HEIS aka Home Emergency Insurance Solutions, aka HomeServe USA ?

There seem to be a continuing mail marketing program, in the areas served by San Jose Water Company (aka SJWC), as well as throughout the state of California. They appeared to have taken me off their mailing list......  I continue to get a large number of inquiries, on the blog, about "water line insurance", so I re-visited the subject and found there are apparently the same company offering the same product under slightly different company names. If you read their websites carefully you can also see the similarities and the corporate relationship and form your own opinion.

•  HEIS, acronym for Home Emergency Insurance Solutions.and a link to pages also referring to the San Jose Water Company
  
  Home Emergency Insurance Solutions, California License #0F79326, with corporate offices located in Norwalk, CT, is an independent company separate from San Jose Water Company, and offers and administers this optional insurance as an authorized representative for Wesco Insurance Company, the insurance policy underwriter. All services are performed by a licensed and insured independent contractor. Participation in this policy will not affect the price, availability or terms of service from San Jose Water Company.
• HomeServe USA, DBA Home Emergency Insurance Solutions (HEIS)
  This is interesting as ACWD (Almedea County Water District) specifically states that HEIS and HomeServe, in a document. are basically the same company.Corporate Mailing Address: HomeServe USA, 601 Merritt 7, 6th Floor, Norwalk, CT  06851

It can be difficult to keep track of who your dealing with, possibly this might help:

United Kingdom
HomeServe plc and Membership (Parent Corporation)
Cable Drive
Walsall WS2 7BN
Tel: +44 (0) 1922 659700

North America
HomeServe USA or HEIS (USA Corporate) *there has been a physical re-location?
5301 Blue Lagoon Drive
Suite 400
Miami, FL 33126 USA
Tel: +1 305 477 2764

HomeServe USA
601 Merritt 7, 6th Floor, 
Norwalk, CT  06851

HomeServe USA (Customer Service)
11232 Premier Drive
Suite 100
Chattanooga, TN 37421 USA

Home Emergency Insurance Solutions (aka HEIS) Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) has an explanation, shown in the excerpt:

HOME EMERGENCY INSURANCE SOLUTIONS

DSRSD is working with a private company, Home Emergency Insurance Solutions (HEIS), to offer DSRSD customers optional insurance that covers repairs to exterior water service pipelines. HEIS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServe USA, which administers home emergency repair insurance policies and service plans throughout the country.

The FAQ from DSRSD also explains they were paid $25,000 (one time) payment for administrative support and a continuing 10% fee of all premiums collected in their service area.

If you are still receiving the mailers from either Home Emergency Insurance Solutions or HomeServe USA and you are concerned about the continuing efforts to sell you this insurance or you are concerned with what the San Jose Water Company is getting for their "apparent support" of the program, please send email to the following, expressing your concern:

District 5 United eForm eMail  Simply click on the "eForm eMail" and you will get a page to fill out the information and specify the reason for your opposition to "protecting the profits of a publically traded company", the SJWC 44% Rate Increase and your concern about lack of progress and are concerned that we are not being informed in a timely manner, of the status of the 44% Rate Increase!

Also send an email to CPUC Public Advisor public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov  The Public Advisor will insure your email will be sent to all the appropriate CPUC staff members.

Drought will reduce SJWC sales and PROFITS!

It appears that SJWC will try to recover "profits" lost due to our water conservation! This is a repetitive argument, by SJW Corp./SJWC. I forecasted that SJWC would try to recover lost profits due to the drought, in this blog on February 2, 2014. The question has to be raised again, "Should ratepayers (SJWC Customers) guarantee the profits of a publically traded monopoly utility company or it's parent Corporation?".

A statement by John Tang, Director of Government Relations at San Jose Water Company, 

"The company will seek reimbursement for its lost profits, which will require a temporary rate increase, he said. In 2009, similar conservation measures at the end of the last drought cost the company $5.6 million in lost water sales, and it temporarily raised rates by 2.5 percent for one year to recover them."

Read the entire article at the website.

Let's look at the current situation:

• SJWC has requested a 44% rate increase and DRA recommended 10%, for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015. What's happening?
• Why has CPUC not "publicly" published or posted any new information since May 2013. Possibly the ratepayer negative comments have been overwhelming. 
• The CPUC website pages for the pending Rate Increase does not mention ALJ: Gary Weatherford (Assigned Mar 1, 2013. today is March 2, 2014 ) was assigned to the case. It seems CPUC takes over a year to update their website.

A1201003 - Proceeding (Click to view web page)

Filed By:	San Jose Water Company
Service Lists:	Service List 1
Industry:	Water
Filing Date:	January 3, 2012
Category:	Ratesetting
Current Status:	ACTIVE
Description:	In the Matter of the Application of San Jose Water Company (U168W) for an Order authorizing it to increase rates charged for water service by $47,394,000 or 21.51% in 2013, by $12,963,000 or 4.87% in 2014, and by $34,797,000 or 12.59% in 2015.
Staff:	ALJ: Sean Wilson (Assigned Jan 13, 2012) COMMISSIONER: Catherine J.K. Sandoval (Assigned Jan 13, 2012)

• In my previous postings I've pointed out the failure, in my opinion, of SJWC/SJW Corp. does not provide reasonable transparency and access to the press or public to business affairs that affect our water rates. Richard Roth, CEO has pointed out in interviews that there is no legal requirement to be open and transparent, so long as disclosures to SEC to protect share holders interests are made.

If you think the actions being taken or not taken, are in your (ratepayer) best interests, by CPUC, SJWC and SJW Corp. send email to CPUC at:

District 5 United eForm eMail  Simply click on the "eForm eMail" and you will get a page to fill out the information and specify the reason for your opposition to "protecting the profits of a publically traded company", the SJWC 44% Rate Increase and your concern about lack of progress and are concerned that we are not being informed in a timely manner, of the status of the 44% Rate Increase!

Also send an email to CPUC Public Advisor public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov  The Public Advisor will insure your email will be sent to all the appropriate CPUC staff members.