Recognized Leaders in Utility Billing & Submetering Since 1957

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Helping you understand our services

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is Hocutt?

Hocutt is a third-party billing company that has been contracted by your community to provide utility billing services. Since founding our company in 1957, Hocutt, Inc. has remained family-owned and operated offering our customers unmatched products and customer service. We proudly serve numerous cities across the nation as Hocutt has set the standard for the industry. We strive to achieve excellence through valuing our customers above all else. We have over 65 years of experience in utility billing, allowing you to rest assured we are taking care of all the details. Our Core Values guide us in our everyday tasks to make our company a standout as one of the most reliable companies in the industry today.

  • Why am I being billed? Utility costs are rapidly increasing. The owner of your community has chosen to have the residents pay for their utilities separately, which in the past were built into rent. Billing the utilities separately results in low utility bills and promotes conservation.
  • Is it legal for Hocutt to bill me? Yes, resident utility billing by Hocutt is compliant with your state and local regulations governing third-party utility billing. If you have any additional questions or concerns to any specific portion of your billing, you may speak with your property manager or contact your Customer Service Rep.
  • Why do you my rates keep changing? Hocutt is only a third-party utility billing company. Utility rates are determined by your local utility providers and not Hocutt. We take the master bill provided to your community by your local provider and bill accordingly.
  • How often will I be billed? Bills are normally generated on a monthly basis; however, there are instances where billing occurs every two months. You can call or email our Customer Service Department for specifics.
  • Do I need a utility deposit? No. There is no additional deposit required for utilities
  • Will my bill be more expensive because the community uses a billing service? Generally, no. In fact, residents may be able to take advantage of the community’s commercial rate which is usually lower than the residential rate. Base fees are typically lower than those charged by utility companies that service homes. This program is designed only for expense recovery purposes for your community.
  • Is there a monthly billing service fee? All service providers and/or utility companies charge a service or base fee. A nominal billing administration fee will be included in your statement each month.
  • Are there late charges or other fees? A late fee, as allowed by law, will be charged to your account if your payment is not received by the payment due date noted on your statement.
  • My water has been disconnected. Who do I contact at Hocutt to have it turned on again? Hocutt is not a utility provider and has no authority to disconnect any services for any reason, including failure of payment. If your service has been disconnected, please contact your management office or local utility provider.
  • Can you set up a payment plan for me? Unfortunately, Hocutt cannot negotiate payment plan options. The utility charges are due to the Community’s Service Provider by a set date each month. If you have questions regarding this, you must contact your complex management.
  • What are my payment options? On your bill, will be a section that says Please Make Remittance To, if it lists your apartment complex you must make arrangements to pay them. If it says to make a Remittance to Hocutt, then you can mail your check or money order to PO BOX 271029 Dallas TX 75227, or you can pay by credit card using the bill pay tab on the Hocutt website
  • Who should I contact if I have questions about my utility bill sent by Hocutt?
    The Hocutt Customer Service Department can be reached Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. Our toll-free telephone number is 888-266-7190. You may also contact us via email at [email protected].
  • Who do I inform about my Move In or Move Out? Your complex manager is responsible for opening and closing your account with Hocutt for you. The complex staff will advise Hocutt of your moving dates and we will open or close your account accordingly.
  • How soon after a move-in will I receive my bill? Utilities are typically billed in arrears since our billing cycle follows that of the local utility provider. For example, a billing statement mailed to a resident in February normally reflects usage for the previous month of January. Your first billing statement will arrive within 4-6 weeks of your move-in date.
  • How are individual meters read? In most cases, Hocutt captures data from individual meters utilizing the AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) technology. This data flows from a computer chip within the meter and is transferred to a host system via modem. Daily meter readings are captured and retained by Hocutt as a record of resident consumption.
  • How do you calculate my bill if there is no individual meter in place at my apartment home? Ratio Utility Billing (RUBS) is an allocation option when a community is unable to install meters due to the construction configuration. Consumption is calculated using a formula to determine each resident’s utility expense. The formula is based on detailed information about your community, residents, and general utility usage. This formula can be based on the number of occupants and/or square footage.
  • Why do I not have a submeter? In older properties, often the plumbing configuration makes retrofitting with submeters cost-prohibitive. Typically, new construction is the best application for automated submetering systems.
  • I’ve been out of town. Why do I still have to pay this bill? Residents on a RUBS program are responsible for paying the pro-rated share of the utility bill on a monthly basis.
  • How much water does the average person use at home per day? Many people are surprised to find out how much water the average person uses. Estimates vary, but each person uses about 80 – 100 gallons of water per day. The largest use of household water is to flush the toilet followed by taking a shower or bath.
  • Are they ways to reduce my water usage? Absolutely! For proven ways to reduce your water usage click here.
  • Why is my water bill higher than last month? This may be caused by several reasons. Did you have any guests or change any habits that may require more water usage? The billing period may be longer than your previous bill’s or you may have a leak. If the increase is significant, we recommend you contact your community’s maintenance staff to check your apartment home for a possible leak.
  • How will my water bill be affected by a leak? If the leak has a significant bearing on the amount of the bill, an adjustment may be made on behalf of your account. (This is determined at the discretion of the community manager.) You can help us both by reporting leaks immediately. The community will respond to all service requests in a timely manner.
  • What does it mean if my bill says estimated? Sometimes a utility provider will not physically read the water meter, instead they will look at the usage history and estimate the master bill accordingly. When the utility provider finally reads the meter, they will take what the estimated and subtract what the actual bill is per the meter reading to determine an actual bill. The estimated bill is designed to keep you from making one giant payment.
  • What do I do if I need copies of my bill for proof of residency or other similar reasons? Send a request to [email protected] with your name, account number, property name, and apartment number, and will email them to you.
  • Do you report me to the credit agencies? No, we do not.
  • What if I feel my water bill is too high? While we strive to eliminate any mistakes when billing, the occasional human error does occur. With that being said, the majority of the time the cause of a higher water bill is due to increased usage. The first step is to let your maintenance know, so they can check for leaks. The most common cause of a higher water bill is a leaking toilet.

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