Clarksdale Public Utilities general manager Curtis Boschert listened to issues customers expressed at community meetings by concerned citizens.
Boschert acted on those concerns during Tuesday’s board meeting by proposing two changes in the standard operating procedure. The proposals were unanimously approved.
The first involved the Pic-A-Due Date program where customers can choose when their bills are due. The program assessed a one-time charge of $1 and a monthly fee of $10 in the past. Those charges no longer exist and anyone can now join the program at no cost.
The other change is there will now be no service charge for an AMI meter re-read conducted online.
“I’ve been to these meetings with the concerned citizens,” Boschert said. “I’ve heard it from other places, too.”
Boschert said he was looking at things from the standpoint of how CPU can best serve its customers and enable them to pay their bills in a timely manner when they have the money.
“There’s been a cost associated with that and some ongoing charges,” Boschert said. “The fee to get on the Pic-A-Due Date is a $10 fee with a monthly charge of $1. In order to help people out, I think we ought to remove that part of the fee schedule and just have a no charge for the Pic-A-Due Date.”
Boschert continued explaining the purpose of not having a service charge for an AMI meter being re-read online.
There is a $10 service charge for meter re-reads when the original reading is found to be correct.
However, circumstances are different for an AMI meter re-read.
“That’s more of a customer service type of thing asking about their bill where we don’t have to send somebody physically out in the field to read the number,” Boschert said. “Somebody can turn around at their desk and read the meter.”
Boschert did clarify that, regardless of the situation, when the customer was in the right, he or she was not penalized.
“It’s always been if there is a problem with the meter, there is no charge,” he said.
Following Boschert’s proposals, board members had questions about the Pic-A-Due Date program.
“How many people do we have on the Pic-A-Due Date now?” board member George Miller said.
“I think there are about 300 people,” Boschert replied.
“That’s a loss of revenue of $300 a month and $3,600 a year,” said Miller in response.
Board chair James Hicks stressed the importance of sticking to a due date.
“What if someone comes in, gets on Pic-A-Due Date, we don’t charge them and they don’t stick to it?” he asked.
“That’s where they would have to have a late fee for the penalty or whatever of those fees would still be associated,” Boschert replied.
Boschert said there are other ways to pay bills, including levelized billing and money could be electronically withdrawn from an account.
“How many times could you change your Pic-A-Due Date?” board member Jimmy Humber asked.
Boschert said, unless there is a big change in circumstances, customers will stick with their due dates.
“What people are supposed to bring is something with evidence that this is when your money comes in,” he said.
The board approved the changes after the discussion.
In other business, Boschert reported Coahoma Opportunities Inc. has an energy assistance grant that will give customers in need relief on their energy bills.
Boschert said he wanted COI to report the amount of money that would go toward CPU.
