Starting
New Services:
Customers
must come to the Alma Utilities business office to sign an
“Application for Service” and to make a deposit. Alma Utilities
requires deposits for residential and commercial services. The
deposit can be up to a total of $300.00 depending on whether the
customer is a homeowner, business owner, or renter. The
specific policy is addressed in
Resolution No. 2011-0302-2. Homeowner/business
owner deposits are
returned after 24 months provided there are no delinquent bills.
Deposits made by renters are kept during the entire rental period.
Meters will be read after the business office receives the
completed forms and any necessary deposits are made.
Transferring
Service:
It is your
responsibility to contact Alma Utilities when you are moving. Do
not depend on your landlord, realtor, roommate, or friend to cancel
your service. Customers must come to the business office to
complete “Application for Service” forms and schedule a time for
the meters to be read and a premise survey to be done (approx. 30
minutes).
Leaving the Service Area:
It is your
responsibility to come to the business office or call to arrange
for disconnection of utility service. Do not depend on your
landlord, roommate or friend to cancel your service. Normally
meters are read the day in which disconnection is requested,
unless other arrangements are made. Your final bill is sent along
with the next regular billing cycle after the meters are read.
Payment is due upon receipt of the bill.
Your
Utility Bill:
Each month you will receive a bill for the services you receive from
Alma Utilities (gas, water, sewer and/or trash). Each customer
will receive a bill for each service address that they are
responsible for. For each additional gas meter or water meter at
a service address you will receive a separate bill.
Your
natural gas costs reflect energy use based on monthly meter
readings. The costs include a customer charge and an energy
charge.
Your
monthly water bill includes a customer charge and a usage charge
for the water consumed during that particular billing period.
The
residential sewer charge is based on the water recorded on the
January, February, and March bills. The usage is then averaged for
those three months and beginning April 1, becomes the charge for
the next 12 months. For new and transferring customers, the sewer
charge is set by paying a flat rate based on the average
residential consumption until the sewer base is established.
Meter
Readings:
If our
meter readers are unable to read your meters at the regular time
of reading, an order is made to send a service man from that
department to that address to repair or reread the meter in
question.
Do
Not Tamper With Meters:
If you
tamper with a utility meter or seal, you break the law. It is
dangerous to turn on, off, or in any way tamper with your
meter. Only authorized persons are allowed to access meters. Call
Alma Utilities to arrange for your meter to be turned on or off.
Dial Before You
Dig:
Dial
811 (Diggers Hotline of Nebraska) before
digging. Diggers Hotline will then notify Alma Utilities of your
request. 48 hours notice is necessary before the time you wish to
dig. There is no charge for this service; however, all costs for
repairs of damaged service lines and possible fines are at the
customer’s expense if Digger’s Hotline is not notified. Remember;
dial 811, 48 hours before you need the underground
facilities located.
Worker
Identification:
Generally,
the utility user summons our personnel to their home. Our public
contact personnel and work crews have work shirts with an Alma
logo clearly visible. Utility employees drive vehicles clearly
marked with a logo. If you are uncertain whether or not someone is
a utility employee, ask to see identification and/or call 928‑2242
to verify who he or she is.
System Upgrades:
Alma
Utilities continually updates and modernizes the various service
distribution systems throughout our service areas. Our goal is to
provide the utmost in reliable and dependable service to our
customers. Whenever water, sewer or gas distribution mains are
replaced, the terrace area in front of homes or alley is mostly
excavated. If trees, shrubs or flowers are located there, Alma
Utilities will not replace them. We prefer that trees, shrubs
or flowers not be located in terrace areas.
Misc.:
The
reading dates may vary a day or two from month to month due to
weekends and holidays.
Your
reading date is approximately the 15th of each month.
Your
billing date is approximately the 1st of each month.
Your bill
becomes delinquent fifteen (15) days later.
If you
should not receive your bill, please call us before the delinquent
date and we will inform you of the amount due. We will also be
happy to answer any questions you may have concerning your
bill.
If it
becomes necessary to disconnect your service for nonpayment, a
reconnection charge has to be paid. For the first disconnection
$75.00 is charged for reconnection, and
$150.00 for the second and subsequent disconnections. You also have to pay all
delinquent utilities to the time of disconnection.
If a customer is disconnected for nonpayment the policy requires
that customers must arrange to have reconnection by 3:00 p.m. on
the day of scheduled disconnection. The time required for
reconnection and testing for gas leaks will require overtime by
employees if started after 3:00 p.m. weekdays or on weekends.
If reconnection starts after 3:00 p.m. weekdays or on weekends,
there will be an additional $75.00 fee to cover the added expense
(see Minutes dated 10-20-09).
