Who Loves JEA?

[Shwaz]

Good lord...  JEA is doing what virtually ALL utilities do.  I am sure there are one or two Utilities that are as benevelant and caring as you guys say JEA should be.  Please... by any and all means... show me.  THEN JEA can be approached with a real and workable alternative to their greedy and evil ways.

This is what I said... and I stand by it!

OK... what should JEA's response be to unpaid or chronically late bills?  Should they just keep adding it to next months bill?  Billing forgiveness?  Raise the rates of the "rich people" so those who cannot pay, do not have to?

Solutions?  Suggestions?  Helpful hints?

I have provided facts as to WHY JEA acts as it does... perhaps one of you can provide an alternative to their methods.  Perhaps a suggestion?  Solution?

In your haste to prove that JEA are the good guys you either didn't have time to read the other posts in this thread or maybe you just passed them off as "anecdotal"...

Suggestions were made.. they may not have been as condescending or sarcastic as yours.. but suggestions all the same

-Late fees
-Reconnection fees
-Additional deposits of $100 or less

Are all acceptable....

Chris also pointed out that you maybe incorrect and JEA is not governed by the state guidlines you provided... and even if they are / were the inflated deposit amounts requested are much higher than allowed... also in the links you provided.

Here's one more suggestion you can choose not to read; Why not offer our utility service contract to private companies?

Shwaz... can we chalk up my alleged sarcasm or condescending to this medium that is not very condusive to conversation?  That is not my intent.

you said...

-Late fees
-Reconnection fees
-Additional deposits of $100 or less

Are all acceptable....

Are they?  Again... is this conjecture, is it viable?

I will say again... I am not here defending JEA.  Not a big fan either.  I had to fight it out with them over a bogus bill at one time also.

It seems to work for almost every company that has at least 1 competitor in their given market. I don't hear anyone complaining about Comcast hitting them up for an additional $1,000 because they were late on payments... and it doesn't happen with cell phone service providers even when they have you in a 2 year commitment.

[ChriswUfGator]

I don't hear anyone complaining about Comcast hitting them up for an additional $1,000 because they were late on payments... and it doesn't happen with cell phone service providers even when they have you in a 2 year commitment.

Well of course not. Since anyone in their right mind would tell them to go !@#$ themselves and switch to a competitor.

Which really highlights the problem with monopolies, doesn't it? They can do whatever they want when you've got nowhere else to go. As a side note, I'm really surprised that 2 of our 3 resident Teabaggers are always arguing in favor of JEA's draconian policies. Whatever happened to all that "free market" stuff?

[Shwaz]

I don't hear anyone complaining about Comcast hitting them up for an additional $1,000 because they were late on payments... and it doesn't happen with cell phone service providers even when they have you in a 2 year commitment.

Well of course not. Since anyone in their right mind would tell them to go !@#$ themselves and switch to a competitor.

Which really highlights the problem with monopolies, doesn't it? They can do whatever they want when you've got nowhere else to go. As a side note, I'm really surprised that 2 of our 3 resident Teabaggers are always arguing in favor of JEA's draconian policies. Whatever happened to all that "free market" stuff?

Putting the utilities up for private bid is an option that should be explored. As it seems hard to properly regulate a quasi government run entity.

Here's something I found interesting.

http://news.jacksonville.com/govtsalaries/

[Ralph W]

This comes from further down in the rules regarding deposits that were previously quoted:

"the total amount of the required deposit shall not exceed an amount equal to twice the average charges for actual usage of electric service for the twelve month period immediately prior to the date of notice."

So, I can read that as saying the JEA bean counters interpret that as using the total of 12 months of payments as the basis for new deposits. That means if you're paying $150 a month - total of $1,800 a year - then they would be justified in charging a deposit of whatever minimum they wanted up to a total of $3,600 which is twice the 12 month electrical usage charge.

You don't have to agree with my math but it would appear that the results reported in this thread do support my point. The next sentence in the rule,

"In the event the customer has had service less than twelve months, then the utility shall base its new or additional deposit upon the average actual monthly usage available",

actually states using the monthly average if your service has been less than a year, which I interpret as saying if your monthly usage is $150 then the max they can charge is $300.

[BridgeTroll]

I don't hear anyone complaining about Comcast hitting them up for an additional $1,000 because they were late on payments... and it doesn't happen with cell phone service providers even when they have you in a 2 year commitment.

Well of course not. Since anyone in their right mind would tell them to go !@#$ themselves and switch to a competitor.

Which really highlights the problem with monopolies, doesn't it? They can do whatever they want when you've got nowhere else to go. As a side note, I'm really surprised that 2 of our 3 resident Teabaggers are always arguing in favor of JEA's draconian policies. Whatever happened to all that "free market" stuff?

I have never lived someplace where I could pick my local utility.  Have you?

[Jumpinjack]

A better title for this thread might be "Who trusts JEA?"
Certainly not the JEA customers who could suddenly bleach their laundry in their drinking water from a spill not acknowledged for a day or two by JEA. Ooops!

