Appalachian Power Company

On 8/26/15 a company representative visited thepremise and verified the customer had been living at the residence. As aresult, the company negotiated a payment agreement with the customer and thecustomer complied with the down payment on 9/4/15. The company is scheduled toconnect the service no...

later than 9/10/15. As part of the agreement, thecompany transferred $579.86 to the “new” account to be paid in 6 installmentsof $96.64. The next billing will be on 9/25/15 which will include the firstinstallment of $96.64 plus the billing for the amount of electricity consumedduring the billing period.

On 1/19/18 a company representative contacted the customer and discussed the electrical usage during the previous month. The representative advised the customer the usage was comparable with last year.  The Average Monthly Payment (AMP) program was offered to help “level” the winter bills. The...

customer indicated an awareness of the AMP program and indicated [he] might join the program next month

A Company representative reviewed the customer’s usage during the same time period for 2016, 2017 and 2018.  The usage appears to be similar given the number of days billed and the differences in weather conditions, heating degree days and temperatures. A representative attempted to contact...

the customer on 2/2/18 and 2/8/18.  Voice messages were provided, however, the customer has failed to return calls.      BILL TO         NO        BILLING         BILL   DATE           DAY         KWH           TOTAL    01/23/18       35         7,433            808.50     01/24/17       34         3,730            412.72     01/25/16       34         5,068            499.41

A company representative contacted the customer and advised thata check is on the way and agreed to a follow up call to assure the customerreceives the check.  The company discovered the drivers that performed thepick-up were inadvertently providing incorrect information to the customer,...

i.e.the check would be delivered in 2 weeks.  The actual typical time is 4-6weeks, and the contractor provided the crew the correct time table.

Appalachian Power Company's last electric rate increase in West Virginia was in 2016.  While rates have risen over time, the Company's price for electricity remains below the national average. The Company’s service territory experienced an extreme cold spell for 13 days from 12/26/17 to 1/7/18, resulting in an adverse effect upon our customer’s bill during that time.  The average temperature for this time period was 16.9 degrees; the normal average for this time period is 34.6 degrees meaning the average temperature was twice as cold as normal.  Also the billing period fell during the holidays when customers are normally home more often, have guests, cook more and use extra lighting for decorations, etc. The Company offers energy efficiency tips on the Company’s website and an energy calculator that customers can utilize to determine where their usage is coming from.   There is also information on how heat pumps work.  The Company also encourages customers to contact the Company to request a free energy audit, please refer to the following website: [redacted]

The company tested the customer’s meter on 2/8/17 @ 10:00 AM. The meter tested within acceptable limits. The company recommends the customer request the property owner to verify the building is wired properly and each meter serves the correct apartment, as labeled.

The company disconnected the service due to a damaged meter base which created an unsafe condition. The service has been damaged at this location numerous times, including the removal of three Fort Knox locks. The company was notified of a completed city inspection on 2/27/17 and a completed...

electrical inspection on 3/3/17. Company crews were dedicated to major storm restoration activities beginning 3/1/17 and lasting until 3/5/17 which affected over 100,000 customers at the time. Since the storm the company has been addressing a backlog of previously scheduled installations, etc. The company plans to reconnect the service on 3/10/17. The customer also notified the Public Service Commission of their concern.

A Company representative visited the customer’s residence on 01/31/18; however, the customer was not home.  The representative checked meter and determined the meter was operating correctly.  The representative called the customer on 02/05/18 to discuss the average monthly payment (AMP)...

plan and explained how it fluctuated month to month so the anniversary would have a zero balance. The customer was previously unaware of how the plan worked. The representative provided several energy efficiency tips to help lower the bill. The customer seemed satisfied at this time.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I'm sorry... despite your efforts to cover up the fact that you are billing me per your estimate on the outside temperature, I will seek representation if $93.00 is not credited to my account.  I was not present for a large portion of the billing period.  This flies in the face of any overcharges from the previous billing cycle, particularly such a large increase.  We are on time with our bills and have no problem losing money to clear up your unethical behavior, if the next message isn't a credit, expect to hear from my lawyer.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint I[redacted]7, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
I at no time agreed to the amount specified. If you have any recordings of the conversations with [redacted] they will verify this. In fact I had to call her several times , leaving messages, before I got the letter in the mail with said amount. These lights that I have been paying for belong to a [redacted]. He owned this farm , AND a property just down the road and when I called to set up electric, they said there were 3 accounts. The repairman confirmed for us that the lights I've been paying for are on his property just down the road. This is not acceptable and I will be examining my next step such as contacting the state's [redacted]
[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

