How do I read my bill?
Cal Water’s bills feature an easy-to-read account summary, usage history graph to help customers keep track of consumption, detailed description of charges, a place for important messages, and meter information.
A sample bill is below.
| 1 | Account number: Your 10-digit account number, which you will keep even if you move to another location within our service areas (if you receive more than one bill from Cal Water, you will have more than one account number—contact our Customer Center at the phone number on your bill if you would like your bills combined) |
| 2 | Billing date: Date your bill was printed |
| 3 | Contact information: Your local Cal Water Customer Center |
| 4 | Customer messages: Where important messages will appear |
| 5 | Summary of your account information |
| 6 | Prior balance: Previous balance; includes any unpaid balance; due upon receipt |
| 7 | Payment received: Payments applied to your account since your last bill |
| 8 | Current charges: Amount due from current billing period (flat or metered as applicable) |
| 9 | Total amount due: Amount that you owe, including any unpaid previous balance (all bills due upon receipt and past due after 19 days) |
| 10 | Additional customer messages |
| 11 | Summary: Overview of your current bill, including the amount due |
| 12 | Automatic Payment Service: Instructions for signing up to have your bill automatically paid each month from your checking account |
| 13 | Portion of bill to return your payment (unless enrolled in automatic payment) |
| 14 | Billing address: Address to which your bill is sent (this may be different than the service address) |
| 15 | Customer messages: Where additional important messages will appear |
| 16 | Service address: Address of service location |
| 17 | Service dates: Beginning and end of the billing period for water service |
| 18 | Service charge: Monthly charge based upon the size of your water meter (if applicable) |
| 19 | Quantity charges: Measured in Ccf (hundred cubic feet) and separated by tier (if applicable) |
| 20 | WRAM charges or credits: The Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism (WRAM), used to ensure that Cal Water does not over- or under-collect fixed costs needed to operate the water system |
| 21 | CPUC Fee: The California Public Utilities Commission’s fee to cover its oversight. |
| 22 | Other charges and credits |
| 23 | Public Purpose Program fees |
| 24 | Subtotal for this service |
| 25 | Drought water budget: Summary of your current usage as it compares to your water budget |
| 26 | Water services detail: Graph of your consumption history for the past 13 months |
| 27 | Meter and reading information: Details of when your meter was read and what the reading was |
| 28 | Additional services detail: Insurance and other optional services, or city services |