Conservice Utility Management & Billing

[redacted],Thank you for contacting us!  You are on the PG&E Care Program.  This means that you are charged a reduced electric rate for your electricity. Your usage increased in December of 2015, but because it was not in line with previous usage we, along with your onsite...

leasing office, decided to estimate your usage down until we could have a technician out to check your meter. The technician went out and once we received the report from the technician showing that your meter is working correctly we stopped estimating your usage down and started billing actual usage. Usage was estimated down from 12/1/15-5/1/16, and we started billing actual from 5/1/16-7/1/16. Usage has been between 1000-1300 kWh from 12/1/15-8/1/16.Thank you,Conservice

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: They are not making any changes to the way they handle customer billing going forward. I'm pleased they are removing the $10 charge on my bill, but my problem occurred because of systemic errors in the way they handle billing that encourages late payments. They still charge a fee for paying online or by phone, which there is no reason should cost them more than receiving bills by mail. They want people to mail in bills so that they can say they bear no burden for the bill arriving late. Also, ConService is not changing their method of notifying customers about late fees. It encourages confusion by sending out bills and late due notices so close together and sending them separately. Also, sending these notices separately costs them more money.They also continue to offer no flat rate charge for billing. Quality electrical companies like [redacted] offer customers the option of a flat rate so they know what to expect each month as an electric bill, and [redacted] then adjusts yearly either sending the customer a refund or raising what they pay the following year. There need to be changes in the way ConService deals with customers. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  This is not correct/ They have my water. gas. sewer. trash, and electric bill. And by delaying the bill, it actually results in a higher move out charge for then when I move out I will be responsible for 2 months worth and not one month.  Conservice has my bill for 6-8 weeks, and then sends it out so late to only give me 10 days to pay. There is no option to auto pay. I have to have the exact amount and manually enter this. I again asked for my september bill, and I still do not have it and it is Aug 17. The utilities sent them invoices in June and at the beginning of July
Sincerely,
[redacted]

[redacted]
Conservice Account #[redacted]
Dear Ms. [redacted],
In September the provider bill increased significantly. The
following month the bill had credits on it due to a provider billing error. The
credit was passed through to the residents, though it was not broken out
individually. The...

credit was added into the entire community. It is our policy
that if there was a provider error that caused bills to increase we pass
through the credits that they issue on future bills.
Your charges for the bill due September 1, 2015 were $[redacted]
for water and sewer.  The following month
they decreased to $[redacted]. This reflects the credit.  As the provider bills fluctuate every month
the billing will also reflect that. Since then your bills have been in the $60
range.
According to the utility addendum in your lease you are
billed based on occupants and square footage of your unit.  The property pays a portion of the provider
bill to cover common areas. I have reviewed the email communications sent
previously. The “How Is My Bill Calculated” is a very great example of how the
property is billed.  I show that you
signed a new lease, which includes an updated utility addendum. You will see
changes to your bills starting this coming month. This change is that you will
be billed based on factored occupancy instead of a split of factored occupancy
and square footage. Factored occupancy applies a number per occupants in a
unit. The multiplier is a value of 1 for the first occupant; add a value of .6
for the second, and a value of .3 for each additional occupant on the lease. With
this billing method you r bills will still be about the same amount. 
For factored occupant billing we take the provider bill and
subtract out the common area percentage. The remaining amount is then divided
by the total multiplier for the property to get a per occupant value.  Please see below for an example.


The total water expense for the community





$2,000




Less 10% for Common Area Deduction





$2,000 – $200 = $1,800




Total which will be allocated to residents





$1,800




A value based on the occupancy in each unit is given and the
total community multiplier is reached (assume the total community occupant
multiplier is 521 for this example)





Total Community Occupant Multiplier = 521




The adjusted provider expense is divided by the Total Community
Occupant Multiplier





$1,800 / 521 = $3.45




This gives us the amount per occupant





$3.45 per occupant




If your apartment has 2 occupants, your monthly water bill is
$5.52





$3.45 x 1.6 = $5.52


Please remember this is only an example and the actual
provider bill amounts for this community are significantly different.
If you have any further questions please feel free to
contact our customer service department at ###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Conservice

