Where Do The Charges On My Bill Come From?
At the request of the communities we serve, Nationwide Energy Partners (NEP) provides a unified bill for every resident in our partnered communities. This conveniently combines multiple services into one single statement, simplifying the hassle of paying your bills into one easy submission. With that being said, each community provides unique amenities and, as such, your bill may only reflect some of the many possible options listed in this article. To get a better understanding of what factors determine the total cost of your monthly unified bill scroll down.
Utility Charges
Utility charges are calculated by multiplying your monthly usage by the local utilities' residential rate for that same month and usage level. Local utilities typically vary their rates slightly each month and NEP will accurately match those variations as they occur. With that being said, we will never charge the resident a rate higher than that of the local utility, which can be confirmed when comparing your monthly billing costs to the rates listed by the utility. Depending on your community, NEP may be your billing company for any or all of these services.
It’s important to note that many factors can affect total usage. Among these are unit size, unit location, weather, heat pump settings, insulation, construction quality, heating/cooling efficiency, personal habits, etc. Some of these variables are within your control, while others may not be. With that being said, we’ve compiled a list of conservation tips to provide you with some control in bringing your costs down. To learn more about these recommendations CLICK HERE.
Community Charges
Community charges are the expenses your community has chosen to allocate to its residents for services rendered both in-unit as well as in common areas, often labeled as common area usage (see below). Community charges are typically outlined in the lease provided by your community and can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Community Charges
Trash Removal
Trash removal services as directed by your community
Innovation Package
Internet
In-home smart appliances
EV Charging
If you’re curious or are looking for clarification about the community charges listed on your billing statement, please contact your property manager for more details.
Common area usage (CAU) covers the shared electric and/or water expenses in your community’s common areas and can be added to your bill at the request of your community. This practice is typically quite beneficial, ensuring that all expenses are distributed evenly amongst residents while covering the community’s shared amenities. We’d like to note that CAU charges are subject to fluctuation based on seasonality and overall use, and can vary in type from one community to the next. The most influential factors that will determine your community CAU rely greatly on the types of amenities that are included. For example, if you live somewhere with larger water features or heated parking that may be reflected in the cost of your CAU charges, compared to a property without these provisions. You can find CAU charges listed separately on your monthly billing statement under the Community Charges section. See below for a list of the more common possible sources of shared electric and/or water expenses:
CAU
Common Area Electric
Street lights
Work out facilities
Clubhouse
Business center
Laundry facilities
Parking garage
Common Area Water
Pools and hot tubs
Water irrigation systems
Water fountains
Adjustments & Fees
Adjustments and fees are influenced by a wide range of components including the community, an individual's banking institution, and lastly the resident. At NEP, we understand that there can be confusion around the different types of adjustments and fees so we’d like to further break down the most common charges you might see on your bill. Please keep in mind that similar to community charges, many of the adjustments mentioned below are administered at the community’s request, and are then processed using NEP’s services.
Penalty (aka Late fees)
A late fee is charged when your payment is received after the due date. The late fee assessed is $20 for any balance over $100.
Non-sufficient funds (NSF fees)
NSF fees are charges made by banks and credit unions and are imputed when there isn’t enough money in the account to process a transaction.
A $30 charge may be applied to your account for all payments not honored by the bank for any reason, including, but not limited to: insufficient funds (NSF), account closed, payment stopped, no signature, and improperly drawn or submitted.
*Please note, your banking institution may charge a separate NSF fee that is independent of that made by NEP, and cannot be resolved by our own organization.
Service fee (aka reconnect fee)
Service fees occur when your electric or water service is restored after disconnection due to non-payment. To ensure service is restored, this fee must be paid in full.
Water & Electric billing fee
Water and electric billing fees do not apply to every community served by NEP, rather they are used specifically for “water-only” or “electric-only” properties. These types of services are provided under the requested contract of your community and are a result of the property covering the host-utility charges.
Processing fees
Carryover
Carryover charges (also listed as balance forward) are determined by the resident; put simply, if you don’t pay your entire bill, the balance owed is carried over to the next billing cycle.
The best way to avoid carryover charges (aka balance forward) is by paying your bill in full within every billing cycle. To help make this process easier and avoid falling behind, we recommend signing up for Autopay.
Still have questions?
We’ve covered a lot of different charges that you may see listed on your bill, however, if you have any remaining questions about something specific please don’t hesitate to contact our resident support specialists Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm EST at 877-818-2637 or via email at ResidentSupport@NationwideEnergyPartners.com