Mistakes will be made and occasionally you will be overcharged by your utility company or landlord. If this happens, formalize your request for correction of the error by writing a letter disputing the error. This would ensure that there is a record of your request, so that if no action is taken, you can later use the letter as evidence in any civil action you might have to take.

To be effective, the letter should be addressed to the specific person who can address your problem rather than to the company in general. It should begin with the writer identifying him/herself and giving any relevant identifying information such as their billing address and subscriber number.

The body of the letter should describe where the error lies and what correction you would like the company to make, or what action you want taken. If there are any documents to support your claim, you should also mention them in the letter and include copies as an enclosure.

The tone should be civil and non-confrontational, keeping the stress on the problem that you want to be corrected. Avoid accusatory statements.

Here is a sample of a letter disagreeing with a bill that you can adapt for your own uses.

SAMPLE LETTER

February 21, 2010

Jake Jones
345 3rd Avenue
Irvine, Illinois

Chris Conroy
Division Head
Billing Department
Illinois Electric Utility
25 North St.
Irvine, Illinois

Dear Mr. Conroy,

I am Jake Jones, residing at 345 3rd Avenue with subscriber no. 789-654-222. I am writing to discuss the bill I received from your company, dated February 20, in which I am charged $5,498.25 for the period February 15 to March 14.

I believe that I have been overcharged by the amount of $525.86, based on my consumption for the period. To support my claims, I am enclosing copies of my billings for the past six months, showing that my average consumption is less than what was reflected in the current bill.

In light of the above, I would like to request for an adjustment in my current billing, to be reflected in the following month’s bill. If there is anything you need clarified, you may reach me at my daytime contact number, 050-999-5621.

Thank you for your kind attention on this matter.

Jake Jones