Nationwide Energy Partners, LLC

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our productsAs a condition of service with the properties NEP partners with, we always match the rates of the local host utility providers for both electricity and waterIn other words, you will never pay more for usage than a rate equal to or lower than your local host utilityThe resident’s apartment is a two bedroom, two bathroom unit that measures square feetThe average water & sewer charge for this unit is $and the average electricity charge is $Upon review of the account, NEP did observe an increase in usage during the winter monthsElectrical usage is the largest cost reflected on Ms [redacted] ’s billsIn particular, monthly electricity usage at this unit tripled from October to JanuaryWhile recent weather has been warmer, average temperatures have been significantly cooler than the fall monthsThe average temperature in December was degrees fahrenheit while the average temperature in January was degrees fahrenheitReviewing the data, Ms [redacted] ’s usage appears to strongly correlate with temperature fluctuations - as the temperature falls, usage increasesThis is a fairly common occurrence, as average community usage has also trended upward in similar fashion since OctoberMs [redacted] ’s usage has been within kWh of the community average for her entire time with NEPElectrical usage at the observed levels isn’t unusual at this propertyWhile NEP cannot determine what drives energy use in the home or throughout the community, this data indicates that there are common factors impacting usage as a wholeHowever, we take resident concerns very seriously and strive to be an open, transparent companyOur resident advocate has contacted the resident directly to provide additional information and answer any questions she may have

As previously stated, the average combined cost for electricity, water and common area usage services since the account’s creation in 2013 was $176.15. While recent bills, particularly those over the summer, are higher than this average other bills have fallen significantly below. Like many residential consumers, usage costs associated with this account rise during the summer months and fall during autumn and spring. NEP matches the cost of the rate structures applied by the local host utilities, however consumers of these services will find that as their usage increases their costs also go up. Unfortunately, the resident has failed to complete two payment arrangements. On August 12, with an outstanding balance of $761.08, the resident agreed to enter into a payment arrangement. A payment of $235 was to be made on August 16 with a second payment of $240.00 on August 30. While the first payment was received, the second payment was not made to the resident’s account on the agreed upon date. On September 14, with an outstanding balance of $842.43 the resident agreed to make a payment of $216.84 on September 16 with an additional payment for the same amount on September 30. As an additional gesture of good faith, NEP waived almost $100 in late payment penalties during this time. While the first payment was received, NEP did not receive a second payment on the agreed upon date. A payment was not made to the resident’s account until October 17.On October 20, NEP Resident Care Supervisor spoke directly with the resident about the status of the resident’s account and set up a new payment arrangement.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our productsAs a condition of service with the properties NEP partners with, we always match the rates of the local host utility providers for both electricity and waterIn other words, you will
never pay more for usage than a rate equal to or lower than your local host utilityAt Mr***’s particular community, the host utility for electricity is *** *** *** ***.NEP never disconnects the water of the residents it serves and NEP will never shut off water for nonpayment of services providedMr*** contacted NEP in January of this year stating a concern about his usage and requesting an explanationNEP agreed to conduct an electrical meter test at no cost to the residentOn February 1, 2016, NEP visited the propertyDuring this visit, NEP’s Field Operations Supervisor found evidence indicating that the meters at *** *** Avenue and *** * *** *** may have been crossedNEP informed the resident and agreed to further investigate the issueThe resident was later informed that, if the meters were in fact crossed, usage measured at the other residence had been significantly higher for the period that both units were occupied and that while NEP would not backbill for uncollected charges, this pattern of usage indicated higher bills may occur in the futureThe meter is the most reliable tool we have in place to measure and record daily usageNEP deploys revenue-grade meters that conform to the high standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Water Works AssociationThese are the same standards that public utilities, such as AEP, and other metering service providers use with their equipmentFailure rates with these meters are extraordinarily low and of the meters NEP has had tested, more than 99% have passedWhile there was a question about which unit each meter socket was connected to, there was no evidence that either meter was faultyOn February 23, NEP completed its investigation, finding that both meters were attached to the correct unit and that Mr*** had been billed for electricity usage from the appropriate meterAs part of the investigation, NEP created a rate analysis to compare the resident’s costs with NEP against the costs of the host utility, *** *** *** ***This document, which the resident can freely verify against AEP rates, shows that the total of charges with NEP had a difference of two cents from AEP over the course of monthsNEP also found a strong correlation between the resident’s usage and temperature patterns for that period of timeThis is expected in a unit that heats and cools using electricityAdditionally, the resident’s usage was below the average for similar units in his communityConfident that the meter was accurate and attached to the correct unit, NEP presented these findings to Mr*** as part of a report which concluded that NEP never charged the resident for another unit’s usageThat report detailed not only the entirety of actions NEP took to confirm both meters were correctly connected, but also included a rate explanation and usage analysisNEP opted to waive electric charges based on consumption for the bill cycle during which NEP conducted its investigationOver that period NEP measured kWh of usageUnder AEP’s rate structure, which NEP matches, this amounts to a credit of $that was not charged for that particular bill cycleUpon receipt of this information, the resident stated dissatisfaction with the information providedIn consideration of the resident’s concerns over accuracy, NEP offered to pay for the cost of a third party to independently verify that Mr***’s meter was attached correctly and test the meters for accuracyThat offer was made on March 2, as a component of the report NEP draftedWhen NEP offered to review these materials with the resident, Mr*** refused to meet with NEP’s Metering Manager and Resident Advocate.At the time of this response the designated point communication for Mr***’s concerns, NEP’s Resident Advocate, has had no further contact from the residentMr*** is welcome to utilize this resource if he has any further questions about this issue or the documentation NEP provided

