Why is my water bill higher? Houston began raising interest rates on April 1 as part of its infrastructure financing

Houston, Texas (KTRK) – No, you probably don’t use more water.

Starting Saturday, the city of Houston is increasing prices, and some neighbors may be shocked to see how much that is.

No deception: Water and sanitation rates go up on April 1st

Houston handled a record number of Major water outage last summer. A plan is underway to address the aging infrastructure. It comes, though, at a time when Houstonians are already facing higher prices.

“It depends on the day. Seeing the gas change, but mostly it’s the grocery store that hits us hard,” said Jasell Houston, a resident of the city.

“It hurts,” Houston resident Larry Jacobs said. “You know how people say, ‘This hurts the wallet?’” “A lot of people go through this. It’s not just me. Wherever you go, that’s all they talk about.”

Starting Saturday, something else is about to go up. If you get water from the city of Houston, you should be prepared to pay more.

“Unfortunately, every time there’s an increase in the rate, people get shocked, and now we’re talking about an even bigger increase,” explained city council members Amy Beck, who serves the city’s District A.

Beyond the water, sanitation rates rise

Two years ago, Councilman Beck voted against A.J rate increase. You are not in the majority.

It has passed, and over the course of five years, your water bills will go up. But this year, there is more.

Due to overpopulation and the cost of merchandise, an additional 9% will also be added.

“It’s really hard,” Beck said. “All of these fees and fines add up at the end of the day.”

How much will your bill go up? will depend

ABC13 asked Houston Public Works for a graph showing how your bill will be affected.

Officials incorporated the approved price increase, as well as the new inflation rate.

This is the breakdown:

• if you use 1000 gallons of water, your bill will go up $4 Month.
• If you use 2000 gallonswill increase by $5.
• If you use 3000 gallonswill increase by $6.
• If you use 4000 gallonsThe monthly bill will increase $10.
• If you use 5000 gallonswill rise by $13.
• If you use 6,000 gallonswill rise approx $16 Month.

Federal dollars that could lower the bills haven’t arrived yet

At the time, the council passed something that would allow them to lower fees if federal money from the infrastructure bill arrived. By now, the city has dried up.

City Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas, who serves District F, explained, “The infrastructure bill, however, is not a direct appropriation, and we have to go through the entire grant process.”

Thomas voted for the five-year increase. At that time, there was no record inflation.

She adds that there is no regret but admits that the new bills will not be easy for everyone to pay.

“The fact is that we are an old city,” said Thomas. “We have to invest in our infrastructure. We have to make difficult decisions. This is a difficult decision.”

Solutions to save money on your bill

If you’re wondering how this affects you, Houston Public Works has a calculator Where you can enter your water usage. We’re told they’re working on updating it this weekend, so you can see the higher rate.

If you’re looking to save money, here’s the biggest thing you can do. The city gives credit for conservation if you keep using less than 4,000 gallons.

The bill roughly doubles for a person when you go from 3,000 gallons to 4,000 gallons. There’s also a “Water Aid To Olderly Residents” fund, where eligible neighbors can receive up to $100 within six months.

There are also interest-free payment agreements, which prevent late fees and service interruptions, as long as agreed payments are received by the due date each month.

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