One of Appalachian Power’s goals is to make doing business with us as easy and effortless as possibleAs such, we have redesigned our websites in such a way that they appear nearly identical regardless of how they are being accessedOur websites (both mobile and desktop versions) clearly show our customers the expected posting times for each payment optionIt is the customer’s responsibility to ensure he or she is choosing the correct payment option to make certain that the payment will post to his or her account to prevent an interruption of service
Figure is a screen grab of the ‘Pay My Bill’ section from AppalachianPower.com as it is seen from a mobile device
Figure is a screen grab of the ‘Pay My Bill’ section from AppalachianPower.com as it is seen from a desktop internet browser
See attachments
The paperwork sent so far were documents we did not request, because they were unacceptableThe complainant maintains she has no acceptable paperworkThe complainant is confirmed as the lesseeThe company has no reason to switch service into another name unless the household has changedAlso, we typically do not accept sub-lessees as customersWe are offering the valid paperwork as a compromiseIf the complainant is unable to comply, we are unable to provide service to the address she is purchasing on a rent-to-own basis until she pays her billAgain, this is within our right per the rules and regulations governing the state
Customer contacted the Virginia SCC on 10/6/with the same concernFollowing is the response to the Commission1.Did customer contact company regarding this complaint? Yes 2.If so, what was the company’s response? Explained deposit and reason for request 3.Was customer charged a deposit? Yes
4.If so, how was this deposit calculated? Estimated two month average billing 5.Is company willing to arrange longer terms to pay deposit? No, Company has provided three installments in accordance with VA rules 6.Are there any steps customer can take to change billing date? Meters are read every working day of the month in a specific area, changing billing dates is not feasible as tens of thousands of customers would be impacted if meter reading date is changed in this specific area7.Please include most recent billing statementAttached
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in
reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** *** I have been unable to contact the business at the phone number and extension the business providedWhen I called the customer service phone number I requested to be transferred to the given extension; the agent informed me she could not transfer to that extension and transferred my call to another departmentI once again requested to be transferred to the given extension; my call was transferred to an extension with a faulty voicemail service that did not allow me to leave a messageNo one answered at the extensionI attempted to contact someone at the phone number the 8/& 8/calls originated from; a recorded message stated I had reached a "caller identification" number, advised I call a customer service number and automatically disconnected the call
A Company representative contacted the customer and apologized for any confusion in regard to the refundThe customer agreed to cancel the debit card and the Company reissue a check on 11/for $1,The amount refunded is less than the amount requested by the customer because a portion of
the amount was credited to the customer’s residential account after it was transferred to that accountThe debit card was originally issued because the customer had the account in a personal name instead of a business name, which determined the refund type that is remitted to the customer
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** ***
On 12/5/a company representative contacted the customer per the customer’s request. During the contact the customer’s issue was resolved and the company honored the EPA with a new arrangement
The customer lives over miles from the company’s substation at the end of the distribution circuitThe circuit contains protective devices (station circuit breaker, line reclosers, line fuses) between the station and the customerA large portion of the circuit is remote and not easily
accessible by vehicle or on footThe circuit traverses areas of large timber, heavy vegetation, and a river crossingService restoration is often difficult which, unfortunately, results in lengthy outagesDuring the previous years the customer s experienced outages, attributed to trees outside the right of way, equipment failures, Scheduled by the company to complete circuit improvements, overload conditions, weather-related, vehicle accident and animal relatedThe customer experienced recent outages resulting in a total outage time of hours minutesThe first outage occurred after a storm passed through the area on Thursday June 2ndAfter a few hours of patrolling, company representatives were unsuccessful in locating the problemDue to the remote location company representatives decided to wait until daylight when it would be safe to continue patrolling the circuitThe following morning an aerial saw working nearby was requested to help survey the distribution lineDue to fog, the helicopter was not able to fly until approximately 11:AMThe cause of the outage was not evident after the patrol of the line was completed and the company successfully re-energized the lineTotal outage time was hours minutesDuring an outage on June 5th, company representatives discovered a loose cross arm brace on a distribution line at a switch poleTotal outage time was hours