Emigrant Funding Corporation

I spoke with *** and apologized for the inconvenience When the account was started at *** *** ** the mailing address was not updated appropriately and bills were not sent to this location Vicki spoke with *** and provided a service recovery of $ I applied an
additional service recovery of $bringing the account balance to zero The next bill will print on September 29, 2016. Sincerely,Randy

Mr*** contacted our office to start service at *** ** *** *** on 2/2/18. We placed the order and gave instruction to the service person to turn on the services. There was a miscommunication and the order wasn’t fully completed on 2/
The following day, Mr*** called to
advise and a new order was created for the same day. Typically, we have a limited number of appointments available for turn on orders for the same day. At the time of his call, all of the appointments for turn on orders were full, but we did still have all day orders, which mean the order would be completed that day, but we wouldn’t be able to give a specific time frame. The representative explained this and that we would issue another order and schedule it for the same, but explained that there would no guarantee of the time it would be completed. The customer called again at 1:p.mto inquire on the status of the order. The representative confirmed that the work order is routed for that day, but that it would be run sometime after p.mand that our service technicians work as late as 11:p.m.
The customer called again this time he escalated to a Supervisor. Mr*** stated that he was told by the previous representative that the order would be completed at p.m. The Supervisor listened to the call between the representative and Mr***. She verified that the representative advised Mr*** that the turn on would be completed sometime after p.mand not at a scheduled time of p.m. The Supervisor advised that she would see what she could do to try and get the order done as quickly as possible. The Supervisor checked back later and found that the order was completed and services were turned on at 6:p.m

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Regards,
*** *** The Utility commission told us that they did not get involved in refund matters so saying that they ruled against us is a statement.Your equipment was defective and we were over billedThe faulty gasket had to be between the meter and the sewer or the meter would have not recorded the overage.Here is the letter from our Attorney that you ignoredWe ask that we at least be afforded binding arbitration so we can have this ruled on by an impartial party. CITIZENS ENERGY GROUPN Meridian St.Indianapolis, IN 46202 RE: *** *** Account Number *** Greetings: *** *** suffered a financial loss due to Citizens Energy Group’s negligence, and despite repeated attempts by Ms*** and Mr*** *** to be compensated for the excessive charges on the above listed account, Ms*** has yet to receive payment. Citizens Energy Group has provided a token refund of the overcharge, but only for two months’ billings, and not for the entire seventeen months that were overbilled. I recognize that your payment of only two months’ damages may have been based on Rule of the Water Terms and Conditions; specifically paragraph which limits the allowance to two regular reading periods unless extended by missed readings. According to the “chat” between your agent, “Buff”, and the customer, Ms***, Ms*** was unable to read the meter because the manhole was always full of water. This situation was remedied when Citizens Water determined that the meter was leaking at the gasket and replaced the meter Rule METERS, states that: “All Meters shall be owned, installed, removed and maintained by the Utility.” By its own Rule, Citizens Water has a duty to maintain the Meter. Citizens Meter failed to maintain the meter, which failure prevented Ms*** from reading her meter, therefore removing the two reading limit from the Rule regarding leaking allowances Please remit payment for the remaining fifteen (15) months of overcharging. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. Regards, * *** *** Attorney

Citizens is unsure what would be causing the e-bill issue Ms*** describes. We are only able to provide the documentation our system captures. We acknowledge Ms*** is an excellent customer and do not doubt what she is saying. There just isn’t any way for us to determine what happened as we did email the bills to her email address and our tracking reflects they were delivered and opened. If she has further issues, please have her contact us at 317.924.3311 right away and we will attempt to try to figure out what is causing the issue. We can be reached Monday through Friday from a.mto p.mand on Saturdays from a.mto p.m

*** *** was billed for services at *** * *** *** after it was we verified she had active service with IPL from 6/20/to 3/29/17. On 10/26/16, *** *** presented Citizens with a lease signed by *** *** - per the assessor’s office *** *** is the ownerOn
10/26/we received a call from *** *** stating she was the owner because *** *** was deceased. Citizens verified on 3/29/that IPL *** *** has been on service here since 6/20/
Citizens sent a fraud investigator to the property on 3/30/and found stolen meter and it was installed in the pit backwards, decreasing the usage on the meter. The meter had been at *** ** *** ***. Based on the findings, Ms*** was billed for the water that was used on the meter in the amount of consumption from 9/30/to 3/29/17. On 4/5/Citizens had to turn the service off at the tap in the street which resulted in additional charge for the work completed. For the gas service, Ms*** was charged a gas fraud fee assessed and billed for unauthorized usage of 1,CCF’s for the same period as the gas meter was found on and the meter had been tampered withA total of $was billed to *** *** and transferred to ***s active account on 5/19/Demanda has had active service at *** *** *** since 10/

