I have been a customer of KAU since 1992. They bill me for electric and water together. My average bill is about $300/mo. A couple of months ago they (KUA) sent me a letter explaining how they had decided, after 18 years of uninterrupted services, I should give them an extra $500 on top of my bill so they can hold on to it just in case "I decide to run away without paying my last bill." I wouldn't see my money again until I closed the account (meter) for good. I was furious. I called KUA Customer Service and argued that this wasn't fair. They had just added an arbitrary amount ($500) to my bill and expected me to pay the whole thing by next month when my bill was due. All this during the worst economic recession in many years and while I was unemployed. As much as I disputed against paying this extra money, they would not budge. Either I payed or my electric & water would get disconnected soon. After many, many calls they finally agreed to put me on a payment plan. I clearly expressed to them how money was a bit tighter than usual in my home and asked them what would happen if, for any reason, I could not make the payment on time. The lady said: "Just make sure that you pay your bill", she went on to explain that I should try to pay as much as I could for the added deposit but that they would not disconnect as long as I had payed my bill. Well, little by little I have paid about $350 for the deposit. This month I paid my bill but could not pay more for the deposit. I called to let them know but they didn't care and threatened to disconnect even though I had payed my bill! What about: "we'll work with you"? What about the $350 on deposit already? Today they came and shut off my electric and water services even though I showed the worker the "Paid" on time receipt in my hand! He said: "Pay what you owe; $160." I did not "owe" this money. I guess paying for the electric & water I use is not enough anymore! Of course now they want, on top of everything, an extra $40 to reconnect. These people don't care that I have 2 kids in the house. They don't care that I payed my bill with the last few bucks I had in my bank acount. On a whim, they can imagine a number and make you pay that amount... or else. Why do they need this deposit after almost 20 years. Why must they have it now, right away or cut off service? It isn't like I could one day decide to go to a different company to purchase my water or my electricity. They are abusive and exploit their customers with their ever raising costs, their added-on-a-whim charges and deposits and their attitude of: "pay what we say you owe and not what you actually owe." There has to be someone that can regulate these people and their abusive tactics. Every time I talk to someone about what's been happening to me with KUA, literally everyone has a KUA horror story. Please help. Utility companies have great power for they are legal monopolies. With all this power comes great responsibilities but they have forgotten who they are working for. No one is watching so they are doing whatever they want. The ONLY way to make this people stop abusing their customers is exposing them. I beg; make KUA's unfair tactics public for everyone to see. Ask other customers. Tell my and the story of others and you will be helping this comunity a great lot. Thanks in advance for all your help and understanding but most of all, for just... caring.