Customer Relations-

Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm - 267-347-5009 or customercare@quakertown.org

Utility Emergency-After Hours - 215-721-3520

Calculating Your Utility Bill

You have the right to receive a bill for your utility service once every billing period. The Borough of Quakertown generates a consolidated utility bill every month for water, sewer, electric, and trash service. Your water, electric, and sewer bill will be based on either an actual or estimated meter reading. Other billable items are billed at a flat rate as stated on the Fee Schedule. Bills will be rendered, as nearly as practicable, for thirty (30) days. 

Estimated Bills
The Borough of Quakertown may estimate your usage when extreme weather conditions, emergencies, or other circumstances preventing the Borough from taking an actual meter reading. The estimate is based on your previous 9 months of usage and may be adjusted for existing weather conditions. Your utility bill also may be estimated when the meter reader cannot gain access to your meter. When this happens, the Borough still has the responsibility to take an actual meter reading at least once every six months unless you supply your own meter readings. If you supply the readings, the Borough has the responsibility to take an actual reading every 12 months. You and the Borough have the responsibility to make arrangements for meter readings if the meter is in a locked place. If your bill has been estimated, your actual bill may be increased or decreased according to the usage indicated by the actual meter reading.

Checking Your Utility Bill for Accuracy
If you think that your utility bill is wrong, you can check it in the following ways:

1. Read your meter if you question the amount of service you have used and compare the meter reading to the meter reading that is on your bill. Your usage will have increased between the time the utility read your meter and when you take the reading. For this reason, your reading may be somewhat higher than the reading listed on your bill.

2. Compare the usage on the current bill to one you received at the same time last year. Remember to compare differences in usage rather than differences in the total dollar amount due. Your bill will have a bar chart that compares usage for the past 12 months. Remember to consider severe weather conditions and changes in living habits (such as additions to your house, a new appliance, additional family members, or more time spent at home) when comparing your usage information.   

Rate Choice
Whenever there is a choice of rates, the choice lies with the Customer. Each rate sets for the conditions under which it applies. The full and active assistance of the Borough is freely offered and, on request, will be given to the customer in order to determine which rate is then the most favorable to the customer. The Borough cannot guarantee that the customer will be served under the most favorable applicable rate, and no refund will be made by the Borough to the customer representing the difference in the charge made under the Ordinance applied and that which would have been made if a more favorable applicable rate had been chosen and applied.   

Billing Errors – Bill Adjustments
Sometimes billing errors occur and these mistakes could be caused by many different reasons. The Borough of Quakertown will credit your account with any over-collected amounts resulting from this mistake. Likewise, if you have used more electric, water or sewer service than the amount you were billed, you must pay the additional charge. However, the Borough will explain this “adjusted” bill. You do not have to pay this amount in a lump sum. You can pay it back over a period of time that is equal to the time period during in which the mistake occurred. Please call the Borough to make appropriate payment arrangements.

Disagreeing with Your Bill or Service
You have the right to question or dispute any billing or service action of the Borough of Quakertown. You should tell the Borough of the problem as soon as it occurs. This gives the Borough the opportunity to resolve the matter with you.   

Questions, Problems and Disputes
Contact the Customer Relations Department Immediately! You may question any charge applied to your bill, ask about the Borough’s billing policies or services, request new service, or make a payment arrangement for your bills. Your concerns or questions can often be best answered if you immediately bring them to the Borough’s attention. The Borough may ask you to allow us to review our records about your concern and call you back. If you agree to let the Borough do this, the Borough will call you back with the results of our investigation. If the Borough cannot reach you, we will send you a letter that will tell you what we found from our review. If you are not satisfied or disagree with the Borough’s response, tell the Borough that the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction. You must do this in writing. At this point, the inquiry you make to the Borough becomes a dispute.

After you have indicated that you are not satisfied with the Borough’s resolution of your inquiry, the Borough will respond to your dispute within 30 days. In answering your dispute, the Borough will provide you with all the information necessary for your account. This includes informing you of all related Borough rules and rates. The Borough can also provide you with a statement of your account including payments and meter readings. Meter test results and any other information related to your dispute should also be included when appropriate. The Borough Manager or his designee will be the make the final determination in the dispute.

Protection from Termination During the Dispute Process
The Borough may not shut off your service for non-payment of the bill in question during the period that you are waiting for a response to your inquiry or dispute. However, you are still obligated to pay all utility bills that you do not dispute including any bills you are receiving while the complaint is ongoing. The utility has the right to terminate your service for non-payment of undisputed bills.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A FULL SAMPLE OF THE BILL