Quick question for the group - has anyone worked with El Paso Water on bill reconciliation? I've got a hotel client that thinks they're being overcharged but EPW's billing format is unlike anything I've seen. They show "base charges," "tier adjustments," and something called "infrastructure recovery fees" that changes every month. Can't figure out if this is legitimate or if they're padding the bills. Client is paying about $3,200/month for 180,000 gallons which seems high even for commercial rates.
El Paso Water - anyone know their reconciliation process?
Lou, I haven't worked with El Paso specifically but those "infrastructure recovery fees" are becoming common across the southwest. Usually they're legitimate charges approved by the state utility commission to recover capital improvement costs. The variable amount suggests they might be calculating it as a percentage of usage rather than a flat fee. I'd start by requesting their published rate schedule and see if the fees match what's authorized.
Thanks Donna, that makes sense. I'll request their rate schedule and see what I can find. The $3,200 for 180k gallons still seems steep though - that's about $17.80 per thousand gallons which is way above regional averages. Might be worth digging deeper even if the infrastructure fees are legitimate.