Done with Citizens Energy

[mensajess]

So 9 years ago the wife and I buy a house. Turn on the utilities and paid all bills as they came. After 6 years get a bill for $1200 for 6 years of sewer usage! "Sorry we forgot to add it to your monthly bills" Contacted a lawyer and was told there was nothing I could do to fight it. Made arrangements to pay it off.
In April of this year we sold the house. Disconnected all the utilities, paid the bills that arrived in April. Paid the bills that arrived at our new temporary "home" in May. And then received checks from a couple of utilities for having a positive balance at the close of the accounts. And today I get in the mail a bill for $22.90 for sewer usage for April at the old house! I called and the only explanation I can get is "We just got around to making the final bill".
My next home purchase is going to be OUTSIDE of their service area. Does anyone know where Citizens Energy Group is not a provider?

 

[RedneckReject]

I used to live in Franklin and I know we didn't have Citizens down there. Our gas was through Vectren and I honestly don't know who the water and sewer was through. We rented and our landlord paid for that. Since I moved to Indy they've always put sewer and everything on our bill so I can't say I've ever had a problem with them but that is a pretty crappy deal.

 

[Rfrantz3]

Bloomington I didnt have them!!!

 

[mrproc1]

We have Hendricks Power out in Brownsburg, ,, but they aren't much cheaper. I think all power companies are a scam!

 

[perry]

In Fishers I have Duke electric, Vectren gas, Hamilton Southeastern sewer, and Indiana American water. Never really had a complaint, cost or otherwise, with any of them.

 

[CathyInBlue]

Terre Haute. I have:
Duke for electric
Vectren for gas
Indiana American for water and sewer
City of Terre Haute for special sewer (don't ask. everybody has it now)
Time Warner for cable TV (for now)
Frontier for phone/DSL (for now)

 

[Lucas156]

I guess the government should step in and make that company give you that service for free. Its in the Constitution of the United States that we have free sewer service.

 

[SSGSAD]

AFAIK, OUTside of Marion Co., you should be gtg .....

 

[eldirector]

Hendricks County:
Hendricks Power Co-op
Vectren Energy for gas
Water is a well, and on a septic. No sewer bill for me.

 

[88GT]

AFAIK, OUTside of Marion Co., you should be gtg .....

For the most part, this is true. Some areas just outside the county might still be connected to their services, but for the most part, the county line is a safe bet.

 

[tv1217]

I guess the government should step in and make that company give you that service for free. Its in the Constitution of the United States that we have free sewer service.

He's not saying that he should get it for free, but they're too stupid to remember to put it on his bill in the first place and suddenly surprise him with it when they remember.

 

[pwoller]

What does energy have to do with the sewer?

 

[RedneckReject]

What does energy have to do with the sewer?

Citizens Energy Group puts your gas, water, and sewer all on one bill. Even if you don't have gas in your home you still have water and if you live in their area you still get the water/sewer bill from Citizens Energy. It's a fairly recent change. Used to be Citizens Gas and Citizens Water. They decided to group it all together for whatever reason

 

[Lucas156]

He's not saying that he should get it for free, but they're too stupid to remember to put it on his bill in the first place and suddenly surprise him with it when they remember.

They didn't even own it six years ago it has nothing to do with stupidity. It's a clerical error on the part of the company who owned it before. The new company picked up on it. Why didn't the op call them when he realized he wasn't getting a sewer bill. It sucks but the op has some of the fault in this as well

 

[mensajess]

This was my first home and silly me trusted the provider of my utilities to be able to properly bill me for what I used. I never wanted anything for free but if you come to my restaurant and I forget to bill you for something, I take the loss, I don't send you a bill later and expect you to fix my error. Why did it take them 3 months to figure the bill for sewer when the account was closed? Water was settled, gas was settled, they sent me a check to cover my positive balance. Then I guess the sewer billing guy went on vacation for 3 months and no one else could cover for him?

 

[churchmouse]

I guess the government should step in and make that company give you that service for free. Its in the Constitution of the United States that we have free sewer service.

Should that have been in purple???

I think his complaint was not being billed in a timely manner. I know my budget does not like a $1200 hit out of the blue.

 

[CathyInBlue]

This might be a shock to some people, but some people, hooked up to a muni sewer system, don't get a separate sewer bill. I didn't until the EPA forced TH to beef up its storm water treatment systems. The muni just gets with the muni water supply utility and figures a building that uses X amount of water will also flush ~X amount down the sewer. Figure total sewer usage based on water consumption and then just tack a sewage surcharge onto your water bill, collected by the water company, and then paid back to the muni for sewage costs.

For a six year back log of non-charge, I'd question their legal authority to collect most, if not all of it. Surely there's some kind of statute of limitations type law that governs this.

 

[mensajess]

According to my neighbour at the time, the statute of limitations is 6 years. They could only back bill him 6 years but he had been there for 10+. I was not the only one this happened to, it was the whole neighbourhood.