ComplaintsforUtility Billing West, L.L.C.

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The boiler in our apartment building has been inoperable for the last 3 months, and it was a significant source of gas usage in our apartment building. Since then, we were told to expect a decrease in our gas costs because of this issue. However, not only have our gas prices increased over this period, but I also cannot obtain a broken-down gas bill from this company to validate the costs that they are asking me to pay. They are stating that because I am not the landlord of the property, they cannot give me any information on my gas usage despite them being the company that determines how much I am supposed to pay. All they will give me is a piece of paper stating that the dollar amounts that I owe them for each service.

  Business response

  03/12/2024

  Hello,

  This resident has also raised this concern with ***************************.  We have been supplying them info on this matter as well.   Please see the outlined info below.  We have copies of residents bills/credits/community usage and other items too.   ************** has been working directly with this resident to assist in the issue as the hot water boiler is a very unique item and requires one off replacement parts to repair.  Because of this they have supplied heaters for all units as well as offered to pay for any utility increases due to those added heaters.  Resident has received ****** credited to their ledger to date plus a credit for the increased electric usage.  According to the management reporting their electric bill has increased ~***** versus prior year and that has also been credited to their account.  

  I have pasted below the dialog response between *************************** and *******.  I know that management is either drafting a response or working on that draft too.   Please let me know if you have any questions.  

  __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  Hello ****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out with the residents concerns.   My team has been working with management/ownership to determine the best route of correction here.  As the resident stated, the boiler went down on 12/7/2023.  This boiler only services the heating of hot water for radiant heating.  This means the hot water within the unit for showers, dishes, laundry, etc was still 100% operational.  This boiler is custom and because of this it requires that they get custom replacement parts from the manufacturer.  Mgmt has been working with Platinum Mechanical to get this boiler back up but they are still waiting on the manufacturer to supply the correct parts.  The ownership has supplied in unit heaters to help resident keep/maintain a comfortable home while this is being fixed.  Ownership/mgmt. is also working with residents to issue credits for increased electric usage for the increased usage with the addition of space heaters.  
  
  This community is participating with equal pay for gas billings thru the year.  The reason for this is there is a very large fluctuation in usage +/- thru the seasons and this keeps residents bills more steady without as much movement in their billing.  As an example, seasonal low usage in 2023 was 170 CCF with a high usage of 3279 CCF.  This is essentially 19x from summer usage into winter usage.  Because of the payment of the Budget Amount from *************** it takes a little longer for lower usage to be realized in the sites master metered invoices.  After the 3/1/2024 due dated bills were mailed out to the residents, management decided to issue a credit on the gas and also credit the 4/1/2024 due dated gas too.   The credit for the 3/1 due dated billing was applied to their ledger on 3/6/2024 in the total of -57.10.  The 4/1/2024 due dated billing also has a gas credit on it at a 100% discount.   These credits were applied to 100% of the units for the 3/1 & 4/1 due dated billings along with the credits that ownership is giving for increased electric usage with electric heaters.  
  
  The ownership is doing all they can to get these boilers back up and pushing heat.  Because of the uniqueness of this water boiler it is not just as simple as with most heating devices.  ************** is in constant and consistent contact with Platinum Mechanical about the replacement parts and their arrival.   Management has also been constantly in contact with this resident about her complaints.  It is always the goal to make each and every residents home one they are proud of and want to come home to each day/night. 
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I moved into my apartment April 11 2023 prior to me moving in I was given a lease in which I signed and on the lease was a document that stated what my utility bill would be monthly between 70$-180$ for all utilities . After moving in after the first month I have been billed for over 400$ in utilities. When I reached out to the manager here at the property several times she stated I would need to contact the utility company. Which I did and did not get a phone call back. I was then served a 5 day notice for non payment of utilities. I then received utility assistance to cover 3 months of utilities to cover May-June June-July and July-August. Yesterday i received my next utility bill and it is almost 500$. So again I reached out to management here at the property letting them know that this is again impossible for me and 3 small children in an apartment we don’t use much electricity. Management emailed me today stating that utility’s aren’t based off of one’s usage in a unit that it is divided equally between all tenants and if units aren’t occupied our bill increases. This is not what I was told when I moved into the apartment I was told I would be paying $70-180$ a month for utilities which is the main reason I moved into these apartments this is unjust and false advertising I am a single mother of 3 children I feel I’ve been manipulated and lied to in order to secure a lease contract and this is wrong