DEPOSIT ASSESSMENT:  APPALACHIAN POWER ASSESSES DEPOSITS BASED
UPON APPROVED PRACTICES REVIEWED BY THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION.  AT THIS TIME A MINIMUM DEPOSIT FOR ACCOUNTS
WITH ELECTRIC HEAT IN [redacted] IS $300. (STANDARD FOR ALL ADDRESSES.)  IN [redacted] CUSTOMERS HAVE THE...

OPTION OF
PROVIDING A LETTER OF CREDIT FROM THEIR PREVIOUS UTILITY.  IF A SATISFACTORY LETTER IS RECEIVED THE
COMPANY WILL REMOVE THE DEPOSIT FROM THE CUSTOMER’S ACCOUNT AND APPLY ANY
DEPOSIT THAT HAS BEEN PAID.  LETTERS OF CREDIT
ARE ACCEPTED FROM GAS, WATER OR ELECTRIC UTILITIES THAT SHOWS ON TIME PAY
HISTORY.  THIS MAY BE FAXED TO
[redacted] OR MAILED TO [redacted] 
SERVICE PROVIDERS:  APPALACHIAN POWER IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THIS CUSTOMER’S ADDRESS.  THERE ARE OTHER PROVIDERS IN THE STATE IN
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS BUT NOT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ADDRESS. IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY WILL REVIEW PREVIOUS CALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CUSTOMER
TO DETERMINE IF ANY REPRESENTATIVE ACTED INAPPROPIATELY.

The customer's outdoor lighting account was closed on 11/18/2017. At that time, the customer advised a Company representative [she] was also paying for outdoor lights at a barn. The customer indicated one of the lights required repair and upon visiting the site, a Company representative determined...

the barn lights were customer-owned.   When the customer requested the electric account in 2008, an outdoor lighting account was previously associated with the premise. The customer requested both accounts. However, recently the Company learned the lights are not located on the portion of the property purchased by the customer.   The customer previously agreed to 36 months of usage for the lights to be credited to the electric account. On 12/15/2017 a credit in the amount of $1031.41 was completed. However, now the customer requested credit to the original account open date of 3/12/2008.   The Company agreed to credit the account to 3/12/2008. The account history will have to be manually re-created which will require additional time to complete.  A Company representative advised the customer the Company would refund the additional amount, however, the refund would not be immediate due to the requirement to manually recreate the account history.

The customer's bill reflects consumption that is measured by the electric meter when power is flowing through the meter. The company does not provide reimbursement for damages that are not the responsibility of the company. The company provided the following storm response update to external...

audiences.Appalachian Power Storm Response UpdateThursday, July 16, 2015 – 8 p.m.NOTE: This is the final update for this storm.WeatherBack-to-back severe thunderstorm systems moved across Appalachian Power’s southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia service areas this week, leaving a total of more than 100,000 customers without electric service. Outage levels in West Virginia peaked at around 36,000 Monday evening, and surged again to 34,000 Tuesday night following another round of evening thunderstorms. In Virginia outage levels peaked at around 18,000 Monday evening.ResponseMore than 1,800 workers are engaged in the service restoration effort, including about 450 contractors from outside Appalachian’s service area, 750 employees and contractors from within the company’s service area and around 600 tree-clearing workers.Much of the damage to electrical facilities in West Virginia has been repaired. As workers complete repairs in their areas, however, they are moving on to assist in harder-hit areas where some customers are still without power. When work in Appalachian Power’s service area is complete, it is expected that many workers will move on to assist with the ongoing restoration effort in Kentucky Power’s hard-hit eastern Kentucky service area. OutagesMore than 95 percent of customers who lost power as a result of this week’s storms have had electric service restored. As of 8 p.m., around 3,400 Appalachian Power customers in West Virginia are without electric service. Approximate numbers by county follow:Boone 300Clay 300Kanawha 200Lincoln 300McDowell, 300Mingo 700Roane 300Wayne 1,000Restoration EstimatesIn most areas service restoration is expected to be complete by tonight. In isolated instances where there may be difficult access or heavy damage, and in harder-hit areas of Mingo and Wayne counties, restoration may continue into Friday evening. A snapshot view of current outages is available anytime at www.appalachianpower.com. Go to the Outages and Problems section of the site and click "View Outage Map."