minutesAnother outage occurred on June 5th, which was attributed to a bad insulator on the same switch poleTotal outage time was hours minutesThe company completed circuit improvements to correct the overload conditions which occurred during January A station transformer upgrade project has been approved and is currently scheduled during the fall The company trimmed the circuit with an aerial saw during the Summer During the previous years line clearance work was completed along multiple line sections, including the portion of the circuit serving the customerThe company is planning additional line clearance maintenance along the circuit during A company representative attempted to contact the customer on 6/9/to discuss the outages and the company’s actions taken to help mitigate future outagesContact information was provided so the customer could call the representativeThe company does not assume liability for damages or loses incurred that are not caused by the company
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The payment arrangement on 3/30/was for a balance of not the balance they turned me off forThey obviously didn't review the call because I tried explaining that to them only to be interruptedReturn check or not it was my bank who asked for it backI want on my payment arrangement and my power onIt doesn't hurt one thing for them to do this resolution
Company forestry representatives are currently finalizing plans for vegetation maintenance along the entire distribution single phase “tap” line serving the area residentsRepresentatives are almost complete contacting property owners prior to the commencement of the work. A company
representative contacted the customer via telephone voicemail and provided an explanation of the Company’s plans
The company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer on 8/17/and 8/19/A voice message was provided with a direct number to call backThe company will wait for a response from the customer in order to address the concern
The Company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer by phone several times on 1/6/The customer’s voice mailbox is full, therefore no message was provided for callbackThe account the company has on record for the customer at the address provided shows on-time payments every month and
no deposit chargesPlease provide the electric bill account number for the account in question
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
Company records indicate the customer experienced an outage on 5/19/@ 11:PMThe outages lasted minutesThe cause of the outage is unknownSince no immediate hazard was identified that would affect the safety of the public, the company responded to the outage during daylight hours in
order to minimize employee fatigueThe electric utility industry determined that outage restoration activity is generally safer for employees and the public when performed during daylight hoursIn this particular case, the priority level was not great enough to expose employees to increased levels of fatigue, since the company’s employees already experience long work hoursThe company strives to provide reliable service to its customers, however, uninterrupted service cannot be guaranteedOn 6/4/a company representative discussed the company’s safety concerns and guidelines for outage restoration with the customerThe representative also explained the company failed to update the estimated time of service restoration from the initial “global” time provided to the customer
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** ***
Yes, their policy does say more than installments is at the company's discretion, but it also says if it causes undue hardship Who are they to say whether or not three installments of $cause undue hardship to me or not? If I am saying it does, then I should be allowed to have more than installments
Company records indicate the customer experienced outages since October 2013; were attributed to equipment failures and were scheduledFive of the outages were Transmission Line relatedThree outages that occurred during August were Transmission Line relatedA rather lengthy scheduled
outage occurred on 8/21/in order for a Transmission structure to be replacedA recent outage on 10/21/was attributed to equipment failure along a distribution circuit in which a line had fallenThe outage affected customers and lasted minutesOn 10/24/a company representative contacted the customer and discussed the reasons for the outages
On 1/24/a company representative discussed the concern with the complainantThe representative and complainant agreed upon a solution to the on-going deposit requirementAPCO will remove the deposit and defer the remaining balance to a payment agreement. The customer’s account will be placed on an AMP program to help manage higher winter billsThe next bill the customer receives will allow them to pay on time if they continue to pay around the 15th of each month
Company records indicate the customer initiated an order to transfer electric service via the Company’s website on July 27, @ 4:PMAn email was sent to the customer confirming the transfer of service and the options requested by the customer during the [service] open processThe email also
clearly confirmed the initial amount of the Average Monthly Payment Plan @ $as an option the customer requestedAt the end of every billing cycle an email is sent with the amount of the billThe customer has the option of logging in to their online account to view the full billThe customer is responsible for the amount of electricity consumed
