

  I sent your concerns to our billing department to review. They reviewed your statement for 9/22 - 11/21/2023 Total Charges were $1151.94.  A Credit was applied to this statement of $446.30.  Statement for 11/22/2023 - 1/23/2024 was for $775.58.  A Credit was applied towards this statement for $467.17.  Total Credits applied was a total amount of $913.47.  You currently have a credit on your account for $627.19 that can go towards your future statements.

  Customer response

  05/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21647702
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I emailed you 20 or so times asking for someone to work with me on this to get the correct number and I was ignored and give a generic response while wasting my time trying to work with you. Then you gave a similarly careless response to my additional inquiry here. Then miraculously you process the additional $600 dollars without saying anything or acting like anything happened? Please explain why it took so many replies and I was ignored and given inaccurate information for so long and had to escelate and spend so much of my time on this?

  Not to mention, the process for the leak was ****** cumbersome as mentioned I submitted all documentation and it was "not enough" despite meeting every requirement and then some ... then you rejected it without informing me further delaying this month. You made me notarize a document to get you to finally acknowledge the leak which was completely unnecessary as I provided every single element very clearly as described.

  Also, as mentioned you meter is very slow and outdate due to this leak.

  Please process a full refund for the full leaks amount in those months (an additional $700) to acknowledge the failure in your systems and processes here and if you could actually admit something went wrong and you are working to get better at this for your forced customers that would be great.

  Otherwise, I feel i still must submit all of this to FL PUC and FL Gov to ensure others do not meet these same horribly frustrating and unnecessary fates.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pinellas county Utilities, my ****** ******* here in Pinellas County, sent me a late bill/notice, on my Waterbill. I have automatic payment. I have not missed a payment yet. I paid that bill then I get another notice. I called Pinellas County Utilities they added on $57 in fees as well as $290 for a security deposit equaling $459, my water bill is only $60 a month, it is on auto pay, I spoke with **************** Friday. They agreed to allow me to make this months payment in the amount of $155. Thats for approximately three months and get rid of the 459 and all the late fees, which I can prove I do not have, however without informing me today, they took out $459, after I was told Friday they would waive all of that because Ive been a customer of theirs for five years, even when I tried to explain to a supervisor today that I did not even owe them money now theyve double charged me, I have no idea what to do now my bank is overdrafted which is going to be $35 per transaction of overdraft fees because I live on a monthly income and monies are only put in my account every *************************************************************************************************************************** anything. The supervisor was not empathetic would not listen to the recorded call and would not do as they promised me on Friday, can I do anything to resolve this ?

  Business response

  04/26/2024

  This customer was contacted on 4/25/2024.  After reviewing the recorded calls, we reversed the $290.00 deposit on the customer's account.  This will now sit as a credit and will go towards the next billing statement.  The customer was satisfied with this.  No further action is needed.

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  PCU changed the water meter. After this was done many residents complained of enormous water bills. In review of my payments to *** since last June our water bill has never been over 120$ When we were billed this amount we had a plumber come and inspect our home, we had no water leaks at all. Now the bill is back down to the normal amount. We called but go absolutely nowhere with PCU

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  This concern has already been addressed with the ******** in January. Here are the details of the conversation that took place between the ******** and the Billing Supervisor:

  ************************* ********** questioning 3k gallons difference in readings.  Adv ******** the November invoice was reversed and rebilled based on reading provided in January.  Adv 8k cons went through old meter and 21k cons went through new meter.  Account is now back to a normal average as of the January invoice.  Only log note I show that reflects a difference in 3k cons is where the *** advised him the 01/03 reading was 26 and the 01/18 reading was 29.  That just means that 3k cons was used during these periods. Advised ******** the water went through the meter.  I have no work orders showing either GMD or the Contractors were out there and made any repairs.  The high usage stopped around October 21st.  I cannot tell him what changed at his property, I can only tell him what others have found based on my experience.  We cannot offer an adjustment for unexplained water loss.  The readings were verified and the water went through the meter as he can see via Customer Advantage.

  With the account being back to a normal average with no repair done, there is no adjustment that can be given. Per Pinellas County Utilities Policy we do not give adjustments for unexplained water usage. 

  Customer response

  03/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 21442303
  
  I am rejecting this response because: They are at least 100 people that have commented about exuberant water bills after the meter was changed. We did have our home inspected by *********** Plumbing and there were no leaks, drip etc. 

  The response is incorrect, they were suppose to give us a 3000 gallon credit but we did not want that. Something is wrong with PCU for SO MANT people to be complaining.

