Elmhurst Mutual Power & Light Company

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response again because the Business did NOT use USPS service to mail a paper disconnection notice days or even days before the disconnection The emailed billing notices do NOT constitute disconnection notices Here is a copy of the business's emailed billing notice before the disconnection, No way I can tell it is a disconnection notice We use email notification and automatic payment which is for the business convenience too As a courtesy, the business should tell the customers by phone or mail a letter to advise that the credit card information should be updated to avoid disconnection We have phone number and mailing address in your file The business could have simply called me to to notify my credit card information needs to be updated and mail a hard copy disconnection letter days BEFORE the disconnection Again they mailed the disconnection late and I received the disconnection letter after the disconnection which is unprofessional and unethical Another company provides refuse service to us did the right way by calling us that our credit card needs to be updated Clearly Elmhurst Mutual lacks a team and leadship who can provides good customer service They have received a lot of customer complaints and bad reviews on-lineSincerely, [redacted] To [redacted] Apr GUI B LU: Your new billing statement is available for view and payment for the following accounts: Account Number ***: Service Location: Electric Service: [redacted] Your ELECTRIC SERVICE bill has been computed on 04/15/for the amount of $ [redacted] Please visit [redacted] to view and pay your bill Thank you, [redacted] Mutual Power and Light Reply, Reply All or Forward | More

We are in receipt of a letter from the Revdex.com dated 5/07/referencing complaint ID*** and our response is as follows:We received an alert from our on-line billing system in February of this year that the credit card beingused to pay the electric account with our utility was
expiring at the end of FebruaryWe then emailedthe customer at the email address they created on their account informing them that their credit cardwas about to expireThe email did not "bounce back" and we had no reason to believe the email wasnot deliveredAfter the email we sent a bill dated 3/11/which showed an amount due because thecredit card had expiredWe had no response from the customerWe provided another month ofelectricity, then sent a second bill dated 4/15/showing a past due amount, a corresponding latecharge, and a current amount dueWe had no response from the customerWe then sent a disconnectnotice dated 4//for non-payment and once again had no response from the customerWe thendisconnected their service for non-payment on 5/5/15.Because we provided electricity to this consumer for approximately two months and ten days and werenot paid and made the effort detailed above, it is our opinion that the $late charge and the $32disconnect fee is appropriate
Sincerely,
*** ***
General Manager

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: the key issue here is Elmhurst Mutual Lighting didn't inform us with a phone call or a USPS delivered mail that the disconnection is imminent before the disconnection One day after they disconnected the electricity, we got a letter with no post-mark saying the disconnection is imminent If they mailed the letter soon enough, I could have known my credit card in their online bill pay system has expired and taken measures I chose email delivered statement to save their money and for their convenience and didn't get any courtesy in regard to waiving the late fee and disconnection fee The disconnection is unlawful in terms of its procedures The business has received a lot of complaints per on-line reviews for its collection process
Sincerely,*** **

We are in receipt of a second letter from the Revdex.com dated 6/01/2015 referencingcomplaint ID [redacted] and our response is as follows:The plaintiff made the choice to utilize email as a way to receive information from [redacted] regardingtheir electric account. We honored that choice emailing billing statements as well as a notification thattheir credit card had expired to the email address they provided us. We are currently emailingstatements to the same email address and they are paying their bills accordingly. Obviously this is agood email address.The information on the statements we emailed clearly showed that their electric bill was not being paid.The plaintiff states in the first letter to the Revdex.com that "I just overlooked the billing emails". Our position isthat the consequences of "overlooking" the information we provided to help the plaintiff pay theirelectric bill are their responsibility.Consequently, I reiterate the point that because we provided electricity to this consumer forapproximately two months and ten days and were not paid, and made the effort detailed above, it is ouropinion that the $8 late charge and the $32 disconnect fee is appropriate.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
General Manager

Elmhurst’s position on this issue has not changed.  The information provided in the rebuttal to the claim Mr. [redacted] submitted is accurate.