Citizens has received and reviewed Ms***’s concerns. Citizens found the customer had her account set up to receive electronic billing statements. On 1/18/18, Ms*** made a request online to top service in her name at *** *** *** ** *** *. The request was completed and the
final bill was sent to the email address on file, *** on 1/19/and the email with the final bill was delivered and opened. The due date for the final bill was 2/8/ Since the final bill wasn’t paid by the due date of 2/8/18, on 2/23/a reminder letter was mailed to Ms*** at the address Citizens had on file, *** *** *** ** *** *. The letter advised of the past due amount and gave 30-days to pay the outstanding balance or the balance would be sent to a collection agency. The letter dated 2/23/was returned to our office by the Post Office due to a change of address they had on file for Ms*** that Citizens had no record of. On 3/9/18, Citizens updated the mailing address and resent the letter to Ms***’s new address. We researched the original online request to stop the service and found that the customer didn’t include a forwarding address at the time she requested to stop service. It’s important that customers include their forwarding address to ensure they receive important account information timely

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID *** Their response is incorrect that my gas has been off since MayEverything was restored after they received notice they were included in the bankruptcy The gas shut off was recentI am only accepting the response because I called this morning to have my gas restoredI was not required to put down a deposit Nor did they state they would be dividing up a deposit iver the next however many monthsI suppose I will have to see if that is on the next bill They just entered the order to restore service.
Regards,
*** ***

The customer contact our office and inquired about how much was needed to start service in her name. During the discussion, we found the customer was sent a refund check for a previous deposit had been paid by the customer. The customer indicated that she never received the refund
check. Citizens needed to verify with our bank that the check hadn't been cleared prior to transferring the credit to the account or reissuing the refund check.
We were able to confirm the check was never cashed, so the credit was transferred to the account, reducing the amount needed to the start service. We contacted the customer to advise of the findings and quoted the remaining balance due. The customer paid the balance of $and the service was started for the customer

I spoke with Mr*** and explained we disconnected service on 7/31/and typically we strive to disconnect service on the day requested. If there are services needing turned on or emergency situations these orders take priority and can push disconnection of services out to the allowable
day rule. I agreed to place a credit on the account for $for the additional two days usage.Sincerely,Randy

We have reviewed and responded to Mr***s complaint both with your organization and the IURC. We are a regulated utility and were not found to be in violation of the terms and conditions regarding Mr***’s complaint to the IURC. There are terms and conditions related to adjustments, however the IURC has no jurisdiction outside these rules. Mr***’s adjustment was completed based on the terms and conditions below. In addition, the responsibility of the installation and maintenance of the gasket, is that of the customer in accordance with the terms and conditions The gasket is not installed or maintained by Citizens Water. We only supply and maintain the meter itself, and only the meter is the responsibility of Citizens Water. No additional adjustment will be made. A diagram of the meter pit and pertinent terms and conditions are attached. At this time we request this complaint be closed. Leakage AllowanceUnderground leaksAllowance for underground Service Pipe leaks or leaks in crawl spaces or concrete floors (but not leaks in underground irrigation systems) will be percent of the charge for wasted water estimated from the beginning date of the leak to the date of repair, which period shall not exceed two regular reading periods (as provided for under Rule 5.1) unless extended by missed readingsThe Utility will inspect the Premises to determine the cause of the leakWastage will be considered as the excess consumption over usage, obtained by reference to the Customer’s consumption recordIf there is no consumption record, the average consumption for the previous calendar year for the appropriate Customer classification will be used as the consumptionAn adjustment will be given only after the Customer has corrected the condition causing the leak and the Premises has been inspected by the Utility to determine that repairs have been properly madeOther types of hidden leaksAllowance for other types of hidden leaks (but not leaks in underground irrigation systems) will be percent of the charge for wasted waterThe period adjusted shall not exceed one regular reading period (as provided for under Rule 5.1) unless extended by missed readingsSuch allowance will be considered only one time per Customer per service address, and only when all the following conditions exist: (a) consumption is at least double usage, (b) consumption is at least 2,cubic feet more than normal, (c) total consumption for the reading period exceeds 2,cubic feet, (d) circumstances indicate that a leak exists or had existed, (e) the leak shall have been hidden from open view, including toilet leaks and other concealed plumbing leaks, and (f) repairs have been madeWastage will be determined as indicated in Rule An adjustment will be given only after the Customer has corrected the condition causing the leak to the Utility’s satisfactionAs set forth in Rule 6.3.1, the Utility may disconnect service to the Customer after notice as provided in Rule 6.4, for the failure to repair any leaks in the Customer’s water pipes, in the Service Pipes or appurtenances between the Public Right-of-Way or Easement in which the Main is located and the Meter, or in any private fire system or unmetered facilities RULE METERS Ownership and Size of Meter and PitAll Meters shall be owned, installed, removed and maintained by the UtilityThe Utility shall determine the kind and size of Meter to be used in connection with any Service PipeExcept as provided in Rule 7.3, all Meter pits, Meter pit covers and other materials comprising the Meter pit facilities shall be purchased, owned, installed, removed, and maintained in a safe manner by the Customer

