When saving… isn’t.

Southern California residents have suffered through some pretty hefty water rate hikes. It seems like every bill has a brand spanking new price tag.

Residents in our area are often sent letters asking to reduce water use. Thanks to ‘Navy showers’, reduction in roommates, and landscaping akin to the dust bowl, we personally cut our water usage by 50%. According to water company reports, our fellow residents cut their water usage by nearly 10%.

I received a letter titled ‘Water Rate Increase’ with my bill. The water company is raising rates in part because of… get this…

Lower water sales.

Um. Didn’t you ask me to stop using water? And now I have to pay more because I actually stopped using it?

Our 50% reduction in water usage resulted in… a bill that was 5.5% less than last month’s.

Striking oil in California won’t make you rich – but striking water just might.

It’s times like these that you just have to laugh.

Posted by Beks on October 27, 2009 at 5:00 AM in General Debt, General Personal Finance, Life Experiences | 18 Comments »
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Symptoms Of Panic Attacks responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 5:42 am
I just read your post and it made me laugh; I know that it is not funny. However companies always seem to find a way to get you; I do not believe that the consumer will ever win!
InDebt responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 7:21 am
OUCH! That really really stinks!
Cynthia responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 7:22 am
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t I guess. Sorry for the bad news.
Money Beagle responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 8:35 am
That’s pretty standard, and I had the same thing happen here in Michigan. There are a lot of fixed costs associated with water and sewage, as it’s probably one of the more ‘infrastructure heavy’ commodities out there. The pipes need to be upkept. The pumps need to be kept on and working. The control systems and monitoring systems need to stay running. If, say, electric usage went down enough, you could end up shutting off a power plant, but you really can’t shut a portion of your water system down, so this actually makes sense. But you’re right, it does suck.
Knocking Out Debt responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Are you kidding me?! Goodness gracious!
sandra jensen responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Ack! Well, at least you are making the cuts – your neighbors don’t have a clue – yet!
Cassie responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Yikes, they really are jerks, aren’t they? Sorry for the bad news! But you’re right, you’ve just gotta laugh about it.
John DeFlumeri Jr responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 10:39 am
That is so damn annoying!
Christina responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Times like these make me very happy that we live in a rural area and have our own water well and septic system. Sorry for your bad news.
Claire in CA, USA responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
So, why the heck do we still live in So Cal? They seem to keep finding ways to screw the residents.
Goodbye Debt responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I live in California as well and I know the feeling.
mv responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Oh, my SoCal neighbors (SF Bay Area here), it’s not just you. We got hit with the same exact thing. Last summer, it was all about rationing, and getting hit with extra charges if you didn’t. It was a ‘cross-the-board’ reduction, so those who already had reduced their water usage had to reduce more, or pay higher fees. Well, guess what? Just like you in SoCal, because the Water utility mandated, or strongly urged, rationing (don’t recall which), and we all complied, they had lower water sales. Which, you guessed it, resulted in a subsequent increase in rates.

As the saying goes: Can’t win for losing.
Melanie responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Charlotte, NC had the same thing happen last year. There was an awful drought in 2007, and everyone was put on Stage 3 water restrictions (or worse) and everyone was told to savesavesave their water. The next spring, there was a rate hike because of lost profits due to decreased usage. So insane.
My Frugal Miser responded:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I calculated that I could save about $8 per month by taking a sailor shower (http://www.myfrugalmiser.com/2009/09/take-sailor-shower-780month.html). In my area we, too have been paying way more for water than most people, but it’s because of escalating sewer debt service… in fact, our county is on the brink of bankruptcy due to the $3+ billion in sewer debt.

I now pay more for water/sewer than I do for electricity or gas.
Nicole responded:
Posted: October 28th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Isn’t the government smart? Sometimes I wonder if they think before they act!
Stefanie responded:
Posted: October 29th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Our water bill is going up (in Southern Maryland) because so many people either can’t (out of work) or won’t (foreclosed upon and in the midst of leaving) pay their bills. Sigh. That’s life.
Christine responded:
Posted: October 30th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Ya, I just got my bill. It was $10 higher than last month. And last month’s was $10 higher than before. And we haven’t used an ounce more water than we did last year.

Being sucked dry, I tell you! Totally unfair to us So. Cal resident. *hmph*
Beks responded:
Posted: November 2nd, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Eek! Who knew this was more than a So. Cal. thing? Sorry to all the water/sewer sufferers out there!