Forums Set for State to Hear About NYSEG, RG&E Billing Errors from Customers

The New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) and the DPS Consumer Advocate, will hold a virtual public forum on January 31st, and in-person public forums on February 1st, February 7th, and February 8th to receive public comments regarding alleged delayed or erroneous billing, delayed or inaccurate meter reading, and customer service problems affecting customers of New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and/or Rochester Gas & Electric Corporation (RG&E) (the companies). Comments submitted will become part of the official record for this matter.

To monitor utility performance, DPS staff tracks utility customer service metrics and compiles monthly complaint statistics. They observed a significant increase in complaints against the companies and a deterioration in the companies’ customer service performance metrics in 2022 and especially since August 2022. Among other issues, customers have reported high, inaccurate, or delayed bills, which they assert are inordinately based on estimated meter readings. These problems have been compounded by the inability of customers to reach the companies’ customer service representatives by telephone without substantial delay. As a result of the clear indications of unusual amounts of complaint activity and delayed responses to customers and consumer complaints, DPS staff and the DPS Consumer Advocate will hold in-person and virtual forums in multiple locations in the companies’ service territories to gather information about these issues directly from customers.

In addition to these forums, DPS staff and the DPS Consumer Advocate are soliciting public comments via DPS’ toll-free opinion line at 1-800-335-2120, or by U.S. mail and through other channels. The purpose of the public forums is for NYSEG and RG&E customers to provide comments on billing, customer service, meter reading, and other service quality issues they have experienced, and to add to the record DPS is compiling regarding these issues.

DPS staff and the DPS Consumer Advocate seek public comments responsive to the following questions:

• Have you received delayed bills or no bills for extended periods of time (e.g., more than one month)?
• If you did not receive a bill for one month or more, how long did it take to receive a bill, and did you possibly receive more than one bill as a “catch-up”?
• If you called your utility to inquire why you did not receive a bill, did you receive timely, accurate and adequate information from your utility about why you were not receiving your bill(s) and when normal billing would resume?
• If you are a customer receiving renewable energy services from a community distributed generation (CDG), have you had any issues with receiving bills, credits, or with inaccurate, delayed, or non-existent credits and billing reconciliations?
• If you are a customer with solar panels or another form of renewable energy, have you had any issues with receiving bills, credits, or with inaccurate, delayed, or nonexistent credits and billing reconciliations? Or have you had trouble with demand metering?
• If you receive supply service through an Energy Service Company (ESCO), have you had any issues with receiving bills, credits, or with inaccurate, delayed, or nonexistent credits and billing reconciliations?

This list is not exhaustive, and comments may be made on other issues related to the companies’ performance. Please do not make personalized complaints publicly at a public forum so that you do not inadvertently reveal confidential personal information. Instead, make any and all complaints in the manner(s) set forth below.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that public forums before DPS staff will be held to receive comments regarding billing, meter reading, and customer service problems that have affected customers of the companies since 2022, as follows:

VIRTUAL:

DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 2023
TIME: 1:00 p.m.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com
Event Number: 2343 229 4895
Event Password: Jan31-1pm

Phone-Only Access: 518-549-0500
Access Code: 2343 229 4895

VIRTUAL:

DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com
Event Number: 2333 158 8627
Event Password: Jan31-6pm

Phone-Only Access: 518-549-0500
Access Code: 2333 158 8627

(In-Person) ROCHESTER:

Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location: Rochester City Hall
Council Chambers
30 Church St.
Rochester, NY 14614

(In-Person) BINGHAMTON:

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location: Binghamton State Office Building
First Floor Conference Room
44 Hawley St.
Binghamton, NY 13901