I have reviewed the account and found the service should have been taken out of Ms*** name on 10/7/and was completed on 10/12/15. I have provided a service recovery for the final bill of $bringing the balance to zero due
I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to
resolve this situation
Sincerely,
***

The customer’s service was disconnect on September 26thShe contacted our office to indicate that two separate payments were made and confirmation numbers were providedCitizens verified that neither payment was received and the confirmation numbers weren’t for a Citizens paymentThe customer
indicated that they payments weren’t deducted from her bank accountThe customer made a payment of $to restore the serviceThe representative she spoke with advised that service would be restore the following dayThe representative didn’t make it clear to the customer that she needed to call Citizens back with the confirmation number in order to restore the serviceThe customer called the following day to find out when the service would be restoredWe found that an order hadn’t been issued due to not hearing back from the customerAn order was created and the services were restoredA payment of $was made by the customer; however, she entered the banking information incorrectly causing the payment to be returned as an insufficient itemShe has since made another payment and it has posted to her accountDue to the initial misunderstanding, Citizens has removed the deposit of $from the customer’s account

I left a message for *** *** to contact me concerning the charges for *** * *** *** The service was placed into *** *** name at *** * *** ** on November 21, 2015. The account was charged a deposit of $200. A balance of $was transferred from *** *** Dr and a
balance of $was transferred from *** * *** *** ** *** * *** *** *** *** paid $on November to begin service and the check was returned indicating "not authorized".
The account billed on December 15, with current charges of $($deposit + $return check fee + $current charges) and transfer charges of $for a total due of $938.66. *** *** made a payment of $on January 5, and the check was returned for insufficient funds. The account was charged an additional $return check fee. The total balance due is now $949.66. A letter was mailed to *** *** on January 8, indicating the returned check would need to be paid in guaranteed funds or services could be discontinued within days. All services are active at this time. An associate agreed on January 13, to accept $in guaranteed funds to set up arrangements
Sincerely,
Randy

We spoke with the customer on May 15th and explained the requirements to have the service restore. We didn't have a deposit on file for the customer and based on the account payment history it was required to pay a deposit. The customer refused to pay the deposit and the call was
escalated to a supervisor.
The supervisor they spoke with agreed to bill the deposit for the customer and not require it to be paid up front. We also advised the customer that if they needed help paying the deposit to call us back once they received their next bill and we would work with them on setting up a payment arrangement. The bill was paid and the services were restored on May 19th

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.
Regards,
Randall ***

We have tried to reach Ms*** but have been unable to speak with her We are removing this debt from the collection agency and have temporarily set up payment arrangements of $biweekly based on the customers payment history We have left a contact number for Ms*** to
contact us and also noted the account.Sincerely,Randy

