Due Date Extensions
A customer has met all criteria for an extension. Who do we submit a service request to?
Support Lead
We have confirmed the move out for a resident and adjusted all necessary bills. What is the final thing that needs to be done to finish out the case?
Send the billing adjustment notice to the roommates that were affected by the bill adjustment.
check the affected invoices to identify if there are other fees that should not be billed to the residents.
end zone the case
What are the 4 VL articles that are helpful during this EFB season?
Define how an EFB is being billed
It is a final bill based on 90 days of the resident’s past utility usage at their current address. After looking at their bills for consumption trends, we also factor in historical weather trends and bill history for the property and the region that they live in.
What are the 3 reasons we can submit a high request?
1. Pre-bill note from AM that it's a high bill
2. there's a confirmed maintenance issue with work order
3. Clear Rubs/Submeter issue
6
Neil is calling in because he moved out on May 30, 2023. The current invoice is for usage from April 16 to May 15, 2023. Do we need to submit a move-out request for him now? Why or Why not?
That depends, if the resident has an updated lease document to show their move-out date has been updated to May 30 and they can provide that to us, we can send the SR with the document. Otherwise, we will advise the resident of the rent roll and provide a walkthrough to their portal on how to check usage dates to determine if they have been billed past their stated MVO date.
Jacqueline moved out of the property on April 25, 2023, but still received an EFB invoice that covers through June 30, 2023.
How can we help Jacqueline?
We can help Jacqueline update the date we have on file and request billing adjustments. They must have the early termination addendum or updated lease in order for us to proceed with MVO and request from the AM to adjust EFB. Send SR to prop queue once you have the necessary doc and information then the prop queue will send SR to AM for EFB adjustment.
Early MVO with an EFB requires documentation.
Note from the VL:
Please NOTE that if a customer has received an EFB and is advising that their lease was terminated earlier than the end date we have on file, they MUST provide an early termination addendum with the property signature in order for us to send an MVO request.
the document can be the lease agreement itself showing the updated end date, email communication from their property, etc.
Can I get a payment extension on the estimated final bill? please explain your answer
SimpleBills offers estimated final bills in order to help both customers and properties complete all utility billing by the time you move out of your current residence. To ensure that all accounts are closed before the end of your lease, we are unable to offer an extension.
When trying to identify if there is a maintenance issue in the unit/house, what sample questions can we ask the resident?
Have you submitted any work orders to your property recently?
Have you had any issues with any of your appliances within the last month or so?
Are there any running toilets, dripping faucets, or other evidence of leaks in the unit?
Have you noticed the AC/heater turning on but not cooling or heating?
Does your AC/heater kick on and off very frequently?
Does your AC get cooler than requested/ heater get warmer than requested and keep running?
If you have en suite laundry, do you need to dry one load of clothes multiple times to get dry?
If the customer qualifies for an extension and the current due date is the date that the customer is calling, what does the priority time need to be for the service request?
URGENT
Sally moved out of the unit and someone took over the lease. Susan took over the lease as of 04/09/2023, and the current invoice is for usage 03/15-04/15. Do we need to submit an MVO request for Susan? Why or Why not?
Yes, because she has been billed past her move-out date.
Mike has received an email that an EFB might be generated and was asked to ensure he processes renewal if he plans to stay in the apartment. Mike processed his renewal and called SimpleBills to ensure that he doesn't get an EFB invoice.
When you look at his account, his lease end date has not been updated yet and Mike has not received the EFB invoice yet.
How can you help Mike?
Although Mike hasn't received the EFB invoice yet, we can still send an SR to the property queue so they can process updating the lease end date of the resident using the correct quick text Lease renewal and subcategory Renew lease (Standard property).
*Make sure to ask for the document but is not required to send the prop queue SR.
Can I receive the actual final bill PDF once it is issued?
No, we will not send out a copy of the actual final bill PDF unless you elect to enroll in the true-up process. Once the bill is paid for the final bill, the account will be closed and there’s no way for us to send that actual bill to them.
How do you explain to the resident that their high bill is due to weather-related consumption?
It is fairly typical for electric bills to increase significantly in the summer months due to warmer temperatures since the AC is one of the largest consumers of electricity.
As it gets warmer outside, it takes more electricity to maintain the same temperature inside, which can cause total usage to increase even if your day-to-day behavior hasn't changed, or even if you are not in the unit for much of the time.
Then you can insert the weather trend during this period to elaborate on the average temp recorded during this period.
Insert consumption tips:
When trying to find the most reasonable setting for your air conditioner, you have to start somewhere. And the best spot to do it is 78 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Energy Star, it's an ideal temperature. 78 degrees keeps you fairly cool and comfortable during the day.
or you can use this one
50% or more of electricity usage -- The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning System AKA HVAC!
Keep your air filter replaced, and try and keep the thermostat closer to the outside temperature.
If you have the option, consider a programmable thermostat to only adjust the temperature when it's needed.
Utilize your ceiling fan! Remember that fans don't cool the room, they cool the people in the room. So when you leave, turn the fan off.
15-20% of electricity usage -- Electric water heaters!
