CUI Connections With CEO Roberts March 2014

CUI Connections With CEO Roberts
March 2014
The Customer Survey that we conducted in November has been completed and we are pleased to
share the results. The study was designed to provide insight on customer perception of CUI’s current
service offering, identify potential services CUI could add to its offering, and gauge overall customer
interest level in additional services.
The study obtained responses from almost 400 of CUI’s customers and yielded largely positive
feedback. While the response makes these results statistically valid, we had hoped for even more
feedback. Please know how much we value your comments and use your feedback to ensure we are
continually providing the best services for our customers.
So, on to the results! The large majority of survey respondents indicated that they enjoy reliable
water service, excellent or very good water quality and water pressure that is just right. Feedback
regarding wastewater was also primarily positive. In regards to solid waste issues, 40% of
respondents indicated that the current four bag limit is reasonable while many said they could use
fewer bags if a recycling service were available.
Over three quarters of respondents would be very likely to use a curbside recycling service if there
was no increase in their utility costs. That number dropped to 20% for those who would use the
service if there was a monthly fee. CUI is currently conducting a feasibility assessment as to
whether curbside recycling and some form of composting could be performed without an increase
to the existing charge for solid waste, and that study will be finalized in 2014.
We had many comments indicating your appreciation for CUI as well as sharing some great feedback
about how we can improve their service. As noted above, all of your comments are being reviewed
and will form part of the CUI Management team’s efforts to improve service levels. We are
committed to providing excellent service to our customers, and are always looking at ways to
improve operational efficiencies while keeping our costs to residents as low as possible.
For up-to-date notices and information please follow us on our social media sites:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Website:
www.twitter.com/CUI_Utilities
www.facebook.com/CUINCdotca
www.cuinc.ca - Subscribe to CUI Connections & sign up for e-Billing
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve our service delivery please contact me at
403-207-7070 or send me an e-mail to [email protected].
Don Roberts
Chief Executive Officer
CHESTERMERE UTILITIES INCORPORATED – CUI
403, 320 W EST CREEK DRIVE, CHESTERMERE, ALBERTA T1X 0P7
CUI Connections With President, COO MacIntosh
March 2014
Hello everyone! I have a few key messages this month to share that are simple yet important.
CUI calculates your water consumption by taking readings from your water meter every two
months. The water meter is connected to a little box that allows CUI to gather meter readings
without entering your home. For about half of our customers, the remote is a small grey box located
on the side or back of your house. As I’m sure you can imagine though, at this time of year it is
common to have snow blocking the remote meter reading device and if our meter readers can’t get
to the box due to snow or even a locked gate, CUI has to bill you based on an estimate.
If the billing system creates an estimate it can sometimes result in you paying for more
water than you are actually using or it could be too low, which means that once an
accurate reading is obtained there could be a significant “catch-up” bill to pay for the
additional water consumption. If you see an “Estimate” on your utility bill it means that an
estimate was used. If you see “Estimate” on two
consecutive billing statements, please contact our
office at 403-207-7088 to resolve any issues quickly.
Nobody like penalties but CUI does charge 3% per month for overdue payments. We would like to
help you avoid paying this penalty by ensuring that payment is received by the due date. CUI offers
a variety of ways to pay your monthly bill by mail, in person at the CUI office, at your bank or
through online banking. The majority of late payments appear to be arising as a result of online
banking or payments made at your financial institution. There is a delay of up to two business days
from when the bank receives the funds and when they are transferred to CUI so if you are paying
on the actual due date it will trigger late payment penalties to be incurred. Please allow for
sufficient time for the bank to transfer to the funds to CUI.
One option to avoid all of these timing issues and resulting penalties is to sign up for our preauthorized payment program. Customers still receive a monthly invoice but it gives CUI permission
to withdraw the amount owing directly from your bank without you worrying about making the
payment. Nearly half of all our customers have already joined! If you would like to sign up, please
give our office a call or you can download the forms and information on our website
(www.cuinc.ca/payment-options).
And lastly, I am excited to share that April 20 to 26 is Pitch-In Week! This year we are planning
some community activities for our
customers including a hazardous waste
round-up. This will be the ideal time to
get rid of your old batteries, solvents and
paints and get your spring cleaning
underway! We will be setup at the Recycle
Depot and will have the proper containers
and people present to accept these
hazardous items. More information will be shared on our social media sites as the date gets closer.
Ray MacIntosh
President & COO
CHESTERMERE UTILITIES INCORPORATED – CUI
403, 320 W EST CREEK DRIVE, CHESTERMERE, ALBERTA T1X 0P7

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