DPU late fees

Submitted by yentle-the-nimble t3_ygyxop in rva

For those of you who send in their payment via snail mail, has anyone experienced issues with the Department of Public Utilities not getting your check or not processing it in a timely manner?

For the second month this summer/fall I've been getting a statement with this + last month's bill on it (plus a late fee of a buck and some change). Last time, it appeared that they processed the check just days after it was due. I just checked my bank account and the check I sent in weeks ago hasn't even been processed.

Last time, I called and was told that they don't go by the date you mailed the bill. So if your payment, by some chance, doesn't get to them (in North Carolina) in a timely fashion then it is late.

Here is the thing, I can see an image in my bank account of the checks when they are processed. From the first month I dated the check 8/3/2022 and it was processed by the 8/22/2022. Nineteen days!

That AND this month's "bill date" was 10/21. I'm just getting it 10/29 — eight days later. What am I supposed to do?I'm just wondering if it is me and my bad luck or if this is a larger problem.

3

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

fusion260 t1_iubffbp wrote

If your bank offers free bill pay, use that. The bank drafts the money from your account as soon as the check is sent and hold the funds in a separate account just for those payments.

That way, DPU could deposit it 6 months from now and you’ll never risk a surprise overdraft or wonder why your account is unexpectedly lower because they took forever to deposit it.

4

yentle-the-nimble OP t1_iue5q3h wrote

Thanks. That’s good to know. It’s more of the principal of them charging me a late fee when I mail my payment 2 weeks before it is due.

2

fusion260 t1_iuf6lap wrote

Totally understand!

Also, with most bank bill pay systems, there’s a confirmation that the check was delivered or at least that it was sent from their dispatch center with a “deliver by” date. That tends to help eliminate late fees as well because that’s automatic documentation you have to say it’s not your fault.

2

StarHeroPixels t1_iubt9et wrote

I haven’t run into this issue (knock on wood) so here’s a couple thoughts.

1: How are you sending it? Do you put it in a regular mailbox, apartment mailbox, or what? I always drop it in one of the big blue boxes here in the MD with regularly posted pickup hours so I know it’s being picked up somewhat promptly.

2: Are you putting your DPU account number on the actual check? If you aren’t, that could be it. I can’t imagine why anyone would separate the bill slip from the check when they open the envelope, but I once forgot to put my account number on the check when paying property tax in another city and they never processed it.

2

Charlesinrichmond t1_iudqzg8 wrote

if DPU has the opportunity to be incompetent, they will.

They have refunded me my check before, and then sent out a bill with a late fee

2

yentle-the-nimble OP t1_iue64z8 wrote

I’ve never thought of using a blue mailbox — I just use my home. I’m not sure how big of a difference that would make in USPS processing. Taking over a week to get a state we’re bordering doesn’t seem like something USPS would do with regular mail.

I do add my account number every time. How legible I’m writing it is always questionable.

1