One of Appalachian Power’s goals is to make doing business with us as easy and effortless as possibleAs such, we have redesigned our websites in such a way that they appear nearly identical regardless of how they are being accessedOur websites (both mobile and desktop versions) clearly show our customers the expected posting times for each payment optionIt is the customer’s responsibility to ensure he or she is choosing the correct payment option to make certain that the payment will post to his or her account to prevent an interruption of service
Figure is a screen grab of the ‘Pay My Bill’ section from AppalachianPower.com as it is seen from a mobile device
Figure is a screen grab of the ‘Pay My Bill’ section from AppalachianPower.com as it is seen from a desktop internet browser
See attachments
The paperwork sent so far were documents we did not request, because they were unacceptableThe complainant maintains she has no acceptable paperworkThe complainant is confirmed as the lesseeThe company has no reason to switch service into another name unless the household has changedAlso, we typically do not accept sub-lessees as customersWe are offering the valid paperwork as a compromiseIf the complainant is unable to comply, we are unable to provide service to the address she is purchasing on a rent-to-own basis until she pays her billAgain, this is within our right per the rules and regulations governing the state
Customer contacted the Virginia SCC on 10/6/with the same concernFollowing is the response to the Commission1.Did customer contact company regarding this complaint? Yes 2.If so, what was the company’s response? Explained deposit and reason for request 3.Was customer charged a deposit? Yes
4.If so, how was this deposit calculated? Estimated two month average billing 5.Is company willing to arrange longer terms to pay deposit? No, Company has provided three installments in accordance with VA rules 6.Are there any steps customer can take to change billing date? Meters are read every working day of the month in a specific area, changing billing dates is not feasible as tens of thousands of customers would be impacted if meter reading date is changed in this specific area7.Please include most recent billing statementAttached
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in
reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** *** I have been unable to contact the business at the phone number and extension the business providedWhen I called the customer service phone number I requested to be transferred to the given extension; the agent informed me she could not transfer to that extension and transferred my call to another departmentI once again requested to be transferred to the given extension; my call was transferred to an extension with a faulty voicemail service that did not allow me to leave a messageNo one answered at the extensionI attempted to contact someone at the phone number the 8/& 8/calls originated from; a recorded message stated I had reached a "caller identification" number, advised I call a customer service number and automatically disconnected the call
A Company representative contacted the customer and apologized for any confusion in regard to the refundThe customer agreed to cancel the debit card and the Company reissue a check on 11/for $1,The amount refunded is less than the amount requested by the customer because a portion of
the amount was credited to the customer’s residential account after it was transferred to that accountThe debit card was originally issued because the customer had the account in a personal name instead of a business name, which determined the refund type that is remitted to the customer
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** ***
On 12/5/a company representative contacted the customer per the customer’s request. During the contact the customer’s issue was resolved and the company honored the EPA with a new arrangement
The customer lives over miles from the company’s substation at the end of the distribution circuitThe circuit contains protective devices (station circuit breaker, line reclosers, line fuses) between the station and the customerA large portion of the circuit is remote and not easily
accessible by vehicle or on footThe circuit traverses areas of large timber, heavy vegetation, and a river crossingService restoration is often difficult which, unfortunately, results in lengthy outagesDuring the previous years the customer s experienced outages, attributed to trees outside the right of way, equipment failures, Scheduled by the company to complete circuit improvements, overload conditions, weather-related, vehicle accident and animal relatedThe customer experienced recent outages resulting in a total outage time of hours minutesThe first outage occurred after a storm passed through the area on Thursday June 2ndAfter a few hours of patrolling, company representatives were unsuccessful in locating the problemDue to the remote location company representatives decided to wait until daylight when it would be safe to continue patrolling the circuitThe following morning an aerial saw working nearby was requested to help survey the distribution lineDue to fog, the helicopter was not able to fly until approximately 11:AMThe cause of the outage was not evident after the patrol of the line was completed and the company successfully re-energized the lineTotal outage time was hours minutesDuring an outage on June 5th, company representatives discovered a loose cross arm brace on a distribution line at a switch poleTotal outage time was hours minutesAnother outage