Apex Residents' Utility Billing Recalculation Program Underway After Audit Reveals Widespread Under-Billing
Approach allows residents to request a personalized recalculation of their bill without requiring town staff to audit every account. So far, 66 customer have opted in to the program.
Apex, NC, June 11, 2025 — During the June 10, 2025, Apex Town Council meeting, Town Manager Randy Vosburg reported that 66 utility customers had opted into a billing recalculation program designed to address errors uncovered during an independent audit. The recalculations are not related to the recently restored billing contract, which delayed May’s paper bills, but instead stem from a broader billing disruption triggered by a cyberattack in 2024.
Background: Cyberattack Disrupted Billing System
On July 2, 2024, a cyber incident temporarily disabled the Town’s utility billing software. During the months that followed, customers received delayed “catch-up” bills that in some cases covered up to 100 days of usage in a single statement. Due to limitations in the interim billing platform, many of those bills omitted standard base charges or miscalculated consumption, resulting in widespread under-billing.
Audit Findings: More Than $300,000 Under-Collected
In response, the Town commissioned the consulting firm Berry Dunn to audit two billing cycles using a sample of 100 accounts. The findings were significant:
Billing Cycle 1: Under-collected an estimated $255,000—about 2.4% of the total billed
Billing Cycle 2: Under-collected approximately $45,000—about 0.4%
Only one account was overbilled, and by just $19.05
Altogether, the Town failed to collect over $300,000 in utility revenue due to the disrupted billing process.
Council Response: Voluntary Recalculation Opt-In
Faced with how to handle the discrepancy, the Town Council considered four options and ultimately approved a voluntary opt-in review process by a 4–1 vote at its May 13th meeting. This approach allows residents to request a personalized recalculation of their bill without requiring town staff to audit every account or initiate sweeping back-billing.
Key points of the program include:
A digital opt-in form (launched shortly after the audit findings)
A 30–60 day window for residents to submit a request
Manual review of each submitted account
No new late fees or collections until the recalculation process concludes
For more information or to share your thoughts, contact the Mayor or Town Manager:
Mayor Jacques Gilbert
Email: jacques.gilbert@apexnc.org
Town Manager Randy Vosburg
Email: randy.vosburg@apexnc.org