   

  I would like to know the exact date of the meter change and who was it completed by. I have never had a $500 dollar bill.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business response

  03/29/2024

  The new meter was installed 10/02/2023. It was installed by the Subcontractor ***********. The company Pinellas County hired for the meter install project

• Initial Complaint

  06/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called the Pinellas county utilities to transfer my service. They didnt transfer my service. They made me stop the service and they start a whole brand new service so I moved out of my prior apartment March 31 called April 1 to stop my service and old apartment for the last two months they continue to charge me for an apartment I didnt even live in. I was supposed to get my security deposit back. Just to be informed that I wouldnt be getting my security deposit back because services ended May 9 in an apartment. I didnt even live in started service in a whole new apartment. They had someone illegally continue my service when I called and spoke with the representative. They just said that it wasnt their problem that they have no knowledge or no phone calls of me calling in to cancel my service, which is untrue, I tried to contact through email. No response for months waiting for my security deposit check call them to update my information, because why would they send the security deposit check to an old apartment that I didnt even live in. Told him that whoever lives in the apartment, probably took my check, only to be told that I wasnt getting any money back because they have a water meter reading that showed someone lived in the apartment and I can prove to them I didnt live in the apartment so whoever lives in the apartment was illegally continuing the water, they dont even want to look into it they just say that its my problem because the services were under my name. I told him that the whole fraud and identity theft situation no answers. No nothing no manager who is able to get on the phone no supervisor nobody to sit there and make it make sense, except for the fact that I have to pay for someone elses bill that I dont even know.

  Business response

  06/06/2023

  Good Morning,

   After reviewing the account details and listening to all the incoming calls from the customer, she was supposed to call us back to stop service at her previous property which was reiterated to her at the end of the call on 3/31/23. There is no call from the customer after 3/31/23, until 5/8/23 when we stopped service. However, as a courtesy, we've backdated the move out to the last meter read date of 4/19/23 and reissued a final bill showing a credit of $46.34. Also, there has been no usage at the property since 4/19/23. The refund check of $46.34 will be sent to the customer in about 3-4 weeks.  

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bimonthly water bill from Pinellas County Utilities is more than double the average. This is not the first time. About 6 months ago they did the same thing to me and others in my area. Then they cam back and said it was an error in billing and gave us a lower bill the following month. There customer service is Non-existent. You cant reach them when you call. There is never anyone available. It doesn't matter what time of day or day of the week. The worst thing is we are all hostages of this monopoly. There is no place to get water other than the county.

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Mr. Vilardi received a bill for March 2023.  The March meter read, was a mis-read.  Mr. Vilardi's normal average use is 8,000 - 10,000 gallons of consumption per billing cycle.  Due to the mis-read, the difference was added to the May 2023 billing.  Mr. Vilardi's meter read for his January 2023 billing was also low.  We have no record of Mr. Vilardi contacting Pinellas County Utilities to discuss.

  There is no record of this customer attempting to contact Pinellas County Utilities using phone #'s ************ listed on Mr. Vilardi's account, ************ listed on the BBB Complaint and ************ listed in the notes on the account from a previous contact with PCU in 2020, preventing us an opportunity to explain his billing questions between the months of January 2, 2023 - May 22, 2023.

  Customer response

  05/23/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I changed my phone number but no one is there to answer the phone no matter when you call, how often you call or how  long you let it ring so I believe that the change of my current phone number is not the issue. In addition, why is  the meter being misread? This is not the first time this has happened and I am not alone. It has also happened to my neighbors. The last time the meter was "Misread" I was issued a refund due to over billing. It is unfortunate that we, the consumers have no other choice then to put up with bad customer service.  Afterall, you are a monopoly.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Business response

  05/24/2023

  Good afternoon,

  If you would like to discuss this matter further, please provide your new contact information and a good time to contact you, we would be happy to reach out to you.

  Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  01/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our last billing period shows an excess of ****** gallons of water usage compared to normal, and we were out of town for two week. We have already had a plumber check for leaks, and there are none. Now that I have read over a thousand complaints about this happening to others in Pinellas via social media, Ive decided to report to the Better Business Bureau. It is impossible to call Pinellas County Utilties because the lines are so tied up with complaints.

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  Spoke with customer and reviewed current and past bills. sending field rep out to verify / re-read meter. also discussed our rate increases as of Oct which could be a reason for the increase in bills. Will wait for results of meter re-read then make contact with the customer. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer of ******************, *******************************************, ** Today I received a water/sewer bill of double the amount I have ever received in decades. I was reading and post on Next Door, a neighborhood website for posting issues in the area regarding this exact issue.Many people have spent hours 2+ on the phone and going to their office to discuss the 100% increase in their bill. No one has gotten any satisfaction from this company, they are charging almost $20 to have a meter reader come back and read their meters, the company is sticking with excuses such as the client used that much water or they claim there is a leak in their lines. I find this very disturbing in this day and age of financial struggles for SO many people. I would like the company to listen to its clients as this is so unfair, especially when there is only one source of water available to us. Please advise as to what we can do about such a large issue. The affected neighborhoods are in Seminole, Bellair, Largo, and many others in these areas. Thank you for your time with this request !!!PS. When I dug down to read my meter and take pictures, the window over meter is foggy and you are unable to see the numbers !!!

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  Good Morning, it appears the customer made contact with our office on 2/1/23 in reference to a high bill she received, we asked her to send pics to customer service email address, we will send it out for a re-read at no charge if we're unable to read it - Cust said nothing repaired, no pool fill, no extra company during billing period. Awaiting pictures of meter. If unreadable PCU will send out a re-read at no charge to verify the meter read. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