(QCOSTARICA) The regulatory authority for public services has called on water and electricity service provides to account for the sharp increase in billing appearing on nearly every consumer’s utility bills this month,=.
“We are extremely concerned about the large number of complaints that citizens report for high charges on their water and electricity bills,” said Roberto Jiménez, head of the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep)
All across the country, complaints hundreds of complaints have been filed by users against the water utility, AyA and electricity, ICE, CNFL and other service supplies for increases of more than double over the average consumption in the past six to twelve months, even up to five times and higher.
Frustrating consumers is the complaint process because due to the national emergency, utilities are only accepting complaints by phone or email.
Not being able to make a complaint face-to-face violates the responsibilities of the utilities.
Aresep said will make a visit to each utility, to verify the collection process, the way in which the measurement is carried out, and the mechanisms for dealing with user queries and complaints, to specify their attention and resolution.
The AyA, for example, claims that since it suspended meter readings for March and April, so as not to expose its employees to a coronavirus infection, billed on average consumption, seeing many bills increase when meter readings were resumed for the current billing period.
In the case of yours truly, my current billing is 34,000 colones, when my average consumption, according to the AyA online report is 6,000 for the last 12 months. A complaint was filed by phone, still expecting an email response as was told.
