Iam writing to let your readers know about the questionable billing practices of the Gordons Corner Water Company (GCWC), a regulated utility based in Marlboro (billing outsourced to Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia, Pa.).
GCWC in theory gives customers 23 days to pay bills on time, from bill origination to payment due date. Yet this time frame continues to shrink. Customer bills are issued from Charlotte, often not reaching GCWC’s New Jersey customers for five to seven business days.
These bills are payable to GCWC’s Philadelphia office, further reducing the payday window. Inmany instances I have received a week or less to [pay the bill].
Most recently, I misplaced GCWC’s bill. I was expecting to receive a reminder notice. Instead, I received a shut-off notice dated Dec. 6 and received Dec. 11. This notice threatened service termination if payment in full was not received by Dec. 17.
Given GCWC’s threat, I had no choice but to show up at GCWC’s offices on Dec. 12 to pay in person or risk having my service discontinued, as there was no way to know whether the U.S. Postal Service would deliver by Dec. 17.
As a regulated utility, GCWC has no right to treat its customers in this fashion. I shudder to think about how many GCWC customers have been threatened with shut-off simply because the bill payer had a heart attack, a stroke, or fell victimto some other hospitalization or event in which the customer was simply unable to obey GCWC’s onerous demands. Do they also threaten to discontinue water service to a spouse and children because the ratepayer has died?
GCWC responds that customers can ensure timely payments by signing up for bill-pay services. Also, the company says it will not turn off service without first calling the customer. Those points are immaterial. GCWC has, to date, never issued a customer bill of rights explaining its billing practices and procedures.
In addition, the issuance of shut-off notices to customers should not be undertaken lightly, especially after a single missed payment. I know of no regulated utility that has exhibited such complete contempt for customers.
I hope you will publish my letter and look into GCWC’s billing practices and procedures. I believe such action alone may motivate GCWC to begin putting its customers first, both by providing clear disclosure of practices and by implementing more rational late-payer procedures.
Steven LoPresti
Manalapan

