Why would someone at the door want to see my utility bill?

PG&E says sharing your bill with these people gives them access to your account number and financial information, and the ability to make changes to your account without your authorization. It says anyone who claims to be with PG&E and asks to see your bill is not with PG&E, and you should close the door.

Are JEA, the City of Terrell, or PG&E involved?

No. JEA, the City of Terrell, and PG&E each said the people at the door were pretending to be their employees.

Scam alert

A Utility Worker at the Door Offers a Water Test? Ask for ID

Posted Oct 14

Florida, Texas and California · actionnewsjax.com · Arrives by a knock at the door

The short answer

Someone at the door who says they work for the city or the utility, then offers a water test, pitches a water filter, or asks to see your bill, is a sign of a scam. In October 2026, JEA in Jacksonville, Florida, said people posing as its employees were offering arsenic water tests it is not doing; the City of Terrell, Texas, said people claiming to be city employees were trying to sell water filtration systems; and PG&E said anyone claiming to be PG&E who asks to see your bill is not. Ask for ID, then call the utility yourself.

What is happening

On October 3, 2026, Action News Jax reported that JEA, the city-owned utility in Jacksonville, Florida, said people going door to door posing as JEA employees and offering arsenic water tests were running a scam, and that JEA is not conducting tests for arsenic in water. In Terrell, Texas, the city said people claiming to be city employees were working in groups of three and reportedly approaching elderly residents to sell water filtration systems, NewsRadio 1080 KRLD and 102.5 KISS FM reported on October 1 and 2. On October 6, the Times-Standard reported that PG&E was warning of a spike in reports in Humboldt County, California, of people at the door posing as its employees who claim they can lower the bill and ask to see a copy, with the same pattern reported in two other California counties.

How to recognize it

Someone at the door says they are from the city or the utility and offers to test your water, for example for arsenic.
The visit turns into a sales pitch for a water filtration system.
They say they can lower your bill and ask to see a copy of it. PG&E says its real representatives do not ask to see your bill during a visit.
Nobody made an appointment with you, they cannot show photo ID, or there is no vehicle marked with the city's name.
Several people come together. In Terrell, they were working in groups of three.

What to do instead

Do not let anyone in who arrived without an appointment you made. JEA says it will never come into your home without making arrangements ahead of time.
Ask to see a photo ID badge or a work request number, then call the utility yourself on the number on your bill or its website. JEA's number is (904) 665-6000, and PG&E's is 800-743-5000.
Do not show your bill, sign anything, or buy a water system at the door.
In Terrell, residents are urged to call Terrell police at 469-474-2700 if someone claiming to work for the city comes to the door.
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: ask for ID at the door, then call the utility yourself.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

If you shared your bill or account details, tell local police and call the utility on the number on your bill. PG&E customers can call 800-543-7000 or 1-833-500-SCAM.
If a visitor becomes aggressive or tries to get into your home, call local police. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Open Help Now

Common questions

Why would someone at the door want to see my utility bill?: PG&E says sharing your bill with these people gives them access to your account number and financial information, and the ability to make changes to your account without your authorization. It says anyone who claims to be with PG&E and asks to see your bill is not with PG&E, and you should close the door.
Are JEA, the City of Terrell, or PG&E involved?: No. JEA, the City of Terrell, and PG&E each said the people at the door were pretending to be their employees.

Practice this safely

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A Utility Worker at the Door Offers a Water Test? Ask for ID

Someone at the door who says they work for the city or the utility, then offers a water test, pitches a water filter, or asks to see your bill, is a sign of a scam. In October 2026, JEA in Jacksonville, Florida, said people posing as its employees were offering arsenic water tests it is not doing; the City of Terrell, Texas, said people claiming to be city employees were trying to sell water filtration systems; and PG&E said anyone claiming to be PG&E who asks to see your bill is not. Ask for ID, then call the utility yourself.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/door-to-door-fake-water-test-scam

Where this comes from

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Government impersonation

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