Fast Facts:
- Meters are read every 28-34 days. (The cycle varies due to weekends and holidays.)
- Utility bills are mailed on the business day following the meter read date. The net amount is due approximately 15 days later.
- Customers who have recently moved into a new service address during the middle of a billing cycle, may receive a partial months bill.
- Bills are sometimes estimated. This may be for one of the following reasons:
- The meter reader was unable to access your meter due to locked gate or an unrestrained pet.
- The meter reader was unable to access your meter due to landscaping obstructions.
- Abnormally high or low readings
- Estimated bills are issued based on a calculation of the customer’s previous average consumption.
Huntsville Utilities is a publicly owned, not-for-profit organization. Our billing and collections policies are established to protect the interest of all rate payers. Huntsville Utilities also follows guidelines mandated by a federal court order from the Northern District of Alabama. The court order prohibits Huntsville Utilities from offering special treatment for individuals or groups desiring exceptions from the court-approved procedures.
How do I calculate a Heating & Cooling degree day?
Record the high and low temperature for a 24 hour period. Example: 80 degrees high; 72 degrees low
Add both numbers together and divide by 2 for a daily average temperature. Example: 80+72=152 152/2 = 76 degrees
Take your result and subtract our area’s mean temperature of 65 degrees. Example: 76 degrees – 65 degrees = 11 degrees
This one day featured 11 heating/cooling degrees, which means your home likely used more energy than normal to maintain a comfortable temperature.
The total number of degree days each month can help you estimate why your bill is higher than an average month.
How to Calculate Your Bill Consumption
Final Notice Example
“Final Notice” information will be sent separate from monthly utility consumption bill.
Example of Final Notice
Billing & Collections Policies
Customers are given 15 days from the bill date to submit payment without incurring a late payment charge. A “Final Notice” will be mailed four days after the due date if payment is not received. Payment or an installment plan must be made before the date printed on the Final Notice to prevent service from being interrupted and eliminating additional fees from being assessed to the account. In addition, items presented as payment and returned from your financial institution will be charged a service fee.
If customers do not pay or make arrangements to pay a delinquent bill, an identified Huntsville Utilities Representative will come to the service address. Payment may be made at this time; however, the Representative will not accept cash. If a payment is not made when the Huntsville Utilities Representative visits the service address, Huntsville Utilities will interrupt service. There is a collection fee and / or disconnect fee for these services which will be added to the next bill. If the check or payment item collected is returned from any financial institution, disconnection will occur the following business day with no prior notice to the customer. The customer will receive a returned check / payment item letter; however, there will be no advance notification of disconnection.
If service is interrupted due to non-payment or a returned item, payment to restore services on the same day must be received by 10:00 p.m. Monday – Friday.
In the event a service is disconnected on the 4th business day, including the day of disconnection, any remaining services will be turned off. The security deposit and any accrued interest will be applied to the account balance. Before services are re-established, the customer must reapply for services with another security deposit plus pay any unpaid account charges. If this occurs, the amount of the security deposit required is based on the existing deposit policy.
Failure to receive a bill does not exempt the customer from payment. A review procedure is also available to our customers through which problems or disputes may be resolved. Copies of the review procedure are available at the Huntsville Utilities main office.
During extreme weather conditions, when the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures below 32° or over 100° Fahrenheit, a Huntsville Utilities Representative will come to the service location in an attempt to collect any delinquent charges (a collection fee for this service will be added to the next bill); however, the customer’s service will not be disconnected for non-payment until weather conditions improve. Disconnections postponed because of extreme weather conditions will be resumed when weather permits with no further notification provided.
Items presented as payment and returned from your financial institution will be charged a service fee.
