Mountaineer Gas

MGC's Credit and Collections Manager called the customer of record on April 29, 2016, to explain how [redacted] the automated collections system works The Credit and Collections Manager also offered to place the MGC account on the bill extender option, which grants a customer an additional days to make their payment beyond the scheduled due date If the payment is made within the day extension, this will alleviate the collections callPlease advise if further discussion is needed, or if the issue has been resolvedRegards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

On November 30, 2015, Ms [redacted] contacted MGC to discontinue gas service at [redacted] ** An order was placed to discontinue the gas service with a scheduled date of December 10, A recording of the call was pulled, which confirmed that the Customer Service Representative did inform the complainant of the need to provide access to the inside meter The complainant requested that the order be scheduled for PM hours on December 10, 2015, and also requested that the Service Technician call before goingOn December 10, 2015, the Service Technician contacted the complainant per her request, at which time she requested to reschedule the appointment until December 14, 2015, at 9:AM On December 14, 2015, the Service Technician arrived at the location and no one was there The Service Technician then attempted to contact the complainant at the telephone number provided and there was no answer A knob card was left at the residence with MGC contact information MGC was not contacted further, therefore, the service order was cancelled The complainant did not call back regarding discontinuance of service for the address in question The mailing address was updated to reflect the complainants new address, therefore, the bills from the previous was mailed to the current address The bill was not paid in full at the old addressIf access would have been provided on the rescheduled date of December 14, 2015, per the complainant's request, there would have been an outstanding account balance owing of $Since access was not provided to finalize the account in the complainants name, the balance continued to increase until the gas service was terminated for nonpayment on April 14, 2016, resulting in a transferred balance of $to the current location The complainant may want to follow up with the property owner to inquire as to whether he/she will reimburse her for the gas service provided Since April 14, 2016, payments have been returned by the bank on the following dates, which consequently resulted in termination of gas service On April 14, 2016, a payment of $227.88, May 31, 2016, a payment of $421.00, June 13, 2016, $523.11, July 25, 2016, $540.00, July 27, 2016, $1,138.39, August 1, 2016, $352.00, August 29, 2016, $606.07, and August 31, 2016, $ As a result of the returned payments, all payments made on this account for the next months, will need to be made at an authorized payment location with certified funds (cash, cashier's check or money order)Service will not be guaranteed with payments made via any other source An appointment was scheduled by the complainant to provide access to the gas meter for a final reading and disconnection of gas service in her name, however she did not show up and never followed up with the Company to make other arrangements which resulted in continuance of service.Mountaineer Gas denies any wrong doings or violation of the laws of the State of West Virginia governing said public utility businessRegards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

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 called and gave you notice to transfer my service, and the recorded phone calls will prove thatIrregardless of whether you got a final reading, service should have been disconnected, not left on for months with no payment or no calls saying to leave service onI have a written statement from my landlord saying I moved out in November, a written statement from the tenant after me stating that when she moved in to the house in April gas was still on and had it transferred into her nameI'm familiar with the laws, I'm familiar with the bylaws and you cannot leave service on in someone's name at a residence they don't live in or ownYou should have disconnected service and you know thatYou left that service on with no payment for months but shut mine off over this disputed bill and late paymentKeep trying to justify your mistake, and I will add distress and multiple other claims to my law suit! Regards, [redacted]

On February 10, 2015, with an account balance owing of $305.21, a 6-month payment agreement was accepted by the customer to pay $50.87, in addition to the current bill beginning with the March payment The agreement resulted in default and subsequently termination of gas service on June 25, A final bill in the amount of $was mailed on June 26, A payment of $was made on July 9, 2015, and another payment in the amount of $resulting in a credit balance of $(26.40).Per [redacted] s and the Rules and Regulations of the [redacted] , Rule 4.2.1, states that a utility may require an applicant or customer to make a deposit as a guarantee for the payment of gas used Such deposit shall not be more than 1/12th of the annual estimated charge for residential service to secure the utility from loss The utility shall not be bound to supply gas until these conditions are fulfilled and it may cut off the supply if the guarantee is not given when required After the customer has paid bills for service for twelve consecutive months without a delinquency, the utility shall promptly and automatically refund the deposit plus the accrued interest.In order for the gas service to be restored, a $reconnect fee is required in addition to a $security deposit The $reconnect fee can be deducted from the $(26.40) credit, leaving a remaining credit of $(1.40), which can be applied to the security deposit [redacted] will restore the gas service with 1/of the $security deposit in the amount of $ The remaining $security deposit will be billed and due with the 1st months billing after restoral of gas service[redacted] needs to be contacted after the payment of $is made, after which, an order can be placed for restoral of gas service If the payment is made and verified before 4:00pm, an order can be sent for same day restoral If the payment is made after 4:00pm, the order can be scheduled for the next business day Someone over the age of will need to be present to provide access to the home for restoral of gas service.Regards, [redacted]

