927.05 COMPUTING THE READING.

   Whenever the meter for any utility product or service of the City’s utilities is read, it shall be the duty of the Director of Public Utilities to compare the reading so obtained with the next previous reading and to compute the proper charge to be billed to the consumer. As used in this Section 927.05, the term “bill adjustment” means a charge added to a customer’s bill or bills by the Director of Public Utilities in order to recoup undercharges for utility service consumed by the customer during past billing periods. Whenever a meter reading is not available and whenever any meter has for any reason ceased to register, or to register accurately within three percent (3%), then the Director of Public Utilities shall estimate the amount of product used or service rendered, and such estimate shall be the basis for computing the bill for such period and the basis on which either a bill adjustment action or a refund action shall be determined. Any such refund shall be limited to the preceding twelve (12) month’s period. The Director of Public Utilities shall make an estimate of the amount of product consumed or service rendered and such the period between two consecutive readings shall, for the purpose of computing charges, be taken to be a month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the meter readings are not indicative of the consumer’s actual product or service usage due to unauthorized taking of service, the Director of Public Utilities shall estimate both the amount of product used or service rendered and the time period during which the unauthorized taking occurred and compute an appropriate bill adjustment for such entire period. When a billing error due to any cause within the City’s control, including without limitation mis-assignment of meters or rate classifications, erroneous meter reading translation, meter misapplication, meter misregistration or any other cause actually or apparently attributable to action or inaction by the City, is discovered, the Director of Public Utilities may issue a refund or bill adjustment in the amount of any overpayment or underpayment. Any refund or bill adjustment for customers who were over- or under-billed shall be determined by the Director of Public Utilities, shall be limited to the shorter of the period during which the billing error occurred (if such period can be determined with reasonable certainty) or a period not to exceed 48 months; and no interest shall be due from either the City in connection with a refund or from the customer in connection with a bill adjustment.

(Ord. 2011-8-74. Passed 8-24-11; Ord. 2017-7-79. Passed 7-12-17.)