Ameren

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/08/14) */
In reviewing the information, the customer recently called to place service in her name at the current locationPer a social security trace verifying benefit of service, the balance under the previous tenant's name was transferred to her new
account in addition to an unpaid balance in her name for service at a different addressThe customer made an initial payment and the remaining balance due was placed on a non cold weather rule payment arrangementDue to benefit of service the transferred balance will not be removed

Per our records, the account in question was closed at the request of the customer on 04/15/11. At that time, we advised her to have the landlord call to accept responsibility of the usage as backdating the account would automatically make the landlord responsible for the usage. The
landlord did not call and the customer received a final bill for the service through 04/15/11. Per a social security trace verifying benefit of service and government assistance pledged in February and applied to the account balance in April 2011, the transferred balance will not be removed

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
I am NOT responsible for paying someone else's debtThe account from *** *** *** *** was never in my name and is not my responsibilityIf Ameren wants to collect this debt, they need to pursue the person's name it was inTherefore, the amount of $from *** *** *** *** needs to be removed from my statement immediately.
Sincerely,
*** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/08) */
October 8,
Revdex.com
Open Date: 09/30/
Complaint ID #: XXXX-XXXXXXX
Account #: XXXXX-XXXXX
Customer Name: *** ***
Service Address: *** *** **
Belleville, IL XXXXX
The
customer's complaint is in regard to payment refund
Ameren Illinois Response
Ameren Illinois conducted a thorough investigation of the subject complaint which revealed the following information
Ameren Illinois records indicate *** *** established service at *** *** *** Belleville, on July 6, (Ameren account number XXXXX-XXXXX)
Ameren Illinois provides the following sequence of events pertaining to the complaint:
08/05/Ameren Illinois sent a bill in the amount of $153.00, due Aug26,
09/02/Ameren Illinois sent a non-pay disconnection notice in the amount of $The notice extended the previous bill's due date from Aug26, until Sept15, for receipt of payment to ensure serviceAmeren Illinois also sent the next bill in the total amount of $
09/09/at 8:a.mAmeren Illinois made a courtesy call about the past due balance to Ms*** at XXX-XXX-XXXXThe Company left a message on Ms*** answering machine
09/16/at 11:a.mElectric service was disconnected for non-pay
09/16/at 11:a.mA phone payment of $was submitted via phone with Western Union Speedpay
09/16/at 12:p.mElectric service was reconnected
09/16/in p.mAmeren Illinois received a mailed payment of $(check *** dated 09/13/15)
09/21/Ameren Illinois received a mailed payment of $(check *** dated 9/2/15)
09/22/The payment of $(check *** dated 9/13/15) was returned by Ms*** financial institution for the reason of "stopped payment"
09/28/Ameren Illinois received a mailed payment of $(check *** dated 9/24/15)
Ameren Illinois is unable to control movement of mail through the U.SPostal ServicePayments are posted to customer accounts when they are received
Between 9/16/and 9/28/15, Ameren Illinois received a total of four payments (each $and each with a different check number or by phone) totaling $Ms*** Ameren Illinois account balance was $
None of the payments was received by 09/15/15, the date indicated on the non-pay disconnection notice that Ameren Illinois sent to Ms***
One of the four payments was returned to Ameren Illinois by Ms*** financial institution, leaving a credit balance of $
Ameren Illinois' business practice is to refund credit balances days after receipt of the payment that resulted in the credit balance - in this case, 9/28/- unless the customer's bank verifies that that payment will not be returned
On 9/30/15, Ameren Illinois received a faxed letter from *** Banks verifying payment would not be returnedAmeren Illinois is issuing a refund to Ms*** in the amount of $
Ameren Illinois is unable to provide free power to any of its customers
Ameren Illinois encourages Ms*** to visit AmerenIllinois.com for more information about payment methods, including free online payment
Given the above, Ameren Illinois considers this issue to be resolved and the complaint closed
Thank you,
Ameren Illinois
Regulatory Affairs
*** ** *** *** ***
Decatur, IL XXXXX
cc: *** ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/09) */
In reviewing the information, the customer has been billed for actual usage. Due to missed or partial payments, disconnect notices are mailed for the past due balance each month when the new bill is mailed. The account was removed from...

collections today when the customer was granted a medical hardship extension.