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  This company has completely inconsistent billing practices and has no transparency with their billing rates. They charge over four times the average billing rates for water/sewage/trash than anywhere else in Salt Lake City. They do not provide actual water usage amounts or a full breakdown of the billing charges. They are outright overcharging and ripping people off.

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I am writing this complaint about the water bill that’s provided by this company. I live in a one bedroom apartment no washer an dryer connection. My water bill 130$ literally keeps going up every month. Water should be a set price not fluctuate. How are they even reading that meter to know what to charge you monthly? Can someone explain this ? It’s a big Scam. An I want to be reimbursed. I have been depressed and sick an overwhelmed because of a water bill! It’s ridiculous… how can apartment run off one meter ? Why don’t I have my own account to discuss my bill. Who am I really paying ?

• Initial Complaint

  03/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  This company is horrible, I called back on February because my water bill went from $115 to $280 and I live in a one-bedroom apartment. I compared my water bill with a two-bedroom apartment, and we are paying the same amount. I called to get an explanation on why my bill had doubled the amount. They gave me no explanation, was being rude and kept saying there could have been a percentage of increased but did not know why or how much. The person kept going on trying to give me some excuses but did not know what she was talking about. This place is fraud, stealing tenants' money charging us so much money whenever they like. Makes sense why they have horrible reviews! This place needs to be shut down or be looked at, not even LAPWD chargers this much for water bill in a one-bedroom apartment. My water bill is basically what a person that owns a home. This is ridiculous! This this to be solved.

• Initial Complaint

  12/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I live in The Park Apartments in Columbia, SC. The complex is using Utility Billing West as a 3rd party company for our water bill. I keep receiving water bills that are extremely high and do not add up to the amount of water that is being used in my apartment. They are over charging people. I’m barely home and yet my water bill is almost close to $200 and I don’t have a washer and dryer. I was gone an entire month and received a water bill off of $170 how is that possible. At this point my water bill is higher than my light bill which is very unusual. They need to be investigated they are committing fraud by overcharging people.

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I currently live in an apartment complex where this company takes care of the utilities billing, myself and each of my neighbors are being charged triple of what the average standard is for their bills in water electricity and sewer and trash. i contacted the property management company as they have been getting multiple complaints as well and dont know why our utility bill is so high. Our complex is rise at the preserve at **** * ******** *** phoenix arizona 85021. Myself and all of my neighbors are being charged upwards of 160 dollars for water, and according to all other companies providing utilities should be no more then 50-70 dollars a month depending on peak seasons. We believe they are commiting fraud to not only the tenants but the property management company as well.

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  RE: Tides*****************. Tides at Cave Creek on your bill. It's Tides on Cave Creek Owner, LLC. I never received my 2/17/2022 to 2/28/2022 utility bill with names of utility companies used, address and phone number, utility addendum, and method of submetering or allocation or method for creating rubs ARS 33-1314.01 G). I paid Tides on Cave Creek Owner, LLC on 3/29/2022 rent and utilities for the entire month of April 2022 and your $15.00 set up fee for a total of $44.54. Did you receive my $44.54? I need a receipt. Please email me that receipt at ***********************************. You never sent me my 3/1/2022 to 3/31/2022 itemized bill. Today is 4/17/2022. Please send me my bill. How am I to pay my bill, when you don't send me my water, sewage, and trash bill? Please mail and email me my bills each month on time.

*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. ↩