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=189507&catid=3

[BridgeTroll]

How in his extensive research on the business practices of "every public utility" could he have missed this?

Every Utility charges late fees, cuts off power and water after a predetermined and announced period of non-payment and many of them charge a deposit for chronic non payment... based on a point system very similar if not identical to JEA's.

Just sayin... JEA is doing nothing, that I can tell, that is out of the norm throughout the USA.

Of course if your complaint is that ALL Utilities are unfair in their treatment of users who do not pay that is another thread.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

D. CUSTOMER CALL OUT (OVERTIME HOURS): A charge to recover the costs associated with providing call out service to Customers requesting emergency or non-emergency turn on and/or turn off service and the like, and that is intended to discourage unnecessary Overtime Hours requests. Efforts will be made by Authority personnel to assist the Customer with resolving turn on and/or turn off problems.
Service Charge per Trip
Performed by one (1) person $ 75
Performed by two (2) persons 150
E. CUT SEAL AND TAMPERING: See separate resolution.
F. DISHONORED PAYMENT INSTRUMENT: A charge that shall be assessed for each Dishonored Payment Instrument. It is based on Florida Statute 68.065, which is subject to change.
a) Twenty-five dollars, if the face value does not exceed $50.
b) Thirty dollars, if the face value is more than $50 but does not exceed $300.
c) The greater of $40 or 5% of the face value, if the face value is more than $300.
When a Customer has presented two (2) Dishonored Payment Instruments for their account within a twelve-month (12) period, the Authority will not accept payment instruments on the account for twelve (12) months. The Customer must pay by cash or money order until the twelve-month period is over.
G. FIELD RECONNECTION â€" DELINQUENT ACCOUNT: A charge to defray the cost of disconnecting and reconnecting Utility Service previously discontinued or ordered discontinued for cause or because of nonpayment of amounts due. This charge is in addition to the
Penalty and Late Payment Charges. Under normal circumstances, these Service Charge(s) shall be paid in full before the re-establishment of Utility Service(s).
Regular Overtime Service Hours Hours
Electric $35 $150
Electric Current Transformer (CT) 200 200 Electric Pole 75 150
Gas - Residential 35 150
Gas - Commercial Time & Materials Time & Materials
(not less than $150)
Water 35 150
If a water Customer also receives electric service from the Authority at the same Service Address and only one trip by the Authority is required to reconnect both the water and electric services, only the electric Field Reconnection Charge shall apply. However, if reconnection of the water and electric services
requires two separate trips by the Authority, such as an electric reconnect at the pole by an electric crew and a water Meter reconnect by a water crew, then the Customer shall be required to pay the applicable electric Field Reconnection Charge and the applicable water Field Reconnection Charge.

http://www.fpua.com/files/Resolutions/2005-07.pdf

[ChriswUfGator]

Westsider, JEA isn't regulated by any commission or association, since they are technically an arm of a county government. But notwithstanding that, you've pretty much proved my point here, haven't you? If the utility is already collecting a "reconnection fee" and making money off it, and there is no chance of them actually losing much money since they're a monopoly and it's mighty hard to live without electricity, what's the point of the deposit?

[BridgeTroll]

How in his extensive research on the business practices of "every public utility" could he have missed this?

Every Utility charges late fees, cuts off power and water after a predetermined and announced period of non-payment and many of them charge a deposit for chronic non payment... based on a point system very similar if not identical to JEA's.

Just sayin... JEA is doing nothing, that I can tell, that is out of the norm throughout the USA.

Of course if your complaint is that ALL Utilities are unfair in their treatment of users who do not pay that is another thread.

Please post your source comparing PUBLICLY OWNED utility companies. 

Thanks.

I will leave that for you to find.  I have done most of the research and linking up to this point... I welcome your help.

[BridgeTroll]

sigh... here is some more...

100 Largest Public Power Utilities, by Electric Customers Served, 2008
Ultimate customers served
1 Los Angeles Department of Water & Power ............CA ..... 1,461,521
2 Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority ........................ PR ..... 1,452,946
3 Long Island Power Authority .................................... NY ..... 1,111,903
4 Salt River Project .......................................................AZ ........ 939,579
5 CPS Energy (San Antonio) ......................................... TX ........ 689,339
6 Sacramento Municipal Utility District .......................CA ........ 590,677
7 JEA (Jacksonville) .......................................................FL ........ 414,769
8 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division ..................TN ........ 410,518
9 Austin Energy .............................................................TX ........ 400,005
10 Seattle City Light .....................................................WA ........ 387,714
11 Nashville Electric Service ..........................................TN ........ 357,020
12 Omaha Public Power District .....................................NE ........ 339,657
13 Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County ...WA ........ 317,612
14 Colorado Springs Utilities ..........................................CO ........ 208,257
15 Knoxville Utilities Board ............................................TN ........ 196,302
16 Orlando Utilities Commission .....................................FL ........ 188,569
17 Clark Public Utilities ................................................WA ........ 186,021
18 Tacoma Public Utilities ............................................WA ........ 166,311
19 Santee Cooper
(South Carolina Public Service Authority) .................SC ........ 162,690
20 EPB - Chattanooga Electric Power Board ..................TN ........ 158,845

[ChriswUfGator]

How in his extensive research on the business practices of "every public utility" could he have missed this?