In reviewing the information, the customer will not be held responsible for the transferred balances.  Due to the age of the accounts and the limited information available, the total transferred amount has been removed from her account.  The customer's account is no longer in threat of...

disconnection.

The due date on the monthly bill pertains only to current charges; therefore, if a monthly bill balance includes a past due balance from a previous billing cycle a disconnect notice may generate. In reviewing the information, due to missed payments, a disconnect notice was mailed for the past due...

balance and collection calls were made. The customer's service was disconnected for non payment and upon receipt of payment, the service was reconnected the next business day. A deposit has been assessed as a security precaution and will not be removed.

Per court documents, the customer owned the property where the unpaid balance transferred from at the time the account was in her name.  In order to dispute the balance due she will need to provide proof of payment or proof of residency.  This issue has been investigated by the Missouri Public Service Commission and the complaint was closed as billing sustained.

In reviewing the information, the customer's cold weather rule payment arrangement defaulted when the April bill was not paid by the due date of 05/04/17.  We are no longer in the cold weather rule period (November through March), therefore, the customer has been advised this type of...

arrangement is no longer an option.  A non cold weather rule payment arrangement has been offered.  This issue has also been investigated by the Missouri Public Service Commission and was closed with the resolution of Utility in Compliance w/Tariff and/or Rules and Statutes.

In reviewing the information, Ameren provides the service to the house.  The service entrance which includes the pipe riser, weatherhead and meter box attached to the home is customer owned equipment; therefore, the customer is responsible for any repairs needed to reattach the equipment to his...

home. .

In reviewing the information the service was originally in the customer's wife's name.  On 05/06/13 we received notification she filed bankruptcy and the account was closed with the balance owed to that date covered by the bankruptcy.  A new account was established effective 05/07/13 and...

remains active in the customer's name (changed from wife's name to customer's name when he notified us of her death).  On 03/31/16 we received notification the bankruptcy was dismissed and due to benefit of service, the balance originally covered by the wife's bankruptcy was transferred to the current account in an attempt to collect.  The account is eligible for a cold weather rule payment arrangement if the customer will contact our Customer Call Center at [redacted] to discuss.

In reviewing the information, the customer notified us they received LIHEAP and should be exempt from the Energy Efficiency Investment Charge  (EEIC) on their monthly bill.  This information was submitted to our IT Department to update the customer's account information. ...

Unfortunately the account billed again before the update could be completed.  The update was completed on 09/01/17 to ensure the next bill will not include the charge and the account has been credited for all EEIC charges since 03/22/17.

In reviewing the information, the customer called to report he had made a payment but we did not have record of receiving it.  He was advised to fax in a copy of the receipt for verification; however, the disconnect order was completed before the information was received.  Upon receipt of...

the payment, a reconnect order was issued and service was reconnected the next business day.  As a courtesy the reconnect fee was credited.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/04) */
In reviewing the information, the customer's balance has accumulated due to missed or partial payments. Because of the slow payment history, disconnect notices are generating every month for the prior balance when a new bill is issued. We are...

receiving good daily readings from the meter and the account has been billed for actual usage. This issue has also been investigated by the Missouri Public Service Commission.

In reviewing the information, per a social security trace verifying benefit of service, an unpaid balance transferred from a previous address under another customer's name.   Documentation submitted to dispute the transferred amount did not cover the dates of service ; therefore, the...

customer remains responsible for the balance due.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Ameren did not give me the opportunity to provide proof of residency in the past, they just put the entire amount of my and my ex-husbands past bills on my bill forcing me to be unable to keep my electric on. I will however contact them at the number they provided right away and hopefully they will allow me to provide my previous addresses and treat me in a kind and courteous manner-unlike how they treated me in the past. I in no way expect to be responsible for the 1st address in DeSoto, Mo where my ex-husband and I resided together. My name had to be added so I could receive pledges to keep my electric on, my ex-husband should still be responsible for whatever balance was left at that our final residence together.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

A deposit was assessed as a security precaution when the customer called for service.  The deposit was paid in full on 12/02/14 and was reviewed on 12/02/15 for a possible refund.  Due to a slow payment history, the customer has been advised we will continue to hold the deposit until...

a good 12 month payment history has been established.