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I am unable to view the documents in the office as I am in a landlord/tenant dispute with [redacted] through the Birmingham Revdex.com over repeated violations of my lease agreement. I am the consumer who paid directly for these services, therefore I should be afforded access to invoices and breakdowns from the utility billing company, unless [redacted] is trying to hide inconsistencies with their billing amongst residents. I would like the documents mailed directly to me or sent via email to [redacted]@gmail.com. After all, I am the one paying the charges, not them. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Mr. [redacted],
Roman"">
We apologize for any
confusion that our statements may have caused regarding your balance with
Conservice. The utility bill in question was mailed out to you on 2/13/2016
with a due date of 3/1/2016; you have a 3 day grace period before late fees are
applied to your account. Per your Revdex.com complaint you stated you mailed in your
payment on 3/1/2016.  There is a notice
on all bills stating "Mailing remittance does not constitute payment.”  We need to receive the payment by the 1st
or before the grace period is up to avoid a late fee.  A late notice was sent to you on 3/8/2016
showing your past due balance including a $5.00 late fee that was accessed to
the account as payment was not received by this date.
A new bill was then
sent on 3/11/2106, for charges due 4/1/2016. 
This bill shows that, at the time the statement went out, we had yet to
receive your payment for the bill due 3/1/16. Payment for the bill due 3/1/2016
was received on 3/14/2016.
A payment was also
received for the bill due 4/1/2016 on 3/21/2016. However this payment did not
include the late fee that was assessed due to the late payment for the bill due
3/1/2106 so, an additional notice was sent to you on 3/22/2016 letting you know
of a past due balance of $5.00 on your account. 
Since a balance was remaining after the 4/1/2106 due date you were
accessed a late fee on 4/6/2016. 
Conservice can remove
one $5 late for the lifetime of the account however, we have removed 2 late
fees on your account in the amount of $10. 
As of today, your balance due 5/1/2016 is $[redacted].  As long as payment is received each month by
the due date you can avoid future late fees. 
Many payment options are available to avoid a late fee being assessed;
this includes adding auto pay to your account or making a payment online or
over the phone. If you would like to know the balance on your account please
call into our customer service department at ###-###-####.
Thank you,
Conservice

The resident moved into Unit #** on 8/22/2015. Previous to 10/21/2015 we had resolved concerns with the resident about vacant electric service fees and explained our auto pay service. In regards to questions about their water consumption, our first correspondence with the resident is...

10/21/2015 in which we explained that their water was an estimated amount. After that our records indicate that we did not hear from the resident until 1/4/2016 when they were concerned over the adjustments that were being made and we informed them of why that was happening. The meters for her apartment are owned by the owner's of the apartment complex.  The meter for their unit stopped checking meaning that we no longer received their actual usage. Because we have no actual reads we use an average of all the units at the property (a standard process in the industry as state/city regulations allow). Using a occupancy average while being more accurate isn't an option for this resident because we currently don't have access to occupancy count for each unit. When we start receiving the read again, after repairs are made, we will reconcile the usage that has been billed and make any necessary adjustments. Thank you!Conservice

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I understand what's in the lease but that's still not good customer service since you all know the water wasn't used 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hello,Mr. [redacted] called in on December 19th, 2017 disputing the Vacant Gas charges applied by Conservice from SDG&E, stating he had services in his name. Vacant charges appear on a resident's Conservice statement when it's found the resident did not place utilities in their name with the utility...

provider at time of move-in. Irvine contracts Conservice to identify such charges and apply them to the tenant's statement, along with a $25 penalty fee. This service and penalty are disclosed in the tenant's lease.The Conservice Customer Service representative who spoke with Mr. [redacted] explained that research would need to be done to confirm he placed utilities in his name at time of move-in. As part of the research process, Conservice requested Mr. [redacted] send in a copy of the utility bill he received from SDG&E for gas charges for the same period which he was charged on his Conservice statement. Using this information, Conservice would then contact the provider directly to confirm the tenant followed the appropriate process of contracting gas service in his name with SDG&E at time of move-in. Mr. [redacted] told the Conservice representative that he would only send in the first and last statements provided from SDG&E. Conservice received these statements from Mr. [redacted] but both bills sent from the tenant show he is being charged for Electricity service only and for different service periods than which he was charged for on his Conservice statement.The Conservice representative did not have a callback number for Mr. [redacted], but Conservice did receive an email from the tenant sent to the Conservice Customer Service department. Conservice is in the process of responding to Mr. [redacted]'s email notifying him that we do not have the appropriate documentation to contact SDG&E to determine if the vacant recovery charges can be reversed. As soon as Mr. [redacted] is able to provide the documentation asked for, Conservice will follow-up with SDG&E and provide a resolution to the tenant.Thank you,Conservice