Citizens Energy Group has been unable to access the customer’s water meter and requested access to correct the condition from the customerWe visited the property on January 25th and installed a new meter and remote reading device, so that we no longer need regular physical access to read the
meterWe are now able to read the meter remotelyWhen the new water meter was installed the technician identified a leak at the turn off valve on the meter and it was noted that there was black tape around the turn off valveThis leak is before the meter and isn’t registering on the meter and causing unaccounted for waterThe service line and appurtenances at the property belong to the customer and it should be able to withstand a meter changePer our Terms and Conditions, the customer is responsible for any repairs needed to the service pipes and appurtenances that serve the propertyBelow is an excerpt from Rules and that references the current situationRULE UTILITY’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR SERVICE Liability for DamageThe Utility shall not be liable for damages of any kind or character for any deficiency in pressure, for failure of water supply, for bursting or breaking of any Mains, services, Service Pipes, stops, valves or fixtures, wherever located, for any deficiency in any attachment to Mains, services, service branches or any other facilities used by the Utility, or for any other interruption of water supply caused by breaking of machinery, stopping for repairs or for any reason or occurrence beyond the reasonable control of the UtilityThe Utility shall not be responsible for damage caused by change in water quality that may be occasioned by cleaning of pipes, reservoirs or standpipes, or the opening or closing of any gate values or hydrants or any other cause when the same is not due to lack of reasonable care on the part of the UtilityRULE SERVICE PIPES AND OTHER FACILITIES Maintenance of Service PipesThe Utility will maintain, repair or replace the portion of the Service Pipe and appurtenances between the Main and the Public Right-of-Way line made necessary by leaksThe Customer will maintain, repair or replace the portion of the Service Pipe, and appurtenances from the Public Right-of-Way line to the PremisesA portion of the rules also indicate that the meter shall at all times be accessible for reading, inspection and removal for testingSince there is a leak that is causing unaccounted for water, a letter was sent to the customer on January 26thThis letter gives the customer 30-days to make the necessary repairs to the turn off valveOnce the repairs are complete, Citizens Energy Group will be required to inspect the repair and will need access to the meterFailure to make the repairs could result in disconnection of the water service at the main connectionShould the customer require additional time to make the necessary repairs, he may do so by contacting Customer Service at

Citizens verified the August reading and confirmed it was an accurate readingMeters can be misread and in this case it appears the meter was under read with the May readingThe meter dials are similar to the odometer on your car and the last dial can stop at a point where it should have rounded
up to the next dial based on the customers usage at the timeIt appears the previous meter reader under reported the reading/usage on the May 31st reading and it wasn’t discovered until the meter was read in AugustWe apologize for the error and for the confusion this may have causedAs a courtesy Citizens Energy Group has processed a $credit to the account to offset the original under reading of the meter

The customer contacted our office regarding a leak adjustment and mentioned the services should have been turned off when he sold the property in March. The customer confirmed the services were turned off by his contractor/plumber, but no one contacted Citizens to stop the account. Per
the customer's request, Citizens initiation a turn off as of May 1st. When Citizens visited the property to obtain a final reading, we were unable to locate the meters due to the height of the grass (over a foot tall) and shrubsWithout a reading, the account will remain in an active status and incur monthly charges
Per our Terms and Conditions, it is the customer of record responsibility to ensure Citizens has clear, safe, and easy access to the meters at the property. Citizens was able to gain access to the meters on 6/6/and we did obtain final readings from the meters and the customer received a final bill for $30.89. Given the circumstances, Citizens will remove the $as a one-time courtesy

In reviewing the customer complaint, we have found that the glass on the meter was defacedGround water and time can cause the glass to become cloudy and difficult to read. The meter readers note the account and when there are consecutive notes, an order is issued to replace the
meter. In the case of Ms***'s meter, the first estimate was in October, then in November and again in DecemberThe meter was then changed on December 26thAn accurate read from the meter was obtained and the account was corrected and we billed the customer for the usage that was not captured in the estimated reads. Customers are generally not informed of the need to change a meter as it is intended to be a seamless process for the customer. A new alert system is going into place in the next couple of months to notify customers of these types of issues. In the past it has been the bill that served as the notification of estimates, adjustments and meter changesThe process worked as designed over the month period. The estimates were on the low end of usage causing a higher than bill. A flexible payment arrangement is available to assist in covering these charges I do show that the supervisor that spoke with the customer offered a $credit, that was declined by the Ms***. The charges on the account are solely for water that was used by the customer and billed within months of passing through the meter