REBILL
UPDATE:
received a call yesterday from JCP&L rep who seemed to think the latest billing was an actual read. However...the bill reads "estimate...re-bill". Looking through all the bills from the past year (except the last re-billing in April which is no longer available ??) the ones that were estimates say estimate and the ones that were actual readings say reading. So....I was confused. Out of what I assume to be frustration, the rep offered to come out personally and read my meter. I asked if she could then stop in and discuss it with me. So....we are on for Wed. Stay tuned!!!....Some of you may recall a few months back when Jersey Central Power and Light overestimated my bill by 82%. Well...here they go again. I received a bill about two weeks ago for $146.53. The average fees for my last three months of usage amount to $62.94. That's a whopping 132% above my average actual use of electricity. Now, believe it or not I do not enjoy continually making complaints to the governing boards of various public service providers. I find it boring and dull and I HATE numbers. Figuring out percentages and fractions is what I get PAID to do-not what I do for fun. So...I first called the utility hoping this could solve the problem. I requested that an actual person be sent and actually (actually in this sense being the direct opposite of virtually) read my meter. The customer service representative assured me it would be done, and, when as an aside I asked WHY, this time, an estimate was made to begin with, she told me that it was probably because so many meter readers are on vacation. Apparently JCP&L has never heard of staffing software...any of you poor slobs out there that have ever asked for a day off and been told 'there is no time available', well, you know what I'm talking about.
So, I'm thinking, "Great. Case closed." No need to bother the Board of Public Utilities this time.
Hmmph. Not so fast, Ria. I get an email this morning with a 'new' bill, a re-bill to be precise which, like the first bill is AN ESTIMATE!! In the amount of $111.35. Ok, so they are going in the right direction but that is STILL 77% MORE than the average of my last three months of usage combined. Nice try. So...even though I COULD have been reading my Sunday Times, I filed yet another complaint with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities...(see below-short and sweet).
REMEMBER FOLKS! READ YOUR BILLS CAREFULLY! You may be getting overbilled. And if so and you live in NJ, here is a handy link to the on-line complaint form at NJ BPU.
And here is a sample (mine), complaint letter:
I continue to have a problem with JCP&L overbilling me based on their estimates of my service usage, Most recently I was billed fee of $146.35 for the billing period of June 4th through July 6th based on their estimate. In the previous month to this billing, my usage amounted to a total fee of $69.27. The month previous to that, $65.52. Those bills were based on actual usage. I called the utility and requested that they do an actual reading. Today I received an email billing me $111.35 which was AGAIN, based on an estimate of usage. This is listed as a 'rebill', indicating that in response to my request for an actual reading, they simply re-estimated my usage. I don't understand this and I don't find it acceptable. It creates suspicions about the ethics of their billing practice and makes me question why it is so often that the company relies on estimates for billing. I live in public housing and the meter reader always has clear access to the meters. Thank you for your assistance.
2 comments:
They do the same with me. When I get an estimated bill, I simply send them an "estimated" payment. I make a point to write on the bill and the check "ESTIMATE". They never argue about it.. I migt try estimating my billl on the low side, just for laughs.
OK, so a bit of a different billing issue, but still a large issue.
I have a photo voltaic solar system, so I produce electricity that can go back to the grid and I am suppose to get a credit for it. Basically sometimes I consume electricity from the grid and I get billed for it and sometimes I produce an excess of my consumption and I get a credit for it (although not at the same rate). I have what is called a time of day bi-directional meter. The problem is that there are more the four meter reading categories on the bill and it is extremely confusing. As someone said to me, they couldn't make it more confusing if they tried.
My bills have been astronomical. I have a small three bed room ranch and my bills have been in excess of $ 800.00 at times. And thats with an expensive solar system that produces electricity.
Months and years of complaining have gotten nowhere. Finger pointing between solar installer and JCP&L, with me in the middle paying these bills. I have come to the conclusion that they are not crediting me for my excess because of the numerous meter reading categories and perhaps even charging me for what should be a credit.
I finally demanded that they install a simpler meter with just two categories and voila my bills are more than cut in half, Problem is they won't admit to any mistake or over charge for all those past bills.
My question is has anyone else had a similar problem?
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