A Company representative initially contacted the customer and explained the previous bill comprised a 36 day period, instead of the usual 29-30 day bill. The meter was read again on 2-20 for 2,356 kwhrs ($265.86), so there was a large decrease in the bill from the previous month which was...

$492.68.  The representative advised the customer that Company representatives planned to visit the residence on Monday, February 26th to test the meter.   The representative and Meter Electrician met with the customer on 2-26.  The meter was tested and registered 99.81 on full load, and 99.88 on light load.  The customer has a total electric home, heated by a heat pump.  The Company representative discussed the previous several months’ usage and noted the current usage is on pace for around 2000 kwhrs, which is declining substantially. The representative also provided the customer with tariff sheets and energy savings pamphlets.

A Company representative reviewed the customer’s usage and determined the customer has been at the location less than one year. However, the usage appears to be similar to other mobile homes in the area given the number of days billed, the weather conditions and recent colder than normal...

temperatures. The representative discussed the usage with the customer on 2/2/18 and learned the underpinning was not “tight” leaving the underside of the mobile home exposed. The customer also read the meter and indicated the usage had declined since the previous billing period.

Appalachian Power Company rates have not changed since mid-2016. A review of the customer’s electrical usage revealed similar consumption as compared for the same period during previous years. From December 26, 2017 through January 8, 2018, the average temperature was 16.9 degrees compared to the...

historical average temperature for this period of 34.6 degrees. Company records indicate the residence is all electric.  An extended cold spell will increase electric usage for heating and water heating. All meter readings for the premise are actual readings.   BILL TO             NO                 BILLING                  BILL   DATE                   DAY              KWH                       TOTAL     01/08/18            33                  3,366                   373.81    12/06/17            33                  1,336                   156.84      01/10/17            35                  1,153                   137.29    12/06/16            32                  415                      57.37      01/11/16           35                  1,828                   189.12    12/07/15           32                  1,919                   197.83      01/09/15           32                  1,945                   171.94  12/08/14           33                  1,831                   162.51    01/09/14           34                  4,055                   346.84   12/06/13           31                  1,919                   169.89     01/09/13           35                  3,751                   332.50   12/05/12           30                  2,414                   217.93      01/06/12           31                  5,713                   500.64   12/06/11           34                  5,620                   492.67

The Company requested a security deposit in the amount of $360 to be paid in three installments per rules and regulations approved by the Virginia SCC.  The deposit was requested in accordance with all applicable guidelines. The Company declines to waive the deposit and asks that it be paid as...

billed. A Company representative previously contacted the customer on 7/24/14 and explained the deposit billing and the reason for deposit.

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I do not know the exact date of the change in due dates, but it did in fact change from the beginning of the month to the end of the month, which is a difficult time to have a due date.  I've tried to make it work as best I can.  I have been late many months, but AEP has been paid all that I owe them.  Yes, they put the warning on one bill.  Why not put it on August, Sept, Oct, Nov, and December. 11 bills out of 12 said that if I didn't pay by the termination date, I would have to pay a reconnection fee and MAY have a deposit.  Those bills didn't have say AND A DEPOSIT WOULD BE RQUIRED.  If they were going to impose a deposit, why don't they require a traceable acknowledgment that I received the warning?  In addition, I find it an unethical business practice to threaten disconnection over money I don't  even owe, as they are threatening disconnection over the first payment on a deposit... NOT MY ACTUAL SERVICE, because they have been paid for my service. AEP has no competition so therefore have a monopoly on the market and are taking advantage of their customers.  That warning should have been presented in a different way, as the bills before and after August made NO mention of a deposit warning without a disconnection first, and even then, 11 of 12 bills said that even with a termination, I only MAY be charged a deposit. 
Regards,
[redacted]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], 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. I would like to thank the Revdex.com of Western Virginia for its assistance with this matter. I am fully aware that without your assistance, this matter would not have reached a satisfactory resolution.
Regards,
[redacted]