It’s been an exciting few days around here! After nearly two years of the KPRC 2 Investigates DRAINED series exposing failures at the Houston Water Department, Mayor John Whitmire announced major changes.
This comes a few weeks after Mayor Whitmire talked with me about the ongoing issues and his work to find solutions for people. You may already notice changes in your water bill.
“I know Houstonians are tired of hearing about outrageous water bills,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire. “When I was elected to fix things, public safety was number one concern. Number two the city’s outrageous water bills and transparency at city hall.”
“It’s a solid plan that will address fair and accurate billing.”
Here is the timeline for what you can expect with your Houston water bill.
1. Set usage notification: Customers receive a notification alerting them of their set usage.
“If you’ve been on the system more than three years, we’re going to take your three lowest bills and use those as an average,” the mayor said.
2. Set usage billing begins: Starting April 1, 2024, single-family residential customers will have a set usage calculated which will be reflected in their May bill.
3. Customer service enhancements: Expand in-person customer service appointments.
4. Remote reading devices installed: Houston Public Works verifies the functionality of the remote reading devices and confirms that accurate readings are being sent to our billing system.
5. 60-day notice: Customer will receive a 60-day notice that future water bills will reflect their actual water usage.
6. Reliable water bills: Functioning devices, transmitting actual consumption and focus on timely resolution of customer concerns.
How long will water customers be on a fixed bill?
Public Works Director Carol Haddock said people will be on a fixed bill until it is confirmed their meter sensor is working. So, this could be a different timeline for everyone.
“The plan to bring everyone back will depend on if you have a working device,” said Public Works Director Haddock.
Here’s the process for bringing your billing back to actual usage and not just the estimated usage.
- Your bill will remain on set usage.
- Water department will verify you have a remote read device that is working, reading consistently and giving accurate information.
- There will be a 30-day working window to get verification that it’s working.
Another big win for these water bill changes is more help for customers. In the past, a big complaint from people is they can’t sit on the phone or computer for hours with customer service representatives. There is now an option to make an appointment to meet with someone to help you.
Check this article out for more details on the plan and frequently asked questions & answers.
Let me know if you have any other questions I can look into!
What can you do if a company won’t honor a warranty? What’s the one question you should always ask a contractor?
It’s not always easy to know where to go when you need help with a consumer issue. From electricians to mold complaints, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees dozens of industries.
Tela Mange joined me for this week’s episode of Ask Amy to help answer some of your questions.
Mange says you should always ask for proof that a contractor you hire is licensed to do the work they are performing. Not only will this mean they are trained in the field, it could also cover you if something goes wrong.
“If your homeowner’s insurance gets involved because I don’t know, the electrician wired something incorrectly and your house burned down, the insurance company is likely to say, you know what, you had unlicensed work performed. That’s what caused this issue. We’re not going to pay off the damage right home. So it’s really, really important as a consumer to make sure that you ask for a license number and that you confirm on the dealer website that the license number actually matches the person whose name is on the license. Because people are not truthful sometimes.”
You can check the license numbers on the TDLR website.
My warranty company is not paying me, help!
Mange says people assume - wrongly - if something breaks having a warranty means you’ll get it replaced. She says you should ask questions first.
“You have to ask what all is covered, right. Who decides whether something’s going to get repaired, versus replaced? Some home warranties will cover, repairs up to a certain amount.”
If you are at a standstill with a warranty company - or if you can’t get in touch with anyone TDLR can help. They have a residential services ombudsman. This is a person who will advocate for you and help come to a resolution. You can request an appointment with TDLR here.
*For more on warranties, bad gasoline, and common mold issues check out the latest Ask Amy episode here!