occurred on June 5th, which was attributed to a bad insulator on the same switch poleTotal outage time was hours minutesThe company completed circuit improvements to correct the overload conditions which occurred during January A station transformer upgrade project has been approved and is currently scheduled during the fall The company trimmed the circuit with an aerial saw during the Summer During the previous years line clearance work was completed along multiple line sections, including the portion of the circuit serving the customerThe company is planning additional line clearance maintenance along the circuit during A company representative attempted to contact the customer on 6/9/to discuss the outages and the company’s actions taken to help mitigate future outagesContact information was provided so the customer could call the representativeThe company does not assume liability for damages or loses incurred that are not caused by the company
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The payment arrangement on 3/30/was for a balance of not the balance they turned me off forThey obviously didn't review the call because I tried explaining that to them only to be interruptedReturn check or not it was my bank who asked for it backI want on my payment arrangement and my power onIt doesn't hurt one thing for them to do this resolution
Company forestry representatives are currently finalizing plans for vegetation maintenance along the entire distribution single phase “tap” line serving the area residentsRepresentatives are almost complete contacting property owners prior to the commencement of the work. A company
representative contacted the customer via telephone voicemail and provided an explanation of the Company’s plans
The company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer on 8/17/and 8/19/A voice message was provided with a direct number to call backThe company will wait for a response from the customer in order to address the concern
The Company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer by phone several times on 1/6/The customer’s voice mailbox is full, therefore no message was provided for callbackThe account the company has on record for the customer at the address provided shows on-time payments every month and
no deposit chargesPlease provide the electric bill account number for the account in question
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***
Company records indicate the customer experienced an outage on 5/19/@ 11:PMThe outages lasted minutesThe cause of the outage is unknownSince no immediate hazard was identified that would affect the safety of the public, the company responded to the outage during daylight hours in
order to minimize employee fatigueThe electric utility industry determined that outage restoration activity is generally safer for employees and the public when performed during daylight hoursIn this particular case, the priority level was not great enough to expose employees to increased levels of fatigue, since the company’s employees already experience long work hoursThe company strives to provide reliable service to its customers, however, uninterrupted service cannot be guaranteedOn 6/4/a company representative discussed the company’s safety concerns and guidelines for outage restoration with the customerThe representative also explained the company failed to update the estimated time of service restoration from the initial “global” time provided to the customer
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** ***
Yes, their policy does say more than installments is at the company's discretion, but it also says if it causes undue hardship Who are they to say whether or not three installments of $cause undue hardship to me or not? If I am saying it does, then I should be allowed to have more than installments
Company records indicate the customer experienced outages since October 2013; were attributed to equipment failures and were scheduledFive of the outages were Transmission Line relatedThree outages that occurred during August were Transmission Line relatedA rather lengthy scheduled
outage occurred on 8/21/in order for a Transmission structure to be replacedA recent outage on 10/21/was attributed to equipment failure along a distribution circuit in which a line had fallenThe outage affected customers and lasted minutesOn 10/24/a company representative contacted the customer and discussed the reasons for the outages
I accept terms to resolve complaint
On 1/24/a company representative discussed the concern with the complainantThe representative and complainant agreed upon a solution to the on-going deposit requirementAPCO will remove the deposit and defer the remaining balance to a payment agreement. The customer’s account will be placed on an AMP program to help manage higher winter billsThe next bill the customer receives will allow them to pay on time if they continue to pay around the 15th of each month
Company records indicate the customer initiated an order to transfer electric service via the Company’s website on July 27, @ 4:PMAn email was sent to the customer confirming the transfer of service and the options requested by the customer during the [service] open processThe email also
clearly confirmed the initial amount of the Average Monthly Payment Plan @ $as an option the customer requestedAt the end of every billing cycle an email is sent with the amount of the billThe customer has the option of logging in to their online account to view the full billThe customer is responsible for the amount of electricity consumed