[redacted],We apologize for any confusion and wish to help answer any questions you may have. The service fee charge is not only to send the bills, but is to gather the information and calculate the bills based on the information we have collected. The Real Estate tax is a flat charge through...

your community that they have requested us to charge out. Many of the rental property owners nationwide are deciding to use utility billing services, helping in efforts to encourage resources conservation by consumers and stabilize rent. You are billed in accordance with the terms of your renal agreement. Our regulatory department reviews the billing practices at your property to ensure they are in line with all state and local legal requirements. Due to this we are unable to waive or remove the charges and fees in questions. Feel free to call our customer service line with any other questions we have utility expert ready to take your call."I have reviewed this will my team lead and senior team lead. Let me know if this is acceptable or if I need to change or add anything. Thank you,Conservice

Dear Mr. [redacted], Thank you for taking the time to communicate your concern to Conservice. We hope to remedy and resolve any misunderstandings, and apologize for any frustration this has caused you. Conservice, LLC is a third-party utility billing company employed by property owners to allocate...

and bill tenants for their utility service charges. We are tasked with calculating charges and mailing out bills. The terms of utility payment responsibilities are provided in the lease contract between the landlord and the tenant. We understand that you are concerned that your water bill has increased and that you are concerned you have been charged for leaks that have occurred on the property.   First, let me assure you that your bill does not include any charges that may have resulted from leaks on the property recently. You most current bill with a statement date of 9/21/2017 was calculated using the provider bill that includes consumption charges from 5/11/17- 6/9/17. Further, the property is not aware of any leaks or flooding on the property, regardless of when they may have occurred. If you see a leak or flooding you are encouraged to report it to the leasing office or maintenance team immediately.   We hope that this clarifies the charges on your monthly bill. Again, we apologize for any frustrations you have experienced in this matter. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do contact our Customer Service Department at 866-947-7379 where representatives are available to take your call Monday – Friday from 6:00 am – 8:00 pm, MST, or at [email protected]. Sincerely, Conservice, LLC

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  There is no response to view however I have been contacted by the business that the funds will be credited to my account. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Hello, After further review of your account, I have made changes to the way your bill is prepared that will cause your bills to reflect the total current charges as well as an accurate amount for total due including any outstanding balance.  The next bill that we will be sending you will have an accurate Total Amount Due that will match exactly what you find on utilitiesinfo.com. You also asked for clarification on when “the clock starts” for the 30 days until late fees are applied.  The 30 days begins based on the statement date of the bill.  Reviewing your account, there have not been any late fees applied. If you would like further clarification, we would be happy to discuss this with you over the phone.  You can reach us at 1-866-947-7379.Thank you!Conservice

[redacted] ,We have reviewed your account and have determined that you were billed incorrectly for 4 occupants instead of 2 occupants.  The occupancy has been corrected to 2 for future billing.  A credit of $[redacted] will be issued to this resident for the service period of 6/30/15 -...