Try setting your water heater to a lower temperature, and reducing use by washing clothes in cold water, or decreasing hot shower use.
10-14% of electricity usage -- Lighting!
You might replace your incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) or LEDs in frequently-used fixtures around your home. They use less energy, plus generate less heat than general bulbs.
You have a pending SR for billing adjustments and it is almost the due date, the invoice doesn't show SimpleBills error instance. Would it qualify for a due date extension? Explain your answer
If they meet the regular requirements for due date extension, yes. But if not, we will need to advise the resident to settle the balance on or before the due date and advise all regulatory actions including default. Also informed the resident that if there are any adjustments for this invoice, they should reflect in your next invoice.
Gary one of the residents from an Optional property called to inform us that he moved out on January 1, 2022. They already received the March billing period invoice. What will you do next?
If the customer is not the account holder. Compare the end date that the customer is requesting against the usage dates on the current and immediately previous bills to ensure we can actually make the change that is being requested. If the requested end date falls before the usage dates on the previous bill, advise that due to system limitations, we can only request the end date to be changed to the earliest date on the previous bill (since we only can update the current bill and one immediately previous). Then send the MVO notification to all remaining residents.
What is the purpose of why we are estimating the bill?
name as many as you can.
- We estimate the final bills to be able to send you your bill before you move out so you aren't billed 8-12 weeks after you have moved out.
- To provide a better move-out experience, Simplebills estimates your final bill so you can be done with your house or apartment once you receive your Final Move-Out Statement from your property. This way, when you move out, you can feel free to move on to the next thing for you without worrying about utilities!
- We are working directly with your property in order to help them close out your accounts by the time you move out of your rental unit. Estimating your final bill is an industry-standard practice ensuring everyone involved has a smooth move-out experience.
Why was I not informed that my final bills are being estimated?
This final billing procedure is disclosed in our Terms of Service, Section 5, which was agreed to upon sign up, and since we are working in conjunction with your property you should have received a notice to prepare you for this type of final billing.
April called to ask why their bill for the month is so high. They said that there were no changes in their consumption and nothing is also broken. Upon checking, you found out that during the billing period in question, the average daily temp (based on weather underground) is 90F. How would explain to April the reason for the high bill and what advice can you give?
It is fairly typical for electric bills to increase significantly in the summer months due to warmer temperatures since the AC is one of the largest consumers of electricity.
As it gets warmer outside, it takes more electricity to maintain the same temperature inside, which can cause total usage to increase even if your day-to-day behavior hasn't changed, or even if you are not in the unit for much of the time.
Then you can insert the weather trend during this period to elaborate on the average temp recorded during this period.
Looking at the averages listed on the charts on your Dashboard, it does not look like your bills are significantly above average for your floorplan. And your PDF also shows almost the same consumption for the same month last year.
I also wanted to offer some tips that can help you save more with your consumption.
Name all of the requirements that a resident MUST have in order to be granted a payment extension.
Invoice must not be past due
Be in a 10-day region
Has honored previous payment due dates/extensions
Debbie called and informed us that they moved out early from the apartment, she moved out on June 1, 2023, and her nexus lease end date is July 31, 2023. She's being billed for usage from April 16 to May 15, 2023, in her current invoice.
Upon checking you found out that the property is canceling on July 31, 2023.
Please walk us through the steps you are going to take in handling Debbie's case.
Ask questions to confirm if Debbie has officially terminated her lease using any of these questions:
Were you released from your lease completely?
What date will your lease officially end?
Did you have a sublet take over your lease?
Did your property confirm that in an email or an updated lease?
Did you property release your responsibility for rent and utilities?
Did your property advise you to contact us to be removed from the utilities?
I will also ask if the customer has any formal lease termination/sublet documentation from the property. This documentation, if valid, can be utilized by the property queue to update the lease terms, thus speeding up the process for support as well as the customer.
Since the property is canceling. due to urgency, I will send an SR to the property queue with or without the documents. Lease documents are not required when sending SR to the prop queue but should still be requested from the resident.
Provide a walkthrough on how we get the amount for the estimated bill below.
Electricity $68.51
https://nexus.simplebills.com/invoices/d96b79c3-5dbd-4a44-8e32-0d93287dd7f7
Go to the provider bill - portions - check for the basis
the basis period is from Jan 28 - May 26, the sum of the amount of this usage date is 96.56.
Get the per day = 96.56/119 days
per day basis is $0.81
to get the estimated bill = $0.81 multiplied by the number of estimated usage days which is 66 days
then add the other fees (service fee of 3.75 and weather factor 11.30)
estimated bill = $68.51
What are the requirements for the true-up process?
The window for enrolling in the true-up process is limited. You must request the form, fill it out, and submit it no later than 14 days after your lease end date. They must settle the EFB first before enrolling to true-up. The property has not canceled service and the EFB invoice must not have defaulted.
What should we avoid when dealing with high bill concerns?
1. assuming that it's due to maintenance - always probe
2. asking the resident to file a maintenance request on the property even though they didn't notice anything wrong (except for very high water bill which the resident won't see some leaks in the unit)
3. refer back to the property
4. create an SR even if it's clear that it was weather-related consumption