Kelly Scott Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

The read obtained on December 6, 2016 is correct.  After further review, the reads obtained on September 6, 2016 October 5, 2016 and November 3, 2016 were incorrectly read.  The usage evened out for the read on December 6, 2016.  The meter was tested on December 19, 2016 and the...

results were mailed to you on December 23, 2016.  The meter results came back at 99.96% full load and 99.70% light load.Your current balance is $503.40 due December 29, 2016.  The next time we read your meter is on January 9, 2017.

Duke Energy would like to apologize for the inconvenience. After a thorough investigation, we are confident in the decision to deny the customer’s claim. No evidence was ever provided by the claimant regarding the damage and her account of the events do not match the work that was performed near the...

residence. The GPS reports on the equipment and the crew’s statement of the events also do not match what the claimant has stated.   We do not find that Duke Energy or [redacted] can be held liable or negligent for the damage.

Duke Energy contacted this customer and tried to discuss the billing, however the customer was not open to have a long conversation regarding the bills or usage history.  Duke Energy has attached a copy of the usage history for the last two years.   The meter has not been estimated...

and the particular bill that the customer is referring to as a large increase is the January 12, 2017 bill statement, which was for 34 days of service from December 9, 2016 through January 12, 2017.  During that time period, colder temperatures were recorded in the customer’s area of below 25 degrees for 12 days during that billing cycle.   The cold weather that occurred during that time can certainly contribute to a higher bill, in addition to other factors, such as how many people are in the home, what appliances are used and what temperature the thermostat is controlled at in the home.  The conversation between the customer and Duke Energy did not speak of those items, as the customer requested to not speak with the Duke Energy representative any further.  Upon reviewing the account, Duke Energy has determined that no billing errors have occurred, no adjustments will be made to the customer’s account.

RE: [redacted]. Fixed Bill Program Mr. [redacted] enrolled in Duke Energy's Fixed Bill program in August of 2007. Please review the Terms of Service for this program: The term of the Service Agreement will be for twelve (12) months. Each year, before the 12-month Fixed Bill period is over, a new...

Fixed Bill amount for the following year will be calculated and the customer will be notified of the new contractual amount. The customer must then authorize renewal in the program via Web, Phone or Business Reply Card. After the customer has completed two consecutive years in the program, Service Agreements will automatically renew at the new fixed Bill amount for the following year, unless the customer notifies the Company otherwise. Up until the 10/2/15 meter reading date the Fixed Bill installment amount was $160.22. The new contractual amount adjusted to $212.76 at the 11/2/15 meter reading date. Duke Energy’s Indiana customer accounts include a state tax.  The $171.44 Fixed Bill due 10/27/15 included a $160.22 Fixed Bill installment and a $11.22 state tax ($160.22 + $11.22 = $171.44). The $403.90 Fixed Bill due 11/25/15 included a past due amount of $176.25 and a current Fixed Bill charge of $227.65. ($176.25 + $227.65= $403.90). The bill due 10/27/15 had not been paid prior to the next bill generating at the 11/2/15 meter reading date. As a result the bill due 11/25/15 included a past due amount which also includes a $4.81 late charge. On 12/3/15 our representative spoke with Mr. [redacted] regarding an application for new service. He stated he has recently closed on a new home at a different address. I monitored the phone call and Mr. [redacted] did not request to be removed from the Fixed Bill Program from his previous address. He also did not request the service disconnected at the previous address. He did however request to become enrolled in Duke Energy’s Budget Billing Program at the new location at which time there was discussion regarding his other account being on the Fixed Bill program. He did not request to be removed from the program at that time. Our records indicate Mr. [redacted] notified the company on 3/24/16 that he wanted his account to be removed from the Fixed Bill program. The Fixed Bill installment amount had adjusted at the 11/2/15 meter reading date and the account was only 5 months into the 12 month service agreement requirement when we received a removal notification.  A decision was made to waive the $50.00 early cancellation fee. Please review the Customer Voluntary Removal agreement below: Customer Voluntary Removal. If customer chooses to leave the Fixed Bill Program prior to the end of the 12-month Service Agreement period, customer will be removed from the Fixed Bill Program, and Applicable Removal Charge will apply. After the end of the Service Agreement period, eligible customers may choose to enter into another 12-month Fixed Bill Service Agreement, or return to Standard Residential Tariff. In either event, no Applicable Removal Charges will apply Please let me know if I can provide any additional information. A. J[redacted] Consumer Affairs Duke Energy 513-287-2072

