Estimated Bills

As a customer, you receive a monthly bill for your energy and water usage. If you have a smart meter, your usage information is automatically transmitted to EWEB using a low-power radio over a secure wireless network. If you have a non-communicating meter, our meter readers physically collect the energy and water usage information needed to calculate your bill each month.

While it is EWEB's intention to collect usage data from the meter each month, there are occassions when we need to estimate a customer's usage due to various circumstances such as weather, technical difficulties, complications accessing the meter, or due to changes in staffing.

If we are unable to collect the actual meter read, standard business practice is to calculate an estimate of the amount of energy and water you used in that billing period. Utilities often use estimations when they are unable to get to an actual read of a meter. 

How does EWEB estimate usage?

The meter on your home works like the odometer in your car, counting energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) and water in kilogallons (kgals). EWEB reads the meter (automatically or manually) and then subtracts the previous meter read to determine your usage for the month. All meter reads are printed on your bill.

When we are unable to collect a reading, an estimated bill will be generated based on prior usage at the location. Estimated charges are valid bills based on historical consumption information.

When actual usage is collected after an estimate, any difference between the prior estimation and your actual usage is automatically corrected. If our estimate was too low (your usage was more than we estimated), the difference between the estimated usage and your actual usage will be added to your next bill. If our estimate was too high (your usage was less than we estimated), you'll be credited on your next bill for the additional amount you paid.

To find out if your usage was estimated, view the Electric or Water Usage section of your bill. If your bill was estimated, you will see the note: *based on an estimated read. There will also be a note in the "message center" in the left margin of the first page of your bill. 

If your bill does not indicate it is an estimated bill, it may be the corrected (true-up) bill. You can verify this by looking at your previous bill to see if it inidicates that it is an esitmated bill.  The true-up bill is based on your actual meter read, when we correct any difference between your actual and estimated readings.