Utility Bills Estimated Meter Readers Couldn’t Make It, So Wwp Takes A Shot In The Dark

Many Washington Water Power Co. customers are learning that November’s massive power outage won’t mean lower utility bills in December.

Thousands of bills going out this month are based on estimates of energy usage because meter readers were kept out of areas where downed power lines and other hazards raised safety concerns, said WWP spokeswoman Dana Anderson.

In all, 17,891 electricity and natural gas meters in Spokane and Deer Park that would have been read between Nov. 19 - the day the storm hit - and Nov. 27 were bypassed, she said.

Anderson said those customers are receiving bills with the explanation that eheir energy usage is based on use in the same period a year ago, adjusted for warmer or cooler temperatures.

And temperatures this year were cooler.

Estimated bills are calculated using a factor called “degree days” to measure the amount of heating or cooling energy needed by a home for a specified period.

Estimated bills based on degree days will be higher than last year’s bills even if the home had no power, said Mollie Weis of Electronic Data Services Inc., which handles bill calculations for WWP.

When the estimates are off the mark, adjustments will be made in the next month’s bill to eliminate any overcharge, she said.

, DataTimes