Edmonton tenants relieved after $19,501 EPCOR water bill was a ‘cross metering’ error

An Edmonton tenant is feeling lighter on Thursday — and significantly richer — after finding out a massive water bill was an error on the utility company’s part.

Yaphet Derbie didn’t feel that way just hours earlier, when he thought he owed EPCOR nearly $20,000.

“The situation is almost fully resolved,” Derbie told CityNews.

Derbie moved into the basement suite of an east Edmonton home with his girlfriend in July, but was under the impression utilities – including water – was already set up and shared with the upstairs tenants.

“My landlord told me that for the last five months, water utilities has not been set up to our place,” he explained on Wednesday.

After going through the process and setting up with EPCOR in December, Derbie knew there would be an overdue amount – but not as much as what came to him this week.

His bill: $19,501.24 – including garbage and sewer. The price of a brand new car.

“What are we talking about here? Are you asking me to buy shares of EPCOR or something?”

The bill shows estimated water metre readings until September, when water usage spiked by an eye-watering 3,000 cubic metres. Derbie ensures there were no leaks or any water issues that month.

“I think if you left every single source of water on for a whole three-four months, you still would not accumulate that amount of water,” he said. “We are talking about 1.5 times the size of an Olympic swimming pool.”

Derbie believed the previous basement tenants disconnected the water when they moved out in June, followed by a communication breakdown.

Derbie was in the process of talking to EPCOR and working with utility advocates and his landlord on a remedy.

That remedy came Thursday when EPCOR reached out informing Derbie there had been a “cross meter reading.”

“Cross metering is rare,” EPCOR told CityNews in a statement. “This happens when the meter installed at the customer’s property does not match the meter number as shown on the bill, and it can result in water consumption being billed to incorrect customers.

“When it occurs, we take steps to resolve the crossed meters and any associated bills. We are continually reviewing our processes to identify opportunities to improve the experience of our customers.

“We continue to remind customers to review their bill each month and reach out to EPCOR if they notice anything that seems out of the ordinary compared to their typical bill.”

Derbie feels the entire situation could have been rectified much earlier.

“How come EPCOR didn’t reach out to us within the first or second months that there was no water utilities set up here,” he asked. “If they know water is being used here and nobody had applied for it, why not they either don’t cut it off or why they don’t send us mail saying, ‘you need to apply for water.’”

Derbie hopes future renters educate themselves on checking water metres.

“Be aware of what you’re paying for, or what is missing. And just double check,” he said. “We based off assumptions and I think maybe the situation could have been resolved way sooner.”