🌸Hello neighbors,I am reaching out to share a personal experience I had recently with Anderson City Utilities because it made me realize we have a serious lack of transparency in our local billing system. I know I am not the only one navigating these struggles, and I believe our community deserves better.

Recently, I woke up to find my water service being disconnected. When I called the utility office, the staff and a supervisor defended the shut-off, explaining that my previous balance and current billing were combined because they are both considered past due. However, nowhere on our physical paper statements is a clear disconnection date printed.

My bill was issued on September 16, and the only date listed on the statement says "Due Date: 10/02/2026." While the word “Disconnect” is faded into the background, there is no date next to it. Enforcing a due date over the phone as a hard, unannounced shut-off date leaves residents completely in the dark. How can we know when it is due to be disconnected, whether we have time to get it paid, or if we need to start filling up water gallons to survive?

This policy creates an immense structural hardship for our seniors, retirees, and families who rely on fixed monthly incomes. My monthly Social Security checks arrived on 09/03 and 10/02. Because the utility treated the 10/02 due date as an immediate disconnection day, the water was cut off before the funds could even be utilized. A rigid 14-day cycle simply does not align with a monthly check schedule.

Even the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) website states that customers must contact the utility prior to their “scheduled disconnect.” But how can we call before a scheduled date when no date is given to us?

We want to be good stewards and pay what we owe, but we need autonomy and clarity. A skilled software person could easily add a column to our bills showing approved Energy Assistance Program (EAP) pledges. Instead, the burden is placed entirely on the customer to wait online, guess their real balance, and hope they have an inkling of what to budget. Because of this lack of clarity, I was assessed a $67.00 reconnection fee right when the winter moratorium was opening. (Not to mention the extra $1.95 fee tacked onto online property tax payments!)

Any compassionate heart would want fairness for our community—especially for our most vulnerable seniors and the children in our families who rely on running water. We are responsible citizens, but we deserve clarity and respect. Come on, City of Anderson, you are better than this!

I have put together a formal complaint letter to send to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) and our Anderson City Council. If you believe our community deserves transparent billing, please click the link below to sign your name to this digital petition.

Let's stand together to bring a positive, respectful change to City Hall!

👇 Click https://c.org/bkgHzYbTyR here to sign the petition and view the full letter: 👇