Every Utility charges late fees, cuts off power and water after a predetermined and announced period of non-payment and many of them charge a deposit for chronic non payment... based on a point system very similar if not identical to JEA's.

Just sayin... JEA is doing nothing, that I can tell, that is out of the norm throughout the USA.

Of course if your complaint is that ALL Utilities are unfair in their treatment of users who do not pay that is another thread.

Please post your source comparing PUBLICLY OWNED utility companies.  

Thanks.

I will leave that for you to find.  I have done most of the research and linking up to this point... I welcome your help.

No you haven't.

You posted a bunch of rules that don't apply to JEA, don't connect to each other, and don't have anything whatsoever to do with the discussion. It's like slapping a dead pig carcass, a couple bags of planting manure, a bag of lettuce seeds, a bag of onion seeds, and some raw wheat on the dining table and saying "here hon, I made you a sandwich!"

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

um yeah, westsider.  I can totally see how a maximum 40 dollar charge on bad checks and a 35 dollar cut on fee for delinquent bills is the same thing as a 500-1,000 dollar deposit, due immediately.  They seem pretty much identical.

Customers who apply for Residential service will be required to post a
Minimum Security Deposit, or one equal to twice the average monthly bill
(computed as indicated below), whichever is greater. However, upon Customer
request, the UA may use a credit verification agency to obtain the Customer’s Fair,
Isaac score. Based on the score, the UA will determine one of the following deposit
levels: (1) no deposit, (2) Minimum Security Deposit, or (3) deposit equal to twice
the average monthly bill.
A Security Deposit may be waived for Customers who apply for Residential
service. Such Customers must have, within the past two (2)-year period, 1)
terminated a former UA account, and 2) had an Excellent Payment History at the
time the former account was terminated. Excellent Payment History is established
when a Customer does not incur any of the following charges within the most
recent consecutive two (2)-year period:
More than one (1) Penalty Charge per year
Dishonored Payment Instrument Charge
Field Reconnection Charge
Cut Seal Fee
Tampering Fee
When the UA determines a Security Deposit equal to twice the average
monthly bill is necessary, the average monthly bill shall be calculated as follows:
a. Existing accounts: Average the actual Total Amount Billed for the most
recent consecutive twelve (12) month period.
b. New accounts: Average the expected (estimated) Total Amount Billed for
a projected consecutive twelve (12) month period.
c. Existing accounts with less than twelve (12) months of billing history
available: For a twelve (12) month period, use a combination of the
actual monthly billing history available and the expected (estimated)
billings for those months with no actual billing history established.
Total Amount Billed is defined as the total bill rendered for electric, water,
wastewater, gas, and/or solid waste services, including applicable taxes, fees,
service charges, etc.
Security Deposits established or set for any one Utility Service (electric,
water, wastewater, gas, or solid waste) may be applied to other Utility Services.
Resolution No. UA 2002-8
Page 4 of 5
SECTION III. MINIMUM SECURITY DEPOSITS
Following are the minimum Security Deposits for Residential accounts:
Electric ..............................................................$145.00
Gas.......................................................................40.00
Solid Waste ...........................................................22.00
Water Water Wastewater
Meter Size Inside City Outside City Inside City Outside City
5/8” X 3/4” $ 30.00 $ 35.00 $ 35.00 $ 45.00
1-inch 70.00 80.00 60.00 75.00
1-1/2 inch 145.00 165.00 145.00 180.00
2-inch 425.00 490.00 250.00 315.00
3-inch 700.00 800.00 900.00 1,125.00
SECTION IV. ADDITIONAL SECURITY DEPOSITS
Upon reasonable written notice of no less than five (5) business days, the UA
may require an Additional Security Deposit on a Residential account that, regardless
of Excellent Payment History status, has incurred any of the following Service
Charges within a one (1)-year period:
One (1) Dishonored Payment Instrument Charge
One (1) Field Reconnection Charge
One (1) Cut Seal Fee
One (1) Tampering Fee
The Customer will be required to have on deposit with the UA an amount equal to
the Minimum Security Deposit or twice the average monthly bill, whichever is
greater.

http://www.fpua.com/files/res-deposits.pdf

I just needed to do a little more searching.  So, I guess it seems that deposits are pretty much SOP at this Florida Publicly Owned Utility Company.  I guess that makes them the devil too?

[BridgeTroll]

here is SMUD...#6 right above JEA

http://www.smud.org/en/residential/rates/Documents/Rule%202-06.pdf

Very similar rules...

[BridgeTroll]

No you haven't.

You posted a bunch of rules that don't apply to JEA, don't connect to each other, and don't have anything whatsoever to do with the discussion. It's like slapping a dead pig carcass, a couple bags of planting manure, a bag of lettuce seeds, a bag of onion seeds, and some raw wheat on the dining table and saying "here hon, I made you a sandwich!"

And you have provided...?  I welcome your help also...

Please... look something up and post it...