Duke
Energy has a policy that requires a security deposit from customers if services
are subject to disconnection.  This commercial
account has been subject to disconnection 2 times in the past 12 months.  Duke
Energy will not be waiving or reducing the security deposit. The total...

account
balance of $471.72 was due October 16, 2015. To prevent future disconnect
notices, the account balance must be paid in full by the due date each
month.  We
will credit your paid deposit, plus any interest earned, to your bill upon
satisfactory payments for a period of 24 months.  This is provided that there are no more than 3
late payments in 12 months.  If
you choose to discontinue your service before the deposit has been credited, it
will be applied to your final bill.  Any
remaining credits would be sent as a refund check or will be transferred to
another active account in the same business name. A
Surety Bond from your insurance company would also be accepted to waive the
security deposit. This is purchased by the customer from a surety company in
the amount of the deposit requested by Duke Energy. The bond binds the surety company
and the customer to Duke Energy. In the event of a payment default by the
customer, Duke Energy can make demand from the surety company for payment of
the bond. Duke Energy
may also accept an Irrevocable Letter of Credit. The customer would request this
letter from a bank and the bank guarantees the deposit amount will be available
to Duke Energy if the customer’s account warrants a deposit be charged in the
future.  Irrevocable Letters of
Credit will be accepted if issued by a bank. Letters from credit unions
and other financial institutions are not accepted.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The inspection was not waived. Yes my meter was reinstalled in 10/13 after Duke Energy received the inspection from the co office. I was told multiple times that the meter would be reinstalled as an emergency once the inspection was received but had to call to get the meter installed on that day. When this began I was promised a phone call from 2 different supervisors to discuss my concerns about how I was treated and how this has handled and to this day I have still not received those calls.  Because of this error on their end I had to find the money to replace the meter box and replace all of the groceries that I lost in my refrigerator and freezer.  
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
[redacted]

RE: [redacted] Good day,I have attached billing documents to show the bill due 2/13/17 was a result of a payment plan arrangement between Mr. [redacted] and Duke Energy. On 1/18/17 Mr. [redacted] agreed to pay a $64.00 installment towards his existing balance in addition to the current charges...

and taxes for 4 consecutive months in order to become current on his account. The amount due of $451.19 includes- $64.00 installment plus current charge- $361.86 and-$25.33 tax charge. A payment was not made towards the amount due causing the payment plan to default. The last payment that posted on the account was in the amount of $100.00 on 1/19/17. Each subsequent bill did include a disconnection notice. The service was disconnected for non-payment on 3/23/17 and a final bill generated on 3/28/17. Prior to the disconnection of his service Mr. [redacted] did contact the office with questions about his payment plan. He was advised to contact “211” in order to apply for financial assistance. He was also informed he had the option of utilizing a Medical Certification to avoid disconnection of services. A medical certificate prevents disconnection if a physician (or individuals with a medical title; i.e. RN, LPN, etc.)  Public health official, or licensed social worker determines a patient needs electricity due to their medical condition by extending the disconnect date for ten business days. The postponement of disconnection shall be continued for one additional ten (10) business day’s period upon the provision of an additional such medical statement. However a medical certificate cannot be used to restore service that has been disconnected for non-payment of the bill. A customer may use two Medical Certificates in a rolling 12 month period.I have left a message for Mr. [redacted] to contact me to discuss some options he may have in order to restore his service.  Please let me know if you need any additional information. J[redacted]Consumer Affairs SpecialistDuke Energy513-287-2072

Duke Energy spoke to the customer and the customer confirmed that he has two bills in the same envelope.  He had overlooked the second bill when he was reviewing the billing statement.   The customer was advised to contact Duke Energy again if he had any further concerns or if he does...

not receive the bill again.

Duke Energy has investigated the customer’s concerns. Two of
our supervisors in the field have contacted the customer and spoken with him.
They reviewed each of the outages and the causes for each with him. We advised
that we do have procedures in place to mitigate wildlife issues and that we...

addressing
those needs in the area. Two of his recent outages were cause by wildlife, one
was due to storms in the area, and the 4th outage is still being
looked into to determine the cause.

The security deposit of $160.00 has been placed on a three month payment plan for $54.00 a month in additon to the monthly bill charge.  Currently a balance of $227.59 is due July 10, 2015.  The first payment of $54.00 will be due with the next bill that generates after July 17, 2015.  The $227.59 balance are electric charges from May 16th through June 11, 2015.  The account is currently not scheduled for disconnection.  If the $227.59 is not paid by July 10th, the account will be eligible for disconnection with the next bill after July 17, 2015.

