Understanding Your Bill

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How to Read and Interpret Your Monthly Utility Bill

Your utility bill contains fees for services rendered. Services include water, sewer, and solid waste (trash/recycle).

All customers use water differently. Lawn size, the number of people within a household or business, and other water habits will impact your bill. For this reason, comparing water bills with your neighbors or other business might not provide meaningful information. However, if you notice a substantial increase in your normal statement, you may have a leak. Click to view our checklist for chasing down leaks. The City of Cheyenne, Board of Public Utilities' staff welcomes any questions or concerns about your monthly water/sewer bill. Please contact us at 307-637-6460 or visit at 2416 Snyder Ave.

Services Rendered

Water

This charge represents all the potable (drinking) water you have used during a given month. This includes water used inside and outside of the property. Water users pay a rate which is measured in 1,000-gallon increments. The Board of Public Utilities has a tiered rate structure; the more water used, the higher the bill will be at the end of the month. During the summer months, many customers have a higher water bill, often due to an increase in water use outside the property.

Water meters, located at the property, provide the Board of Public Utilities with the necessary information to know how much water was used at the property. On average, water bills are based on 30 days, depending on holidays and how the billing cycle aligns. Click here for current water rates.

Sewer

This charge represents all of the water that drains to the sewer system from the property and is piped to the water reclamation facilities. Residential and Business sewer rates include both variable and fixed charges. The type of charge will depend upon your specific property. For reference, a typical sewer use for an average home is around 4,000 gallons, but this figure may vary, especially for a business.

  • Variable charges are calculated from each property's average water use, billed for three months during the winter (December to March). Winter months are used because it best represents indoor water use, which typically ends up going down the drain and into the wastewater system. These charges are calculated and applied to each property's statement in late spring for the coming year.
  • Fixed charges are metered and are billed the same as the property's water. Fixed charges are typically reserved for properties that do not require outside water use.

Click here for current sewer rates.

Solid Waste

The Board of Public Utilities bills and collects for all solid waste fees on behalf of the City of Cheyenne. For trash and recycle information, please contact the City of Cheyenne, Sanitation Division at 307-637-6440 or visit the Sanitation Division - Transfer Station webpage.

Sample Utility Bill

 How to read your bill.

Explanation of Bill

  1. Customer Number - Unique number assigned to Customer.
  2. Service Location - Address where service is being provided.
  3. Account # - Account number specific to the Service Location.
  4. Account Type - Property use classification (e.g., Residential, Commercial, Industrial)
  5. Due Date - Date when payment of Current Charges is due. Bank draft accounts will be drafted on this date.
  6. Meter Number - The meter number for metered services at the Service Location.
  7. Previous and Current Date - For metered services, the dates correspond to the beginning and ending meter readings. For non-metered services, the dates correspond to when the services were rendered.
  8. Multiplier - The multiplier is used to convert the net meter reading (Current Reading minus the Previous Reading) into thousands of gallons for billing purposes.
  9. Usage Quantity - For metered services, this is the volume of water or sewer being billed. For solid waste, this is the quantity of containers/services requested by the customer.
  10. Rate - The monthly flat rate charge for the service, or the volume charge for each thousand gallons.
  11. Charge Amount - The Usage Quantity multiplied by the Rate, or the amount of the specific charge listed.
  12. Consumption History - Metered consumption graphical comparison in thousands of gallons.
  13. Previous Balance - The unpaid balance or credit from the previous bill.
  14. Total Current Charges - Current charges for the service dates shown.
  15. Total Amount Due - This is the total amount you owe (includes Adjustments and Penalties) less any payments received.
  16. After Due Date - This is the Total Amount Due plus a late fee if not paid by the due date.
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