Ameren UE and Dexter's contract

[Fed up]

Can someone please tell me how long we have to have Ameren UE as our electric company in Dexter. Is there a contract and for how long? I've heard people in Sikeston pay 90-130 dollars a month for electric, water, sewer and trash. I moved here over a year ago and my electric with Ozark Border was a little over 1/2 what mine is now and my house here is 1/2 the size as the one in Puxico. It doesn't make any sense. Please tell me we have some way of changing electric companies besides moving. I like it in Dexter and now that my kids have gotten use to the school, they finally are starting to like it. I also know several people who have had to pay a deposit after having electric for over 5 years and another over 6 years and one never had electric turned off for non pay and one had it turned off because after making the payment they didn't know they had to call it in to ameren that they made it because it was past the due date. But they paid it on Friday, and on Monday a guy was there to turn it off. When the guy told the tech it had been paid, he said he would have to call the office so he did and then they charged him over 400 dollar deposit. So why all of a sudden make them pay a deposit? Doesn't make any sense. I just hope we can do something about it.

[pinknpretty]

Somebody has got to pay for the dam breaking...

[Thanks for the Laugh]

I hate Ameren also but when "your friend" paid the bill on Friday and a guy was there on Monday to turn it off, you left out a major part of the story. How past due was this guy before he paid on Friday. The order to turn it off was probably issued days before and they were just getting to it. My guess he was 2 or more months past due before they even ordered the cut off. Pay for it or lose it! All of a sudden this guy who doesnt pay his bills has to pay a deposit? That is the exact guy who should pay a deposit his kind are part of the reason it is so high for the rest of us!

[Fed up]

No you have it wrong. It was due by end of business on friday and they went to wallace and owens to pay it, got a receipt. They were only due for their current bill. They have had service at this same address for over 5 years. On Monday the guy showed up to disconnect and when he called in to find out why, they said because he made is payment at a payment agency instead of online or calling them, he was suppose to call them and give them a receipt number. This was the first time they have waited to the wire to pay, because his company had gotten rid of his job like so many here in southeast missouri, and he had to find another one. Which he did within a week but with starting a new job there was a week hold back, so he paid on the last date that it said it needed to be paid by. There was nothing on his bill that said if he made it at a payment agency like wallace and owens that he also needed to call them to let them know he had made the payment. If you get a receipt from wallace and owens and they say that Ameren UE gets that payment as soon as they enter it, then why would they go ahead and cancel his service on Monday? And no he does't get a month behind on his bill. He usually has the payment back in the mail the same day he receives them. But I do understand what you mean about some of these other people getting months and months and months behind and then in the winter I hear they go to Daeoc to get their bill paid. That is why we have to pay. But I think a customer like my friend shouldn't have to since he's been an excellent customer. Just because he's not on welfare and he works for a living doesn't mean they should take advantage of us who do right. And "thanks for the laugh" you were way off on this one about my friend, but probably right on about why we pay for how others pay their bill. Still doesn't answer my ? as to why sikeston pays so little for all of their utilities and everyone I know here in Dexter have been paying 2-300 for electric and 40-50 for water, trash and sewer and those I know in Sikeston pay no more than 130 for everything. Sounds like we are getting ripped off. And I would like to know if we can do anything about it?

[what eva]

Maybe people who live in the city of sikeston and have bmu. I live outside of town and have ameren my bill right now is 180, oh and i pay 36.25 a month for water and at least 30 a month for gas. Oh and I have to pay my trash completely seperate as well.

[Fed up]

AFC_MatchMaker wrote:

I thought Monopolies were illegal!!!
Why dont we have another Electric company available to the city of Dexter>??? people should have a choice...
Get somebody that would care about the people instead of the almighty dollar owed to them....
Instead of finding ways to make things affordable for their customer base in times of need, they raise their rates by 70%!!!!

Wow, thats a company that cares!!!

Exactly. I would love to have another choice for electric. I just can't believe how much we have to pay here. Does anyone know how long the contract with Ameren UE is with the city of Dexter? I was told that it was 2035 and I hope that was incorrect information. I may have to move outside of Dexter to get Ozark or the one in Bloomfield if its any better. Does anyone know how I can find out? Can we get a petition to try and get it changed, or do we need to start at city hall. I've really never been involved in anything like this, but I know several people on my street and all of them would love to have another choice.

[Smarty Pants]

My utilities aren't bad, I pay around $100/110 mth thats been the highest this year. water/trash $30.
My home is 2400 sq ft. I have a great air serv system maybe thats it.

[Joe]

I'm not sure about the contract with Ameren or how that works. I have noticed that Ameren has posted a few jobs online for lineman at the Dexter office which leads me to believe that they are not planning on selling anytime soon. I do know the Ozark Border has a deenergized powerline that runs along business 60, we can only hope that someday that line will power the city of Dexter!

[test]

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[guest]

you have no clue i am with ozark and yes the bill is cheeper but......... i live in town yes in town and just got power back this sat. ozark does not have the resorses tham amerien has i would trade for amerien anytime, they had a frickin convoy did any of you see any ozark trucks? then when we called to see who the owner of ozark was they had the nerve to say "we the people" get real i pay a bill i dont see any dividends from ozark. give me amerien anytime.

ozark sucks.

[Ameren]

Ameren hired most all the help out there. Ozark couldnt find help if they wanted to. I heard they tried. Ameren had alot of help.

[Really]

I really hate to see anyone complain about Ameren. They were out in the freezing rain and snow the very night we were having power outages! Those guys went above and beyond to help our families while many of theirs set at home with no electric either! Kudos to all of the guys who were out there. I don't know about alot of you, but I was happy to pay my electric bill, and set in the comfort of my warm home, while people with other electric services were still in the dark!

[ozchik]

i used to bitch about ameren too. i learned my lesson cuz im on ozark now and i'm still out. i would trade ozark anyday.

[bearcat982]

The bottom line in this is you get what you pay for. Sure you can get cheaper eletric with smaller companies. Just pray your power never goes out if your with a small company because they don't have the resources to deal with large power outages. I don't like my Ameren UE bill either, but I know if something happens I'll have my power back soon. I think the Ameren UE linemen did a great job after the last storm.