JEDDAH - Many customers of National Water Company (NWC) have expressed their indignation over the shocking disparity in their water bills.

The water company’s lukewarm response to the issue has further angered customers who have been denied access to senior officials to raise the issue and voice their grievances.

"I have received a bill for SR6,000 for one month. The following month the bill was for SR26 and then it was SR36. In the fourth month it went up again to SR3,000. The company did not give me a convincing reason for this disparity," Ibrahim Al-Shaikhi told Al-Madina Arabic daily.

He also pointed out that NWC does not issue water bills regularly and instead it dispatches bills for two or three months together. "This delay forces customers to pay huge amounts and most of them are not in a position to pay the bills for several months in one go," he explained.

Nabeel Hasani said NWC’s haphazard billing system was unacceptable. "For several months, my bill ranged between SR500 and SR400. But in the last three months the bills stood at SR7, SR9 and SR12, respectively. I don’t know what will be the bill next month?"

Hasani said the company’s guards do not allow customers to meet top officials to convey their grievances. "We don’t get a clear reply from customer care staff on the billing issue," he added.

He expressed his displeasure over the company’s negative attitude toward customers. "It’s customary for every governor, minister and official to keep their doors open for the public at least one hour daily, but NWC officials do not follow this custom," he said.

Abdullah Mohammed related a similar story that conveyed his suffering as a result of the billing discrepancy. He used to pay SR300 to SR400 monthly in water bill in the past. But later the amount climbed to between SR1,200 and SR4,300. The company refused to accept his objections and asked him to pay up if he wanted regular supply.

Mohammed tried to meet senior officials like other customers but he was denied access to them. "Guards prevented me from going inside the offices," he told Al-Madina.

Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al-Zahrani, manager of the company’s business unit, said NWC was working hard to meet the requirements of its customers and take action on their observations and proposals, as part of the company’s efforts to improve its services.

"We give customers top priority. They can meet our customer service employees to solve their various problems and complete procedures," Al-Zahrani said while expressing his readiness to meet customers if they have any outstanding issues. "Customers can also make use of the company’s electronic gateway to receive various services around the clock," he added.

However, the manager did not make any comment on the billing issue.

Al-Madina contacted Abdullah Al-Sabbar, a senior executive at NWC, but he too did not give any explanation for the increasing disparity in monthly water bills.

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