It appears that payments were made by the complainant using an account number that was not associated with the current account, but rather a Mountaineer Gas account number for an inactive account, for a deceased relative These payments actually posted to the inactive account on December 6, and January 31, The payments in question have since been transferred to the correct account If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact the Customer Service Center at [redacted] Regards, Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

Based on the Rules and Regulations of the Public Service Commission and Mountaineer Gas Tariffs, any customer desiring to have his/her service discontinued shall give at least three (3) days' notice thereof to the utility
Scheduling in advance, does provide opportunity for an appointment to
be scheduled with flexibility, as far as the need for access to be provided to inside facilities. It is a common business practice for the Customer Service Representatives to inform a customer, that if the gas meter is located inside the home, access needs to be provided to the gas meter, as the Company does need to obtain an actual reading of the gas meter itself, in order for a customer's final bill to be accurate, to safely disconnect the gas meter, turn the valve off at the gas meter, as well as verify that there are no leaks.
While technology, does allow some utilities to safely turn the gas off "remotely", turning the gas off at the curb, presents an unsafe condition, as the valves located in the ground do not always present a "clear cut", which could still allow gas to possibly enter the dwelling, therefore, MGC makes every attempt to turn the gas off at the meter for final billing purposes, and resort to curbing as a last resort and emergency situations.
A final bill has been generated for $10.64, this is the customer service charge for gas service provided from September 3, - October 2,
MGC apologizes for any inconvenience this issue has caused; however, safety is of utmost concern, when it involves our customers, employees, communities and the environment
Regards,
Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

MGC received a call on December 3, 2015, requesting connection of gas service for December 4, 2015. The $security deposit was billed and due with the 1st month's billing after connection of gas service. MGC has no record of payment or further
documentation for incoming calls
regarding this account until March 15, 2016.
The $security deposit was billed, the account billed $on January 11, 2016, increasing the account balance owed to $including the security deposit. The account billed $on February 9, 2016, for gas service provided from January 5,
2016, to February 4, 2016, arriving at an account balance owing of $266.82. The account billed on March 2, 2016, based on an estimated reading and a billed amount of $67.82, for a total estimated account balance owing of $334.64.
Per the Rules and Regulations of the *** *** *** and MGC Tariffs, Rule 4.7.1, Any customer desiring to have his/her service discontinued shall give at least three (3) day's notice thereof to the utility unless a longer or shorter period shall be
incorporated in any standard or special contract mutually agreed upon. Until the utility shall have such notice, the customer may be held responsible for all service rendered.
An order has been generated for the Service Technician to obtain a final meter reading for the account on March 16, 2016. Once the reading of the meter is taken, a final bill will be mailed based on that read
Regards,
Mountaineer Gas Corporate OFfice

A final bill was issued on February 5th, 2016, in your name for a previous location, with a due date of February 25, 2016, in the amount of $292.67. No payments have been made on the final bill, which resulted in the outstanding balance being transferred to your active
account. A past due balance of $is outstanding, a current bill of $is due on April 27, 2016, and a total actual account balance of $is owed. MGC will offer an agreement for you to pay 1/6th of the past due balance in the amount of $86.00, in addition to the current bill of $by April 27, for a total payment of $174.78. MGC needs to be contacted immediately after the payment is made with receipt information for payment verification. Upon confirmation of payment, the remainingaccount balance owing can then be set on a 5-month agreement of approximately $in addition to the current bill for months.Failure to contact the Company as requested and pay per the terms of the agreement will result in further collection activity up to and including possible termination of gas service.Regards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

MGC apologizes for the inconvenience that you have experiencedDue to the colder temperatures, the Company is experiencing higher call volumes and longer wait times.The Company will be closed on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day, therefore, the next available appointment will be
Monday, November 13. The order will be worked by the end of the business day, Monday, November 13.Again, MGC apologizes for the inconvenience.Thanks,MGC Corporate Office

No payments have been made on the account since March 29, 2016. A termination notice was mailed on May 17, 2016, for a delinquent amount of $196.26, for termination on or after May 23, The Service Technician states that when he made personal contact on June 1, 2016, the complainant
was advised to contact the Customer Service Center to provide the information that was presented to him. If the material could be verified, the account would be routed out of collections. The Service Technician followed up with a phone call on June 2, 2016, to the Customer Service Center, at which time he was informed that there was no documentation to reflect that the complainant had called the Customer Service Center as instructed, which resulted in termination of the gas service.As stated prior, no payments have posted to the account since March 29, 2016. The complainant was contacted by a MGC Representative today, June 3, 2016. An offer was made for the Company to contact the agency regarding the status of the payment on behalf of the complainant, however the complainant declined. The gas service cannot be restored at this time, without the payment and/or pledge as discussed per the telephone conversation. Please feel free to contact MGC with any further questions or concerns. Regards,MGC Corporate Office

