Weather forces the City of Independence to estimate some January utility bills
JANUARY 8, 2025 - Due to weather conditions, the City of Independence will estimate water and electricity utility bills for some customers for the month of January. All meters are read by a person every month, and the current 10 inches of snow prevent our meter readers from accessing the meters.
Here's what you need to know:
The city uses cycle billing for customers. There are 20 cycles over the course of the month; therefore, not all cycles will be estimated.
- Customers can find out if their bill has been estimated by looking on the second page of the statement. It will be marked “Estimated.”
- If a customer’s bill is estimated – no changes will be made to adjust readings. Any adjustments will be made the next month, when meter reader staff can safely obtain a new reading.
- If the estimated bill creates a hardship, customers may call and request a payment arrangement on the billing statement to extend the due date.
The first estimated cycle will have a bill date of Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
The Combined Utility Customer Service Rules and Regulations, ordinance 18374 (approved on 10/20/2014) allows for the city to render a bill to the customer based upon estimated meter readings when extreme weather conditions, emergencies, labor agreements, or work stoppages prevent actual meter readings. Rules and Regulations may be found on the city website – What are the Combined Utility Customer Service Rules and Regulations set by the COI.
Currently, the City of Independence does not use Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), also known as smart meters. AMI will be discussed in the January 13, 2025 Study Session.
