I think WAPA is screwing us over.

Have you looked at the Tesla Power pack? Still a little bit expensive at this point and seems to be improving every 6 months.

Watching and waiting. Once there are several thousand out there in use everyday, I'll make a move in that direction. As will will hundreds of others in the VI. Best to move on it before the GVI passes legislation making it illegal to be off the grid.

Daveb722....
Sorry for my ignorance,but what is this TESLA POWER PACK?

https://www.tesla.com/powerwall

Basically can put solar power directly into it or where they have cheaper night rates, you could charge it then and have it supply your home during the day.

Finally cut the bush enough to get to the Meyer, -300 kWh than the meter reading a week ago from them. I'll be going in Friday - heard they're open on the radio but wonder if that's fact. Will be damn sure to take pics every couple days with date stamp! I know they haven't been reading it for sure when I realized how overgrown it was there. Good thing my machete is nice and sharp and now they have no excuses from my end.

My bill was around $220 a month consistently and in June 3 people moved out leaving just me. I waited for the bill to go down, but it went up, and each month it went up more! I checked the reading on the "Smart" meter and found they were estimating it. I took pictures in to them and she wanted me to pay "at least $100" when I figured they owed me over $400. I refused to pay anything and she said she put in the correct numbers and it would adjust. I have been on a credit for 3 months now. She said that they couldn't remotely read the smart meters yet so they were estimating "a lot of people's bills". I urge EVERYONE to at least compare their "readings" to your meter.

Thank you!

Actually, when all is said and done, WAPA and the VI Government has been screwing us over for decades.

If you want that to change, be a force for the change.
Contact PSC and your senators.
Complain in local newspaper, be outspoken.
Vote!

"A nation of sheep begets a government of wolves"

Finally cut the bush enough to get to the Meter.

It is your (or the homeowner's) responsibility to ensure that there is access to the meter.

A lot of the "smart meters" have to ability to report information to WAPA because the wireless network that relays the data has yet to be installed.

At the last PSC both the estimating and meters were discussed. They say the fix soon come.

My main electrical breaker was off for 2 months and I still was charged an estimated $$.

Went into wapa. Shockingly they said their "average" is based on the current from ALL the houses in the neighborhood!? What!? Maybe she was pulling my leg. Lmao. She was able to in 10 seconds read my meter remotely and adjust my bill -$135. So basically half.

This make zero sense, why are they estimating when they can pull the actual smart meter reads?? I assume they put in the smart meters and they do work but they don't have the software to automatically do it for everyone and input it in their billing system. I think I'm more confused than before but now at least I know I have to call in my bill and have them do an actual read (remotely) every month that it seems over. Can't make this shit up.

Finally cut the bush enough to get to the Meter.

It is your (or the homeowner's) responsibility to ensure that there is access to the meter.

There was access. It was a bit high, to my thighs but for a tall dude with pants, no problem. Im a little wary of the bush at my place because I have so many centipedes but it's cut now.

Yeah that all does sound pretty screwy. Seems like another screwed up IT project.

They read mine last week and it was correct this time. (no smart meter)

I found this pretty interesting...

When I logged onto the WAPA site to pay my bill I noticed this:

Last Read Date: 11/04/2016

But my bill was for :

Billing Periods Number of Days
11/2016 .............. 34

I guess they just estimate all the time? they don't even read the meter near the billing date to charge you?

maybe that's the standard procedure?

I noticed they no longer have "next read date" on the bills like they used to.

They read mine on the 18th and billed on the 23rd. But the last read date didn't update on the web site until about a week after they had read it.

She told me that they are "estimating all smart meter bills from now on". When I asked her how that was legal and when they expect to have the software to convert the reads into bills, she laughed. I bet it sucks for them too because they have to deal with angry people all day.

I'd recommend taking pics every few days and then you can call or go in and have it adjusted. What an absolute joke. How much did these smart meters cost the territory?

Does STT have this issue?

You really should document your experience and submit to the PSC.

Will do.

I am on STT and not had a reading at the house in over a year I don't think they are estimating but will look to see how the #'s match up.

Ok USVI peeps get ready for BOHICA. Translated that is bend over here it comes again. Hey one cannot possibly make this kind of stuff up.

It only effects some customers on STT & STJ. STX is not effected. One of the paragraphs is copied/pasted below and a link to the full article is shown at the bottom.

“We anticipate that the bills will be issued by Friday, December 9,” Mr. Rhymer said. The news of two bills in December, which amounts to four bills for customers with both power and water services, will irritate residents who’ve already budgeted for the holidays.

http://viconsortium.com/business/some-wapa-customers-to-receive-two-power-and-water-bills-in-december-wapa-blames-system-glitch/

The level of incompetence is staggering...even for the VI.

"The news of two bills in December, which amounts to four bills for customers with both power and water services, will irritate residents who’ve already budgeted for the holidays"

No, the people that budgeted have that money put aside and it should not affect them at all.

Amazing! I got 2 identical bills in October within a week of each other. November's bill had more than double the usage. December's bill that arrived yesterday, was "normal". Can't wait to check the mailbox for the next mailing.

A simple audit program at the end of each batch cycle would alert them before they sent errant bills out and wasted the paper and postage. I could write it in a day. But they'd have to pay me up front. 🙂

A simple audit program at the end of each batch cycle would alert them before they sent errant bills out and wasted the paper and postage. I could write it in a day. But they'd have to pay me up front. 🙂

An audit program? In the VI? You're joking right?

audit=accountability. We know those are two dirty words here. Now that's funny I don't care who you are.