The D.C. government has been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees every year for failing to pay its gas bills on time.

David Umansky, a spokesman for city's chief financial officer, says the fees have ranged from $300,000 to $700,000. Umansky says no one's sure exactly how long the city has been paying the fees.

Officials say the problem is Washington Gas' longtime policy of billing separately for each meter instead of sending the D.C. government a single bill.

The D.C. Public Service Commission last week issued an order allowing Washington Gas to waive the city's late fees until the utility can come up with a way to send the city a single bill.

Interim Attorney General Peter Nickles says the city may try to recover some of the late fees it paid in past years.

---

Information from: The Washington Examiner

Email To A Friend