On January 6, 2016, the account is documented, "GAVE FERC APPLICATION FOR CHESAPEAKE LINE 12/20/15". This documentation may have been miscommunicated, as the FERC application could have been given to the customer, or the FERC application could have been given to someone
else. However, MGC apologizes for the miscommunication. The Engineering Analyst has been contacted. He states that he never received the application. Per our conversation today, March 30, 2016, please return your application to me, at the confirmed address. Upon receipt, I will contact you to let you know that your application has been received and we will proceed forward with the approval process. If you have any questions during this time, please feel free to contact me at the number that I provided to you. I apologize for any delays or inconveniences that you may have experienced. Regards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

Per our conversation, an actual reading of the meter was obtained. Your account will be pulled from the Collection Agency and I apologize for the lack of communication regarding your account. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or
concerns. Thanks,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

MGC records indicate that the service at this location has been active since March 2015. The records reflect that you did contact the Company on June 10, 2016, requesting to have the gas service transferred to your name with an effective date of July 1, 2016, which is the same date the
previous customer of record requested to have the gas service taken out of her name. Based on this information, the gas service would have remained active, as there would have not been any interruption of gas service. An investigate service order was generated today, for a Service Technician to come to your home to verify that the pilot lights are on, as the only reason that you wouldn't have service is if for some reason, the pilot lights would have gone out. MGC apologizes for any inconvenience that you may have experienced during this time, however, we do recommend that anytime there is a problem with your gas service that you do contact the Company immediately. Regards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

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. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complai** ** ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The gas company should remediate the issue or offer it as a service to the end userAsking the renter to have the landlord call to resolve then not giving the landlord information on how to resolve or who to call is bad practiceI shouldn’t have to make a complaint to the Revdex.com to get a resolution to the issueLeaving a home without gas service when minor children are present is unethicalIt’s your meter, fix the wire
Regards,
*** ***

There are no records to document that the complainant contacted MGC to request disconnection of gas service for April 5, 2017. The last documented conversation with the complainant was on March 2, 2017, at which time a payment was confirmed, and another payment was made to bring the
account current. On April 20, 2017, the current customer of record contacted the Company requesting to have the gas service connected with an effective date of May 1, 2017. Per the Rules and Regulations of the Public Service Commission, Rule 4.7.1, states that any customer desiring to have his/her service discontinued shall give at least days notice...until the utility shall have such notice, the customer may be held responsible for all service rendered. A final bill was mailed on May 4, 2017, with a final account balance owing of $28.46. The bill was mailed to the service address, as MGC has not been provided with any other mailing information.Once the payment of $is made, the account will have a zero balance.Please advise if further information is needed.Regards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

The mission of Mountaineer Gas is about providing safe, reliable natural gas services for the benefit of our customers, employees, investors, communities and the environment, as your safety is our concern. There are rules/guidelines in place that must be adhered to. It is the customer's responsibility to make repairs from the property line to the gas meter, and from the outlet side of the meter to the appliances.The rules that are in place are set to reduce the chances of a natural gas leak or fireMGC stands firm in our commitment to safety to all.Regards,MGC Corporate Office

The NFPA, (National Fire Protection Association) 54, has introduced mandatory requirements that when CSST pipe is used in a natural gas piping system, it must be effectively bonded and grounded to the electrical system grounding electrode.MGC apologizes for the inconvenience, however, the...

Company is bound to the guidelines as stated.  If the gas service is interrupted for any reason, all requirements must be brought up to code, before the gas service will be reconnected or restored. Regards,Mountaineer Gas Corporate Office

A termination notice was mailed on April 3, 2018, for a delinquent amount of $334.14, for termination on or after April 13, 2018. The gas service was terminated on April 24, 2018.  The termination notice informs a customer that if the gas service is terminated, they may be required to pay...

additional charges involving reconnect fees and deposit requirements in order to restore gas service.When a customer's service is disconnected for non-payment, the amount quoted is time-sensitive, in that if the payment for restoral is made after the account has closed, then the security deposit previously held on the customer's account is applied back to the account with the applicable interest.  If the security deposit is applied back to the account, this will create a need for the customer to pay another security deposit before the gas service is restored, based on the annual estimated charge for gas used at the premise in question for the last 12 months.A past due balance of $355.52 is outstanding, a current bill of $90.40, is due by May 15, and a total actual account balance of $445.92 is owed.  MGC will offer an agreement to restore the gas service with 1/2 of the account balance owing in the amount of $222.96 on the bill, a $65.00 security deposit, and a $25.00 reconnect fee for a total verifiable payment of $312.96.Once the gas service is restored, MGC will offer a 5 month agreement on the remaining account balance owing of $132.56, beginning with the 1st month's billing after reconnection.

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]