RE: [redacted]Duke Energy has confirmed there is an issue with the account number assigned to [redacted]s account when making an electronic Payment through Western Union's Speed Pay option. We are also aware that the same issue may be occurring when she tries to make a payment at Pay Agents that...

accept Duke Energy Payments. Duke Energy's I T team is working to resolve this issue.I have spoken to [redacted] and notified her we are working towards a solution. I have also placed a suspend on her account to prevent any type of disconnection notices from generating on her account while we continue to investigate and identify what is preventing her to make electronic payments on her account. I will provide the customer with an update once this issue has been resolved.If your need any additional information please let me know. My contact information is listed below.A. J[redacted]Consumer AffairsDuke Energy513.287.2072

RE: [redacted]       Refund Check  The refund check originally generated on 7/11/16. In August Ms. [redacted] notified the company she has not received the check. A  Stop Payment was processed on the original check and the check was reissued. The...

mailing address was also updated. The refund check was mailed on 9/13/16. To date Ms. [redacted] still has not received her refund check. On 10/28/16 a stop payment was placed on that check and another check has been reissued. Our representative mailed the check to the Treasury Dept. for a signature. Arrangements have been made to mail the check directly to Ms. [redacted] after it has been signed. I have spoken to Ms. [redacted] and made her aware we are working to resolve this issue.  If you need any additional information please let me know. My contact information is listed below. A J[redacted] Consumer Affairs SpecialistDuke Energy513-287-2072

Duke Energy investigated the customer's concerns and found that he was setup for service at an incorrect address.  Once he contacted Duke Energy to have the account corrected,  charges were already billed in the amount of $245.99, which he is not responsible for.  Duke Energy...

spoke with the customer and informed him that the charges have been removed and he is not responsible for the account that he never lived at.  Duke Energy apologizes for the error and the inconvenience this has caused the customer.

We apologize for the inconvenience. When the technician went out and reconnected the meter base to the house and restored the power, he was sent on an emergency ticket. The account showed that the service was still off for non-payment. When the meter reader went out for the meter reading on 10/1...

and noted there was usage on a meter that showed should have been disconnected, an order was generated to check for tampering. Because there appeared to be unauthorized usage, the meter was pulled.   At this time, we have issued an order to have the meter reinstalled. We have contacted our dispatch and asked that they try to get someone out today, however it can take up to 3 business days to reinstall the meter. We will not be charging the customer a reconnection fee. Again we apologize for the inconvenience. Tell us why here...

We reviewed the account for the customer. He has had service at this location since March 2016. We changed the meter to a smart meter in October 2016. The customer’s usage started to increase in November, but the largest consumption was in December. On the days that were cold, his usage was the...

highest. For instance, December 19th, he used 380 kWh and the temperature was a high of 23 degrees and the low was 13 degrees. On days when it was warmer, his usage was lower, for instance on December 26th, he used 50 kWh and the high temperature was 71 degrees and the low was 50 degrees. The customer has an online account where he can log in and see his daily usage.   The customer’s usage is comparable to the previous customer’s winter usage at this location. The usage has increased due to the colder weather. The customer’s usage has decreased slightly since the weather has been warmer.   The customer has been set up on a payment agreement and budget billing.

RE: Duke Energy Account        [redacted]        Payment: $429.49 Revdex.com CASE: [redacted].      Dear Sir/Madam:   On 5/24/17 the service at Mr. Plummer’s residence was disconnected for non-payment. A representative of...

a support agency called requesting information on the amount needed to restore the service. Our representative informed the agent that the amount to restore the service was $429.49.Our records show on 5/28/17 a payment totaling $429.49 was made via the Speedpay electronic payment system. On 6/2/17 the payment was returned to the company by the bank noting: “Account not found”.   Speedpay is a customer driven automated electronic payment system. The individual conducting the payment transaction would need to have knowledge of the Duke Energy account to which the payment is to be applied. A review of the Speedpay record indicates an inaccurate checking account number was entered into the system. The Speedpay system is not capable of discerning if a checking account number is accurate or not. Once the individual making the payment has submitted the required information the payment post to the Duke Energy account. The payment is then forwarded to the bank to be reconciled. In this case the payment was not reconciled because the bank was unable to match the checking account number provided to a checking account in their system.   Duke Energy does not impose payment constraints on individuals or the agency’s that are in place to support our customers. It is quite possible that the customer did not physically conduct the Speedpay transaction; however the customer may have been aware that an agency was going to make a payment on their behalf to restore their service. I have left a message for our customer to contact me in order to address any other concerns they may have.   Please let know if I can be of further assistance. My contact information is listed below.     A.J[redacted] Duke Energy Consumer Affairs Specialist 513-287-2072

