Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Appeals
This site will serve as the portal for the appeal process for billing disputes with the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.
Instructions to apply for this process can be found HERE or on our FAQ page.
Once you appeal has been processed, you will recieve a notification with a portal login for this site where you can upload attachments to serve as supporting documentation for your appeal. You will also be given a virtual appointment that can be attended via Zoom meeting or phone call to discuss your appeal with a case manager.
Another provision is meant to reduce headaches for customers who want to correct inaccurate bills. An outside firm, Hammerman and Gainer, LLC, known as HGI, will become the first point of contact for aggrieved customers, with authority to adjust customer bills after reviewing cases.
Both the S&WB and customers can trigger arbitration if dissatisfied with HGI’s decision
Sec. 159-5. – Bill dispute process.
(a) The New Orleans City Council shall designate a person or firm to respond to customer complaints regarding monthly bills (referred to herein as “firm”). The firm shall operate under the supervision of the council utilities regulatory office. (b) A customer who disagrees with the billed amount due may dispute a bill according to the following process: (1) Contact the firm. The customer shall have 30 days from receipt of a monthly bill to contact the Firm to dispute a bill. The firm shall either have access to emails, phone calls, or post received by SWBNO or shall establish an email address, phone number, or mailing address to receive customer complaints. The contact information shall be published on the SWBNO webpage and on customer bills. (2) Complaint review. After receiving the customer’s complaint, the firm shall review the customer’s disputed bill and any relevant information, including but not limited to billing history, past meter readings, maintenance records, etc. a. SWBNO shall take all steps necessary to ensure that the firm has access to all systems necessary to review the relevant information. b. The firm shall take all necessary steps to protect a customer’s personal information. c. The firm shall provide a list of all customers who have a complaint under review to SWBNO with copy to the council utilities regulatory office on a weekly basis. All listed customers shall be deemed to have a bill in dispute. (3) Bill adjustments. The firm shall have the authority to make any necessary adjustments to a customer’s billed amount. The firm shall submit its decision regarding any adjustments to SWBNO and the customer within two weeks of a customer submitting their complaint. If the firm requires additional time to make a decision regarding a customer’s complaint, they shall inform the customer and SWBNO in writing. a. In the event the firm finds that SWBNO failed to send the customer a bill in accordance with section 159-4, the firm shall have the authority to void all charges and fees except the residential sanitation charge provided that the customer has not been charged that fee inappropriately. b. In the event the firm finds that an error in the billed amount is the result of a malfunctioning water meter, the firm shall offer the customer the opportunity to opt-in to fixed rate billing until the meter can be replaced. c. The firm shall submit a monthly report to the council summarizing the number of complaints reviewed and the total amount of adjustments ordered. (4) Arbitration. In the event SWBNO or the customer elect to dispute the firm’s decision, they may submit a request for arbitration within 14 days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, of receipt of the firm’s decision. (c) Bill in dispute. After contacting the firm to dispute a bill, a customer is deemed to have a bill in dispute until either: (1) 14 days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, have lapsed since the customer received the firm’s decision; or (2) 14 days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, have lapsed since the customer and SWBNO received the arbiter’s decision. (d) Payment during dispute process. During the bill dispute process, SWBNO shall bill the customer as follows: (1) Prior to the firm’s decision regarding an adjustment, the customer’s monthly bill shall be the fixed bill rate. (2) After the firm renders a decision, but prior to a decision for the arbiter, SWBNO shall bill the customer in accordance with the adjustment ordered by the firm. (3) Upon receipt of the arbiter’s decision, SWBNO shall make the ordered adjustments within two billing cycles. (e) As provided in section 159-3, while a customer has a bill in dispute, SWBNO shall not assess interest, fees, or penalties on the amount in dispute; submit a customer’s account to a collection agency; or execute a service disconnect.
https://www.swbno.org/Article/Details/swbno-begins-smart-meter-based-billing