Why am I charged a Billing Charge? 

The fee compensates Midway Services for providing:  meter read, invoicing, postal fee, collections, and customer service support.

When will a late fee apply to my account?

A late fee is applied in the event of non-payment, partial payment, or late payment.

Is it legal to charge a late fee?

Yes.  Midway Services reports to the Public Service Commission, and late fees are acceptable.

What is the common usage for 1, 2, and 3 residents based upon the National Average?

1 resident:   2,500 – 3,000 gallons per month.

2 residents:  5,000 – 6,000 gallons per month.

3 residents:  7,500 – 9,000 gallons per month

What is the turnaround time for the Electric Consumption Test and what will they check for?

48 hours.  ECT consists of checking for cross wiring, a/c unit, exterior lighting, and major appliances.                    

When does Midway fax a Water Consumption Test to the property?

A WCT is performed when water usage increases at least 50%.  The property maintenance is responsible for conducting the test.

What is the turnaround time for the Water Consumption Test and what will they check for?

48 hours.  The test is performed on all toilets, faucets, showers, and appliances (washer, dishwasher, etc).        

Where is my meter located?

In most cases, the meter is located next to the water heater.  However, it could be located in the ground, under a sink, or a utility closet.

What payment methods are accepted by Midway Services?

Check, money order, credit card payments. 

My property is a “hot read”.  What does “hot read” mean? 

A “Hot Read” is when the water meter in a unit is connected to the hot water line only.  Full recapture of hot and cold water is not possible.  The customer is billed off of all of the hot water used and a cold water multiplier is used to calculate the cold water used in the unit.  The average multiplier is 3.0.

Example:  1,200 gallons of hot water = 3,600 gallons of total “approximate” consumption.

Does Midway supply the water for the property?  If not, who does?

No.  The local water municipality supplies the water.  We are contracted to read the individual unit submeters, bill, and collect for the property.

What is a flat rate?

A fixed amount billed each month regardless of water and /or sewer use.  This amount is set by the local water municipality.  The flat rate is pro-rated for residents that move in during the billing cycle.

Why is the sewer rate a lot higher than the water rate?

The local municipality establishes the sewer rate.  The sewer rate is typically higher due to the fact that the municipality must treat the bad water.

What is the Waste Management Fee?

The waste management fee is assessed to compensate the property owner for the cost of sanitation assessed to them by their local waste management provider. 

My property is a “scan read” property.  What does this mean?

A meter is wired to a “pad” typically located in a group at the end of each building.  A person physically brings a hand-held scanner into close proximity of the pad, which causes the meter read to transfer to the handheld unit.

My property is a “visual” read property.  What does this mean?

A technician visually reads the meter on the property.

Why doesn’t Midway have to enter my unit to read the meter?

Generally, most of Midway’s properties use a “Radio Frequency” submetering system.  A transmitter attached to the water meter sends out a signal on the meter usage to a collector box located on the property.  Midway uses a phone or cable line to dial into the box and retrieve the usage information.

Can Midway Services remove any NSF fees?  Why or why not?

No.  NSF fees are applied by Midway’s bank. We are charged due to an issue with the tenant’s bank account.  Normally, the tenant’s bank will reimburse the tenant in either of two ways:  1.  Give the tenant a check.  2.  Send a check to Midway referencing the tenant’s account number.

There is a problem with my meter/transmitter, will I receive an estimated bill?

Yes.  You will be billed based upon the history of usage on the meter.  In order to bill for 100% accuracy, we encourage you to provide the actual meter read to our Customer Service Department.  The actual reads will be used for your monthly billing until a repair is made to the equipment.

My meter read and the meter read on the invoice do not match?

Generally, this results from an “RF” property that uses a pulse submetering system.  This system tracks usage not meter reads.  In order to synchronize the meter read and the billing system, we need two meter reads from the tenant and two pulse reads from the submetering system on the same day.  This comparison confirms usage and the billing department is able to change the meter reads.