6. Explain a bill

Show me in Utilops

When you need this: "Why is my bill this much?" This page takes one bill apart, line by line, in the order you can read it out loud. You can see the base charge and the price of each block of water.

Steps

1. On the left side of the screen, click Billing & Payments, then click Bill Tier Breakdown.

2. Under Step 1 — Pick the Customer, type part of the name in the box. The list gets shorter as you type.

3. Click the person. Their name and account move to the top of the card.

4. Under Step 2 — Pick the Bill, the newest bill is already showing. Pick an older date if that is the one they are asking about.

   

5. The card below is named Bill of and the date. It shows how the bill was priced, step by step. Read it in that order.

   

6. The first line is the Base charge. It is the same on every bill. It pays for the meter and the pipes, before any water at all.

   

7. Under it is one line for each block of water. Each line says how much they used and the price for that block. The first gallons cost the least. Later gallons cost more.

   

8. The last line of each box is the total for that service. Those totals add up to the bill.

Made a mistake? Click Undo on the green message that appears, or open Show me how at the top and pick Undo a mistake.

You are done when

The base charge plus every water line add up to the service total. That total matches the bill in the customer's hand. Nothing on this page changes anything, so it is safe to read through with them on the phone.

If something looks different

They are asking about a late fee or money from last month. Those are on another page. On the left, click Billing & Payments, then Bill Lookup, and open the same bill. Read them Previous Balance, Payments Received and Total Amount Due.

You see one water line, not several. Their rate is one flat price per gallon. There are no blocks to explain.

The bill is high and they say they have a leak. Read the usage to them first, then see page 11 for a credit.

You do not see Bill Tier Breakdown in the menu. Ask your administrator to turn it on for your account.