Our response to the complaint filed by Mr. [redacted] is as follows:
Elmhurst was contacted by the previous property owner on 11/04/2016 and he informed us that the closing date for the sale of the property would be 11/10/2016.  We informed him that we would have to shut the power off if we didn't...

receive information on the new owners.  He told us he would follow through at closing and did not request a disconnection.  On 11/14/2016 at 9:46 AM the previous owner called our office and requested that his name be taken off of the account as the home had indeed sold. We again informed the previous owner that the power would be disconnected as we had no information on the new owner and we were not provided any more information. At approximately 2:00 PM that afternoon our meter technician was dispatched to the property to disconnect the service at the request of the previous owner.  They arrived at the home, knocked on the door and receiving no response disconnected the service.  At approximately 4:20 PM we received a call from Mr. [redacted] inquiring about the status of the power at his residence and we explained the situation and that we had not received any information from him as the new home owner.  We also explained that as he had called past 4:00 PM that in order to have his power restored he would have to pay the $120.00 after hour charge.  Mr. [redacted] was unhappy about the afterhours charge, refused to give any information to start a new account and hung up of the party he was speaking to. 
Our position is that did all we could do for Mr. [redacted] considering the information, or lack of information, we had received about the account he wanted to establish.  We have very clear policies and procedures in the effort to treat all of our consumers fairly and consistently and our late fee is one of those policies.  Mr. [redacted] refused to pay for an after hours reconnection and we are confused as to why he is asking for $120.00.  There is an inherent responsibility of new customers to provide us with pertinent information to establish an electric account and until we get that information we cannot serve the property. We had no knowledge that he was the new owner of the property.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response again because the Business did NOT use USPS service to mail a paper disconnection notice 14 days or even 7 days before the disconnection.  The emailed billing notices do NOT constitute disconnection notices.   Here is a copy of the business's emailed billing notice before the disconnection,  No way I can tell it is a disconnection notice.  We use email notification and automatic payment which is for the business convenience too.  As a courtesy, the business should tell the customers by phone or mail a letter to advise that the credit card information should be updated to avoid disconnection.  We have phone number and mailing address in your file.  The business could have simply called me to to notify my credit card information needs to be updated and mail a hard copy disconnection letter 7 days BEFORE the disconnection.  Again they mailed the disconnection late and I received the disconnection letter after the disconnection which is unprofessional and unethical.  Another company provides refuse service to us did the right way by calling us that our credit card needs to be updated.  Clearly Elmhurst Mutual lacks a team and leadship who can provides good customer service.  They have received a lot of customer complaints and bad reviews on-line. Sincerely,[redacted]
[redacted]
To
[redacted]
Apr 15
GUI B LU:
Your new billing statement is available for view and payment for the following accounts:
 
Account Number [redacted]:
Service Location: Electric Service: [redacted]
Your ELECTRIC SERVICE bill has been computed on 04/15/2015 for the amount of $[redacted].
 
Please visit [redacted] to view and pay your bill.
Thank you,
[redacted] Mutual Power and Light
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Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: False information.
I did try to schedule new service with them on the phone on the night power was disconnected. They said they were unable to do so at that time and that I needed to call back in the morning. They did NOT arrive our home at approximately 2 pm. As I said originally, someone was home all day. From what we can tell disconnecting service does not require someone to come directly to our property. This morning when power was restored, no one came to our property.
Since we closed on our house on Thursday afternoon and Friday was a holiday, the first day for us to discover our electricity service provider and establish service would have been yesterday. And trying to fit in phone calls though out the day while at work or my wife trying to research who to call without any internet access (or cell phone internet access...it's a dead zone) was difficult. I feel that Elmhurst did not make adequate attempts to contact us, the new owners, before shutting off power. A note could have been left that morning on the door warning us of a time later that day when the power would be disconnected, or at least have knocked on the door or rang the doorbell (which they claim they did but didn't). And their unwillingness to waive their ridiculously high after hours reconnection fee just showed me their lack of customer service. Or at least charging us only half given the situation. We were not late on a payment, we are new customers. 
We were left without power for the night. A cold night with 2 young kids who eneded up going to my in-laws to sleep in a warm home. We are very disapointed in this company that they would simply lie and make it difficult on their customer in order to make a few extra dollars. 
Sincerely,[redacted]