The Amarillo City Council discussed utility billing problems at a regular meeting on Tuesday. The issues began in May with April bills and are still affecting some customers. The city said nearly 80% of customers were affected by a switch to a new billing system, which lengthened the billing cycle from 30 days to 36. Some customers also moved to a higher usage tier. Around 1,250 accounts were flagged for high usage. The city also noted that April was very dry.
NewGen Strategies and Solutions, an outside firm, presented its follow-up findings. Its CEO, Chris Ekrut, said the firm reviewed the billing system, checked records against rates and other meter readings, and recalculated charges. The firm said the review was not an audit and did not field-test meters.
Councilmember Les Simpson, who represents Place Four, presented complaints from residents. Some customers said their water was shut off, and others said they delayed other bills to keep water service. The Amarillo Tribune reported that the city plans to pause late fees and water shutoffs for customers affected by the anomalies.