Trash customers in the Ozarks seeing higher bills

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Many customers in Springfield are unhappy with the increases being seen for trash services.

Some customers say they have seen an increase between $20-$60 in their bills since the beginning of the year. Many trash services have added fuel surcharges to bills with the fluctuating cost of gas. We contacted the media relations teams for both Republic Services and WCA Waste Corps Thursday for interviews but were unsuccessful.

Mark Boyer had been a long-time customer of WCA. GLF Environmental bought it out in 2020. His bill was typically a$45ollars for three months of service. He was shocked to see the balance due on his last bill.

“So it went up a few dollars every three months, and I didn’t pay much attention to it until the bill I got in early July for the next three months when I noticed it had increased by $50,” he said. “It just says an energy surcharge and a sight surcharge. Well, I don’t know what that means. I’m going to guess that energy is all about the rise in gas prices. I don’t know about the site surcharge unless it refers to the Springfield Landfill that has raised the price to dump the trash there.”

Boyer isn’t alone. Fran Young is a Springfield resident with multiple rental properties, all of which have the same single bin service through Republic Services.

“Aside from my home, we have several others within a half-mile distance, all of which we have Republic Trash Services,” she explained. “We’ve had to cancel a few of them recently because of huge discrepancies in the cost.”

Young says although each property has the same service, bills for each have differed as much as $125 in price. She says she went into the Republic office and had employees help explain her statement.

“Just the personal service I received from a friendly face at the office is what kept me with the few I still had with them,” she said.

While Boyer canceled service and opted to go with a local company.

“Some of us retired folks on fixed incomes can’t just assume an extra $50,” said Boyer. “Then there’s been times when they’ve not picked up my trash, I guess they couldn’t see the big orange bin out by the road. I was just frustrated with the service that I was paying for and not getting.”

Boyer says with fuel surcharges and other fees, everyone should keep a close eye on their bills.

“If you don’t get a paper copy in the mail, it’s just a figure, and you don’t ever check it,” said Boyer. “You may say, ‘what happened to the trash? Why did the trash bill go up by $50.’”

CLICK HERE TO SEE Republic Services fee page.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WCA Waste Corp. (GFL) fee page.

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