RE: Mr. [redacted] Our records indicate the electric service was disconnected due to non-payment on 10/06/16. A disconnection notice was printed on the bill document that generated on 9/13/16. Indiana regulatory requirements do not obligate the company to enclose a separate non-payment...

disconnection with the bill or deliver a non-pay disconnection notice to the premise prior to the disconnection of service.  Our records indicate the customer made an electronic payment over the phone of $202.48 on 10/6/16. We received a call notifying the company the service had been disconnected and at 10:45 a.m. the service was restored. It appears the service was disconnected for non-payment at around the same time the electronic payment was made.  There is no record to show the customer contacted the company prior to disconnection to discuss payment arrangements. The claim was denied based on the service being disconnected prior to the payment posting as stated in the customer’s summation of the events that occurred. I plan to follow up with our Claims Department to investigate Mr. [redacted]’s allegation that the Sedgwick representative spoke to him in an unprofessional manner. Duke Energy offers payment plan options and energy efficiency strategies that assist in managing the monthly usage. The bill that included the disconnection notice generated on 9/13/16, a full 3 weeks prior to an actual disconnection of service. I have left a message for Mr. [redacted] to contact. I would like the opportunity to address any additional concerns he may want to discuss. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.   A. J[redacted] Duke Energy Consumer Affairs Specialist 513.287.2072

RE: [redacted] Revdex.com # [redacted]     The electric meter at this property was installed prior to 2003. At that time Duke Energy was installing 4 dial meters for most residential homes in the Indiana area. This type of meter is only capable of registering 1/40 of what the customer has actually...

used. For every 40 amps of service this customer uses the meter will only register 1 amp. For accurate billing purposes a formula is used that includes multiplying the monthly usage by 40. I have attached a copy of the current bill due 1/24/17 for review.  The bill will show between the meter reading dates of 11/28/16 (9560) – 12/29/16 (9564) the difference in the meter reading is 4. The usage appears to insinuate the customer only used 4 KWH with a 31 day period. Further review of page 2 of the current bill will show a multiplier of 40 was used to calculate the usage. The result indicates the customer used 160 KWH during the 31 day period= (4 X 40= 160KWH). These results are also shown on page 2 of the current bill. There have been times when we have estimated a meter reading due to non-access of the meter. The meter reader has indicated a gate padlocked on multiple occasions.  We have generated orders to read the meter in between scheduled monthly meter readings to confirm that the meter readings are in line. I have scheduled a meter test for today to confirm that the meter is not defective. I have spoken with Ms. [redacted] regarding her concerns. I plan to follow up with her with the results of the meter test once this information becomes available. Ms. [redacted] also has the option to enroll in a Duke Energy payment plan. Please let me know if any additional information is required. My contact number is listed below.   A  J[redacted] Duke Energy Consumer Affairs Specialist 513-287-2072

Duke Energy has a policy that requires a security deposit from customers if services are subject to disconnection.  This particular account has been subject to disconnection 6 times in the past 12 months.  The payment history of the account justifies having a paid security deposit on...

file.     The charges for electric service are reasonable and just as required by I.C. 8-1-2-4 and have been approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (“IURC”).  Furthermore, Duke Energy is authorized to charge a security deposit as allowed by the IURC in its approved Tariff and the Indiana Administrative Code, 170 IAC 4-1-15(e) (copy attached).   Duke Energy will not be waiving or reducing the security deposit. The total account balance of $1,037.07 is due March 2, 2017. We must receive your minimum payment of $419.08 prior to March 3, 2017 to avoid disconnection of service.  To prevent future disconnect notices, the account balance must be paid in full by the due date each month.  The customer may contact our Customer Service Department by calling 1-800-521-2232 to setup payment arrangements on the balance if needed.   We will credit your paid deposit, plus any interest earned, to your bill upon satisfactory payments for a period of either nine consecutive months or any nine out of twelve consecutive months. This is provided that there are no late payments for any two consecutive months.      If you choose to discontinue your service before the deposit has been credited, it will be applied to your final bill.  Any remaining credits would be sent as a refund check or will be transferred to another active account in your name if possible.

The customer did receive a larger bill in August, but that is due to the fact that the meter was under read in July, which resulted in a much lower bill for July. In July she was only billed for 588 kWh but compared to the year before she used 1,248 kWh. The higher usage in August was catching up...

what she had used, but not been billed for. The customer is already on a payment agreement and owes $452.02 9/21/17. We apologize for the inconvenience.