8/3/15. This is based on the prorated amount she should have been billed as of the move in date of 7/1/15. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Let us know if you have any further concerns.Thank you,Conservice

[redacted]
Conservice Account #[redacted]
Dear Ms. [redacted],
Due to the sensitive nature of provider bills I reached out
to [redacted] corporate offices. They denied permission to present the
bills through Revdex.com for confidentiality purposes. They did approve that I provide
the bills and the breakdown to the property, where you may view the information
in the office. You will be reviewing six months of provider bills and billing.
All of the information will be broken out for you.  You will see exactly how the property is
billed. The provider bills with the credits will be shown, along with all
calculations. I have created an Excel document that has tabs with each month’s
calculations.
If you have any further questions please feel free to
contact our customer service department at ###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Conservice

Ms [redacted],We will ask the Community Management to mail the documentation that was provided directly to you.  Thank you!Conservice

Dear Ms. [redacted],Thank you for contacting Conservice. The ever-increasing cost of utilities, tied with the impact utility consumption has on the environment, has made conservation an important concern at Main Street Flats.  When residents are aware of their utility usage, they will be...

more likely to conserve. Because of this, you will be billed for your utility usage each month.When it comes to the billing of utility costs, we all want to ensure that utility usage is billed accurately and fairly. That’s why Main Street Flats is a direct customer of Conservice, a worldwide leader in utility billing for the hot and cold water, sewer, water heating and trash utilities consumed by residents. The utility providers send bills to Main Street Flats which include charges for hot and cold water, sewer, water heating and trash that you consume in your apartment. These utility costs are passed on to our residents through Conservice. You will receive a utility bill from Conservice every month.Conservice bills your water and sewer on a month to month basis, using the meter reads for your individual unit. While daily reads are helpful in seeing usage trends and providing a more accurate picture of usage, you are billed for the full month of consumption, not on a daily basis. We are showing no consumption from 1/19/17 through 1/31/17 as well as 4/22/17 through 5/3/17. While there is recorded usage on 1/18, a day that you were gone, the usage could have occurred on the 17th after the meter was read. In this case, the usage would be recorded on the 18th, even though it was used on the 17th. In the lease that you have signed with your leasing office at Main Street Flats, you have agreed to be responsible for the utilities that are being used in your apartment, whether you are present for the full month or are gone for the majority of the month. If you feel that you are being charged for usage during periods when you are not home, we would suggest talking to Main Street Flats maintenance to come to your apartment to check for leaks or other issues.The hot water base is a flat fee that is charged to each resident from Puget Sound Energy. The amount is the same for all residents and is charged for the availability of natural gas to heat the water. Please be aware that there are multiple charges on your bill that are not affected by your usage and will be the same every month.I apologize that you feel Conservice has not given adequate effort to contact you. We have responded to the emails that have been sent to us, but it is possible that the responses were lost. We can provide you with copies of these sent responses if you so desire. We are also attaching in this response a copy of your daily meter reads through May 23, 2017. If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Service Department at 866-947-7379 where representatives are available to take your call Monday - Friday from 6:00 am - 8:00 pm, MST, or at [email protected] you,Conservice

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: There response is not correct, I have never received a bill that matches the amount that is claimed due on their website. All I'm asking for is a printed invoice that matches the website, and Conservice has been unwilling to issue one. You can see from the previous bills and the webshots of utilitiesinfo.com website there's no matching information. Because Conservice doesn't seem able to be honest about their bills it makes me very uncomfortable to not have a written invoice from them. In regards to their ludicrous claim that it's Portland's billing process that prompts their questionable billing system I'd like to offer that this is not my only utility bill, PGE (where we receive our electricity) is able to offer a timely, clear, specific invoice that always matches their website. It doesn't seem like they feel the need to add charges online without sending and invoice, even with Portland's "complicated" rules.Finally, their claim that there are no late fees added until 30 days after the bill, when does that clock start? When they add the fees to their website or when I receive an actual invoice? It seems very purposely vague. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We have reached out to the community manager who will work directly with the resident on a resolution. Thank you,Conservice

[redacted],Thank you for contacting us regarding your bill.  As previously explained, it is standard practice that when a meter reports "0" usage that a resident is given an estimate based on their normal usage.  When you previously contacted Conservice we did reach out to your...

community management and they instructed us to not adjust the amounts that had been billed.  However, after looking further into this issue we did reach back out to your community management and a credit has been applied to your account for the time period that you were not living in your home.  You will see a total credit of -$2[redacted] on your account.  Please keep in mind that they other charges such as water and sewer base charges are not consumption based so those charges will not be adjusted.  Your new total due 10/1/15 is $[redacted].If you have any other questions please let us know!Thank you!Cosnervice