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I recently had services installed. When can I expect my first bill?
At Blue Ridge, we bill ahead for services. However, no payment is due up front. Your first bill will arrive three to four weeks after your installation. It will include two months of services—the month used and the month to come—as well as any installation or labor charges. All future statements will bill for the upcoming month of service.
How do I read my bill?
The first page of your billing statement lists your Billing Date (the date the bill generated), Due Date, and Total Amount Due. You’ll also see your Blue Ridge account number listed in red.
The second page of your billing statement (and third, if applicable) is broken into multiple sections:
- Any beginning balance or past due balance, any previous payments or credits applied, and any prorated amount from changes since the previous bill. You’ll see a Total Balance at Billing Date.
- Each individual service and charge for the coming month, and any applicable installation or labor charge. The services are grouped into cable, internet, and phone services. You’ll see Total Service Charges below that.
- Any applicable Video on Demand or Pay-Per-View charges since the previous statement.
- Each individual applicable tax or fee, as well as Total Taxes & Fees.
- Promotional details indicating the total savings from any promotions or discounts applied to your services, and the end date of your promotions.
- Any applicable phone charges, such as for Directory Assistance/411 or International calls, since the previous statement.
- Messages regarding your services, or advertisements about upcoming programming events.
The second page also provides a slip to enter credit card information in case you would prefer to make your payment by mail. You may also include this slip with any mailed check or money order payment.
I received my first bill. What does “Partial Month Service” mean?
Partial Month Service on your first statement refers to the first of the two billed months of services. The charges for the upcoming month of service, plus the installation or labor charges from the installation, are listed individually in the second section.
I recently upgraded or downgraded my services. What should I expect my next bill to look like?
At Blue Ridge, we bill ahead for services. If you add or upgrade services during your billing cycle, your next bill will be prorated to include the additional service from the date added through the end of your next billing cycle. This will appear as the Partial Month Service line item, along with effective dates. If you remove or downgrade service, your next bill will reflect the downward adjustments from the date the changes were completed. You’ll see any credit, along with any payments made, marked CR.
What are the franchise or development fees listed on my bill?
The Cable Communications Act of 1984 authorizes local governments, such as a township, to charge cable television providers a franchise fee for using public rights-of-way. This fee is a percentage of applicable video service charges. You’ll find the franchise fee and your local franchising authority listed in the Taxes and Fees section of your billing statement.
Some private developments also charge cable television providers a similar fee for using their rights-of-way. We call this a “development fee.” Previously, Blue Ridge absorbed these costs, but escalating programming fees prohibit us from continuing to absorb this expense.