August 4, 2016  Revdex.com             Open Date:    07/22/2016     Complaint ID #:   ...

[redacted]            Account #:   [redacted]   Customer Name:    [redacted]   Service Address:    [redacted]                                Washin...⇄ IL 61571     The customer’s complaint is in regard to a high bill AmerenIllinoisResponseAmerenIllinoisconducted a thorough investigation of the subject complaint which revealed the following information. Ameren Illinois records indicate [redacted] M. [redacted] established electric service at [redacted] on 04/01/2016 (Ameren account number [redacted]). The meter is equipped with an automated meter reading (AMR) module that transmits readings reflecting actual usage to Ameren Illinois via radio communication. The readings provided by the AMR module are used to bill the customer for monthly usage. On 06/28/16, Mr. [redacted] contacted Ameren Illinois about a low bill. Ameren Illinois investigated and discovered that the meter had stopped registering electric usage beginning 04/18/16. The meter was replaced on 07/11/16. The meter did not render any readings for a total of 84 days; pursuant with the provisions of Illinois Administrative Code Title 83, Section 500.240(4), Ameren Illinois re-billed Mr. [redacted] for the estimated electric usage only during the 60-day period between 05/12/16 – 07/11/16: In the case of a non-registering meter which has been read during the period of non-registration, the utility shall not render a bill for an estimated consumption extending over more than twice the regular interval between readings. Ameren Illinois absorbed the cost for the remaining 24 days of electric usage (between 04/18/16 and 05/12/16). On 07/21/16, Ameren Illinois sent the adjusted bill in the total amount of $134.61. The adjusted usage for the 60-day period was based on the current month’s electric usage at the customer’s property and was estimated as follows: Billing Period DatesOriginal Billed Usage (kWh)Adjusted Usage (kWh)Days in PeriodAverage Daily UsagekWh)     05/12/16 – 05/17/160805205/17/16 – 06/16/160480301606/16/16 – 07/11/1604002516Totals:096060  The difference in the adjusted electric charges billed to the customer was $146.95:Bill DateOriginal Billed Electric ChargesAdjusted Billed Electric Charges05/18/16$17.27$25.4406/17/16$17.74$69.6507/20/16$29.99$74.53Total:$65.00$...⇄ Amount: $104.62 The adjusted bill of $134.61 was calculated as follows:      $ 29.99 Bill amount on 07/20/16 (current usage from 07/11/16 – 07/18/16)    +$104.62 Stopped meter adjustment      $134.61 The adjusted bill was calculated based on Mr. [redacted]’s current usage from 07/11/16 – 07/18/16 at the property. Estimated stopped meter adjustments are rebilled to reflect normal billing for the time period in which they are done. Based on the Company's investigation, the estimated electric charges for the period during which the meter was not registering have been billed appropriately and fairly and are thus due and payable. Given the above, AmerenIllinoisconsiders this issue to be resolved and the complaint closed.  Thank you, AmerenIllinoisRegulatory Affairs[redacted]Decatur,IL 62523  cc: [redacted]

In reviewing the information, the customer called to establish new service in November 2015.  At that time, an unpaid balance was transferred from a previous account in the same name.  Per the St Louis County Recorder of Deeds website, the customer was listed as a joint owner of the...

property where the unpaid balance accrued.  This appears to be a family situation; therefore, the customer will need to work out responsibility with the relative he feels is responsible as Ameren will not get involved.  This issue is also being investigated by the Missouri Public Service Commission.

In reviewing the information, a deposit was assessed in June when the customer's service was disconnected for non payment.  Upon notification the customer qualified for government assistance, the deposit was canceled and the remaining balance was placed on a non cold weather rule payment...

arrangement.  We consider this issue resolved.