JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Is your JEA bill too high? A free in-home assessment could save you hundreds of dollars.
You don’t have to drown in high water or electric bills. If you think you’re paying too much, you can give JEA a call to schedule a free assessment. They will diagnose the problem and if there isn’t one, they’ll recommend some lifestyle changes.
On Thursday, News4JAX spent the day with a JEA crew as they helped homeowners figure out what could be driving up their bills.
As a Senior Meter Specialist with JEA, Jonathan Andrews’ job is to help you figure out why your JEA bill might be higher than normal.
His first call of the day was addressing a customer’s concerns about a recent water bill.
“If you don’t mind, the first thing I’m gonna do is check the water meter itself, since that’s where we get all our data and reading from,” Andrews said to the customer, shortly after arriving.
After checking the meters, toilets, and irrigation system, Andrews found the problem.
“What I found was that you have a meter for your indoor water, which is water, sewer services and one which was put on the property for outdoor only. The sprinkler meter running is running your house water meter so that’s what’s driving that up,” he said to the customer.
Andrews recommended the customer contact a professional to have the line moved over to the correct meter to save money in the future. He also suggested watering the grass less often for what he called a significant cost savings.
RELATED: Making Ends Meet: New tricks to try to cut your electric bill
“[The savings] kind of depends on where they go moving forward watering, but the sewer alone can save significant amounts, especially for someone like her who is using 15-17,000 [gallons] of water. She won’t be billed for 15-17,000 of sewer any longer,” Andrews said.
JEA provides free in-home assessments to help customers conserve energy and reduce water use which can all lower your bill. Energy auditors will walk through and inspect your home to determine whether behavioral changes and or new equipment can help reduce energy costs.
Andrews also helped a couple on Jacksonville’s Northside who recently saw their water bill double. Savannah and Zane Hollimand said the process of getting a free assessment was painless.
“We scheduled it a week or two ago and they came out and figured out the problem within 5 to 10 minutes so super easy,” Zane said.
This time, it was as simple as reprogramming their irrigation system to only water their lawn for one hour twice a week. Andrews recommended the couple sign up for a free text alert system, so they could be notified when their bill reaches a certain dollar amount.
The couple is also planning to fill out an adjustment request form. In some cases, JEA offers customers credit adjustments for leaks or accidental excessive water use. It is not guaranteed your bill will be adjusted after an abnormal situation but anyone can submit a request.
“We were able to actually identify the problem so hopefully we don’t get any more bills like this in the future,” Savannah said.
You can schedule a free assessment with JEA by calling 904-665-6000.