By PSC Chair Charlotte Lane
Today, I would like to assist you in reading your water bill.
Your West Virginia-American Water bill includes lots of useful information apart from – but included with – your billing statement. So, when you open a bill from this company, it may contain several pages.
But let’s just look at page two, which is what I want to discuss with you. Halfway down the left-side of the second page is a section listed as “account detail.” This explains your entire bill in detail. I’m going to help you navigate the language.
Look at the very bottom left of your bill. That tells you in blue writing with a large blue arrow the amount of money you owe for service rendered in the last usage period. This number should fluctuate each month, depending upon the amount of water you use.
Now look up in that same section until you find – also in blue lettering – the term “account detail.”This gives you everything you need to know. It should first of all show your 16-digit account number and the address for which the bill is prepared. Below that is a blue water icon and the words “water service.” This section includes charges for services related to water, and in some cases wastewater or fire service.
Below that is a section with dollar signs inside gray circles and is listed “other charges.”This charge is known as the Distribution System Improvement Charge or DSIC. It reflects a fixed percentage of your monthly bill that the Commission allows the company to charge for maintaining, upgrading, and replacing pipelines and other basic company transmission features. This is commonly called infrastructure. This DSIC rate will change from month to month.
Below that is “total service related charges.” That is what the company is billing you for its service for the previous billing period. After that is a section with two green balloons with dollar signs in them. This lists taxes levied against your bill by local government.
At the end are the total current charges, which shows the amount you owe for that billing period.
I know these bills can be complicated and difficult to read sometimes. I hope this has helped make it all a little simpler for you.