John Consiglio, Birkirkara
Strong-arm tactics in utility bills (1)
For how long must humble citizens in this country suffer the linguistic incompetency of public utility providers? First we had the example of Maltapost who, after I complained in this paper about the confusing wording of their parcel collection notices, decided to change it. All credit to them.
Now we have the new ARMS Ltd (water and electricity bill collectors) who seem to have embarked on an attempt to grill early settlement of bills out of as many unknowing citizens as possible, through the usage of confusing wording on their bills.
On the front of the bill (and that is what, psychologically, most consumers limit themselves to read!) consumers are told that the amount due is payable within 15 days from the invoice date. Forget for the moment that the bill (using Maltapost's excellent services!) gets to your letterbox some five days after the invoice date, and so your 15 days are now down to 10 days.
But then on the back of the bill you are told that it is imperative that you pay within 45 days from the date of the invoice, and that if you don't they will then apply interest at six per cent as from after 15 days from the invoice date.
Now all of this attempt to confuse the minds of people, or squeezing out of people as many quick-as-possible settlements, could have been avoided if on the front of the bill the following simple words were to be included:
"You have up to 45 days from the date of this invoice within which you can pay this bill, but please note that we shall have to charge you interest at six per cent from date of invoice if you go over 45 days to settle it."
I volunteer to give ARMS Ltd a charges-free translation of this simple wording in Maltese, Italian, French and Arabic if, like Maltapost did, they are willing to see sense.
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Gerard Cassar
Feb 25th 2010, 20:14
The meter reader visited some districts this week, however he did not leave the usual note for the benefit of consumers.Why? What's the trick? So that consumers are not able to contest the estimated consumption with the actual reading as happened before? Or is it as a means of reducing expenses? Consumers should however ask the meter reader to state the actual consumption, and do not accept bills unless based on that reading taking into acoount the period of the reading. Work it out yourself or make some one work it for you and stick to it whatever the W & E say. Remember that one can always give the reading to the W & E by phone after reading the meters oneself.
lgalea
Feb 25th 2010, 13:52
This issue has been purposely made to confound the consumers. The payment of interest can only be requested after the issue of an ACTUAL reading bill and not an estimated one. There is also an illegality when they issue an estimate because no one actually knows how many units have been consumed during that period, and it may be that there was no consumption at all. The greatest problem is that tariffs vary so that consumers may be charged at a higher rate for consumption which they have not made.
Moreover, there is another ILLEGALITY being carried out by Enemalta and ARMS Ltd. They are issuing bills for the common parts of apartments at a non-residential rate when the whole block is being used as a RESIDENTIAL block. This is ILLEGAL as the whole block is residential and they cannot charge a higher different. This is being done in a cloak and dagger manner without the residents being informed. I urge residents to tell Enemalta to remove the 3phase and stop using the lift if possible and connect the lighting to one of the residents supply and compensate them.
I urge the PL to promise reconnection without any fees.
laurence schembri
Feb 25th 2010, 12:56
ARMS LTD. is a privately held Company, I have been asking this for some time, is this a Company within a Company or what? The address is the same as Waterservices Corporation.
As it is privately held, what is the number of its employees? Another question arises; What is going to happen to the Waterservices employees that use to do the billing? Last question; Are we to receive bills on 2 monthly basis like we have been promise some six years ago and never materialised?
Alan Kay
Feb 25th 2010, 12:54
Excellent summary of the misinformation contained in the new accounts.
it was 45 days from invoice date under the old system, and that hasn't changed and the "due by date" is best ignored.