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Write to the utility's billing address: state the account number, the billing period you dispute, what you think is wrong, and what you want fixed. Keep paying the undisputed portion so you cannot be shut off over it. If the utility will not budge, escalate to your state public utilities commission.
Not to the payment PO box. The remittance address on your bill goes to a lockbox that processes payments; a dispute letter sent there can sit unopened. Use the customer service or billing disputes address printed on the back of the bill or listed under "contact us" on the utility's site. Address it to the billing disputes department by name. One page is plenty: account number, service address, the billing period and amount in dispute, a plain statement of the problem, and the fix you want (a corrected bill, a meter re-read, a credit). Send it certified and keep a copy.
| Common dispute | Evidence that helps | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Sudden usage spike | Your own meter readings, past bills for the same months, a leak repair receipt | A meter test or re-read, and a leak adjustment if a leak is confirmed |
| Estimated (not actual) reading | Photo of your current meter reading | A corrected bill based on the actual reading |
| Charges after you moved out | Move-out date, the final reading, the new tenant's start date if you know it | Service end-date correction and a final bill |
| Wrong rate or tariff applied | The rate schedule from the utility's tariff page | Re-billing at the correct rate |
| Fees you never agreed to | The original service agreement or welcome letter | Removal of the unauthorized charges |
No: keep paying the part you do not dispute. Most states bar shutoff for amounts under a bona fide dispute, but only if the undisputed portion is current. Withholding the whole bill hands the utility a legitimate shutoff reason and weakens your position. Pay the undisputed amount on time, note "paid under protest" on the check or payment memo if you like, and let the disputed amount sit while the review runs.
Every state has a public utilities commission (sometimes called the public service commission) that regulates investor-owned utilities, and most take consumer complaints. Escalate there after the utility's own process stalls: attach copies of your bill, your dispute letter, and the utility's response. The commission can order the utility to justify the charges and, in many states, a pending complaint freezes collection and shutoff activity on the disputed amount. It does not work for everything: municipal utilities and co-ops often answer to a city council or board instead, and the commission will tell you that up front.
The same mechanics apply, with different regulators. Ontario's Energy Board, for example, handles complaints about regulated electricity and natural gas utilities, and provinces generally require utilities to resolve billing disputes before disconnection. Keep paying the undisputed portion there too. The one structural difference worth knowing: in provinces with fully deregulated retail markets, your contract might be with a retailer rather than the distribution utility, so send the dispute to whichever company actually bills you.
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