Bill Adjustments

Sometimes broken or damaged plumbing fixtures or pipes can cause unintentional water loss or you may have another situation that arose were you had unusually high usage. If that happens, a customer may be eligible for a utility bill adjustment. If an adjustment is approved, all water recorded above normal consumption will be billed at the lowest tier of rates applicable to that customer number for the dates relevant to the leak or situational high usage. “Normal consumption” is considered the average of the four (4) prior quarters. The bill adjustment reduces all excess water usage to the lowest tier of rates; it does not reduce the bill to the “normal” amount.

Bill Adjustment Rules

• Customer account must be current with no outstanding balance or have an approved payment plan with the Village of Red Hook.
• Customers must submit a Bill Adjustment application (PDF) and proof of leak repair (copy of plumber’s repair bill or a sales receipt from a plumbing supply or hardware store), as applicable, to the Village of Red Hook Water Department. Notice of intent to submit an adjustment must be received within 60 days of the bill due date for the billing period when the leak or situational high usage occurred.
• Bill adjustments will cover no more than two (2) consecutive quarters.
• A maximum of one (1) bill adjustment will be allowed per Customer Number (e.g., meter) per five (5) year period.
• Any adjustment will appear as a credit to the account following approval.
• If high water use was caused by a leak, the source of the leak must be repaired before an adjustment can be approved.

No adjustments will be granted in the following situations:

• Leak was caused by a third party from whom the customer is able to recover their costs. Examples include, but are not limited to, theft, vandalism, negligence and construction damage.
• The meter at said property has been accessed, tampered with, or turned on/off by anyone other than District staff and that action results in loss of water.
• When leak event stretches over two (2) or more quarters, there will be no adjustment for the third or subsequent quarters.

Bill Adjustment Procedures

Village of Red Hook Water Department staff will review the Utility Bill Adjustment Application and perform the following:

• Billing system review and reading of the account.
• Physical inspection and reading of the meter on site, if necessary.
• Communication of findings to customer.
• Processing of any adjustment, if warranted, per the Department’s findings.

While a bill adjustment request is being processed, the customer is responsible for payment of the entire amount due on their utility bill within the normal payment period; or the customer should request to enter into an agreed-upon payment plan. The customer will be responsible for applicable late penalties if payment is not received or a payment plan is not initiated prior to the due date.