Lynn and Lou Thomas got a letter from Columbus Water & Power threatening to shut off their water within days. The same letter told them not to pay because they were already enrolled in autopay.
The Hilliard couple was caught in a billing system error triggered by the utility's recent switch from quarterly to monthly billing, as 10TV first reported Aug. 6. When the due date on a pre-existing quarterly bill fell before the next monthly bill was generated, the system swapped in the new bill's due date and fired off delinquency and shutoff notices to autopay customers who owed nothing.
It made no sense.
"I could see a notice saying we're having problems with our auto draft and that we would like for you to make a payment right now, but to send out a warning notice they're shutting my water off because of their problems is completely stressful for people and it's illogical," Lynn Thomas told 10TV.
Lynn Thomas spent two hours on hold and researching before she learned the utility was aware of the problem.
Columbus Water & Power confirmed the glitch in a statement, saying it is "still determining the extent of this issue." The utility has not said how many customers received the erroneous notices.
What CWP has done
The utility said it has taken three steps to protect affected accounts:
- Blocked all further delinquency notices and collections actions on affected accounts
- Waived all penalties tied to the erroneous notices
- Updated email, chat and on-hold messaging to alert customers
What Hilliard autopay customers should do
CWP says affected customers have two options:
- Do nothing. Let the scheduled autopay withdraw the full balance at the next bill's due date.
- Pay manually. But first, cancel the pending autopay transaction to avoid being charged twice.
The utility said the error is not expected to recur because it was unique to the quarterly-to-monthly conversion. Customers should still monitor their accounts for duplicate charges.
CWP customer service is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 614-645-8276. Hold times are longer than usual. Customers can also email [email protected].
Meter project adds to CWP activity in Hilliard
The billing confusion comes as Columbus Water & Power is already active in Hilliard neighborhoods. The utility and its contractor, VEPO Metering, began replacing water meters across the area in mid-June as part of an Enhanced Meter Project, meaning many households have had recent contact with CWP.
No deadline has been announced for when all affected accounts will be fully resolved.
