One of the changes members have requested is to have the new billing align with our EYE ON WATER system. EYE ON WATER is the name of the portal that allows a member to privately view their water use online. Members’ water use is updated to EYE ON WATER daily, and is preserved and displayed such that hourly, daily, monthly and annual water use data is easily accessible. Learn more about EYE ON WATER at https://eastsoundwater.org/eyeonwater/
August daily water use from 1st of month to 31st. |
EYE ON WATER’s data is organized by the calendar month, from the first to the last day of the month. Historically Eastsound Water’s billing cycle started with meter reading on the 20th of the month so that we could send bills out by the 1st of the next month. This time frame will be changing. Our 2019 billing cycle will correspond with the data provided on EYE ON WATER, so meter reading will take place on the 1st of the month instead of the 20th. It will be our goal to have bills out by the 10th of the month. To transition to this new schedule Eastsound Water will be extending the 1st billing period in 2019. As an example, normally the first meter reading of the year would be Jan 20th. For 2019, the first meter reading will be January 31. This will mean that for all members there will be 10 or 11 additional days in the 1st billing period of the year.
Another change associated with the new rate structure is that members’ 2019 base rate will be linked to their 2018 water use. The lower your 2018 average monthly water use, the lower your 2019 base rate will be. This change was intended to reward conservation, and encourage prompt response to leaks.
The new rate structure also includes a consumption charge associated with each gallon of water used. There will no longer be a base allotment of water (formerly 5000 gallons per month per ERU) included in the new rate structure.
In the prior rate structure, about 70% of members paid only the base rate, which was very predictable month to month or quarter to quarter. The new rate structure charges for every gallon of water used, and therefore everyone’s water bill will vary month to month or quarter to quarter. This may impact how you wish to pay your bills. Members who programming their online banking to automatically direct a payment to Eastsound Water every month might need to rethink this approach. Eastsound Water offers a free ACH Bank Draft service that might be a more convenient option. You can learn more about this and other payment options at https://eastsoundwater.org/billing-and-payments/
The new rate structure will apply to all bills sent after January 1, 2019. All members 1st 2019 bill will apply to some water use that will occur prior to January 1, 2019. The following chart hopefully helps clarify the first months during which the new rate structure will apply.
Service Group First 2019 bill sent Applies to Water Use between
Multi-Unit Accounts April 10 Dec 20, 2018 to April 1, 2019
All Commercial Accounts Feb 10 Dec 20, 2018 to Feb 1, 2019
Residential Accounts Location #’s
01-XXXX, 02-XXXX or 03-XXXX March 10 Nov 20, 2018 to March 1, 2019
04-XXXX, 05-XXXX, 06-XXXX Feb. 10 Oct 20, 2018 to Feb 1, 2019
07-XXXX, 08-XXXX, 09-XXXX April 10 Dec 20, 2018 to April 1, 2019
If you have questions about the transition to the new rate structure, please contact General Manager Paul Kamin at pkamin@rockisland.com or 360 376 2127.