NWC now allowed to issue multiple bills under special circumstances

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has issued a directive giving permission to the National Water Commission (NWC) to issue multiple bills in a single billing cycle but only under exceptional circumstances.

These special instances relate to reconnections, replacement of customer meters, requests by a customer for readings, and any other circumstances approved by the OUR.

Otherwise, NWC customers should not receive more than one bill per billing cycle.

The new directive takes effect today.

The OUR says failure by the NWC to comply within the time specified will render it liable to prosecution pursuant to the provisions of sections 9 and 10 of the OUR Act.

The OUR’s recent decision follows a directive it issued to the NWC in March last year instructing the NWC to cease and desist from dispatching multiple bills in a cycle and instead issue one bill.

At the time, the OUR instructed the NWC, that where readings are obtained subsequent to an estimated bill being generated and dispatched, any adjustment is to be applied to the account in the next billing cycle.

In response, NWC indicated that such a limitation would negatively impact the handling of ad hoc billing after routine activities like reconnections, meter change outs, and requests for customer readings as happen in cases where customers are moving from the premises.

Based on this feedback, the OUR said it decided to modify its 2017 Directive to allow for the exceptional circumstances indicated by the NWC.

The OUR encourages customers who receive multiple bills in one billing cycle, in instances outside of the prescribed circumstances to immediately contact its Consumer Affairs Unit.

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