We are unable to verify this customer to the address stated

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide on behalf of our partner property owners (i.eour “customer(s)”)As a condition of service with our customers, NEP is obligated to always match or charge less than the given
rate of the local host utility providers for both residential electricity and water usageIn other words, the rate that is applied to a resident’s water and electric usage will never be higher than that of the host utility provider.NEP is the metering and unified billing provider at the resident’s property but is not serve as a water or electric companyWater and electrical services are provided by the *** *** *** *** and *** *** *** ***, respectivelyNEP’s Resident Advocate has contacted the resident directly by phone to provided additional informationMr*** was given an explanation of the account’s most recent bill and the balance history as requested

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me I accepted that last week my concern is that it does not happen again due to health issues. Also we are moving because of that at the end of our lease in May, 2015. They are NOT regulated and are expensive and charge for everything plugged in and we are NOT home until night and not even home nowThey should have budget plans in place for their customers and I do not want our bill estimated or overestimated

NEP's Resident Advocate contacted Mr*** directlyBased on that conversation, we believe the matter has been resolved

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our productsAs a condition of service with the properties NEP serves, we always match or charge less than the given rate of the local host utility providers for both electricity and waterIn other
words, you will never pay more for usage than a rate equal to or lower than your local host utilityNEP’s Resident Advocate did review the account and confirm that charges on her bill match those that would have been applied by the host utilityThe Resident Advocate reached out to Ms*** to address her concerns directlyThe resident was given information about the rate structure at her property and clarification on NEP’s current late payment policy and payment plan optionsMs*** indicated that she was satisfied with the outcome of the call and would contact NEP’s Resident Advocate with future questions about NEP rates

Tell us NEP reached out to the designated collections agency, *** They indicated that MsZ*** account is showing paid in full and will not go to credit bureau NEP’s Resident Support Supervisor contacted MsZ*** directly to provide information about her account and answer any
questions she may have MsZ*** indicated she was satisfied after receiving our call.why here

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our servicesPer the agreement between NEP and the property owners we partner with, NEP measures individual unit consumption in the communities it serves, but does not have the power to control
consumption inside the homeResidents remain responsible for the level of usage and maintenance of items that consume electricity and water.We take resident concerns very seriously and NEP’s Resident Advocate has reached out to MrGlasgow to gather information and discuss this issue further

NEP was happy to
research ***’s account, and in speaking with *** we believe we have
addressed his concerns. Here is what we found in research his account:
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Our policy is that any inactive customer that
has a balance that is greater than days past due is eligible to move into
collectionsPrior to sending the customer to our collections agency, we send
the customer a ‘Final Notice’ communicating the need to settle their account
prior to being sent to collectionsUnfortunately in this instance we reached
out to the address on file via mail to avoid *** from being sent to collections,
but he had already moved and we did not receive a forwarding address The final notice was produced on Dec8th
and the balance was sent to our collections agency for collection on Jan12th 2015. Because a forwarding address was not provided
*** was unaware of any of the notifications that were sent out
After discussing the situation with *** we
were able to pull his negative balance back from our collections agency. *** then paid his final bill in full and
we removed any negative credit flags associated with his account and closed out
his account. *** was satisfied with
the result

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide on behalf of our partner property owners (i.eour “customer(s)”)As a condition of service with our customers, NEP is obligated to always match or charge less than the given
rate of the local host utility providers for both residential electricity and water usageIn other words, the rate that is applied to a resident’s water and electric usage should never be higher than that of the host utility provider.NEP delivers a unified bill to each resident in the community at the request of the resident’s property owner (our “customer”) that includes electricity, water, common area usage charges (referred to as “community charges” on a resident bill) and a $security deposit applied to all new billing accounts openedPrior to receiving this complaint, NEP’s Resident Care team had already provided a detailed explanation of charges to the resident and ways that the security deposit could be waived via emailAdditionally, NEP’s Resident Care Team has attempted to contacted Mr*** *** directly by phone to provide additional information

Nationwide Energy Partners performed a detailed
analysis on this customer’s account. The
analysis shows that this customer’s bill has been consistent over the past
three years with higher usage throughout the summer months which is typical due
to air conditioning usageDuring
2012, and 2014, her bills through the
high electric usage summer months have ranged between $and $150. During those same three years her bills in
the spring and fall range between $and $It is also worth noting this
customer’s average usage is below that of her community average. The consistency of these bill amounts over
the course of three years, the fact that they rise and fall with
seasonality, and the fact that her usage is below the community average would
indicate that her meter is operating properly.
Additionally, Nationwide Energy Partners matches the posted residential
tariff rates of the host electric and water utility for every community we
serve. In this case, the host utility is
*** for the electric. Accordingly, this customer is receiving the same
electric rates with Nationwide Energy Partners as she would be receiving
through *** and this has been verified using the *** rate calculator.
Nationwide Energy Partners has provided this customer with electric and
water usage reports via mail. We have
also reached out and offered to perform a meter test to confirm that is
operating correctly

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide on behalf of our partner property owners (i.eour “customer(s)”)As a condition of service with our customers, NEP is obligated to always match or charge less than the given
rate of the local host utility providers for both residential electricity and water usageIn other words, the rate that is applied to a resident’s water and electric usage will never be higher than that of the host utility provider.NEP is corresponding with the resident on this matter

We appreciate the customers concerns and have researched the account.  Fluctuations in common area usage costs are typically caused by seasonal impacts which is the case with this account, but additionally in 2013 this customer’s community decided to subsidize the cost of common area usage for...

its’ tenants which caused a dramatic drop in the overall cost of common area charges.   Our Customer Advocate spoke with the customer earlier this month, and with the customer being in good standing with us for many years, we have decided to remove the $15.52 amount. We are more than happy to explain the customer’s account, please feel free to contact us at our Customer Support Number ###-###-####.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide on behalf of our partner property owners (i.e. our “customer(s)”). As a condition of service with our customers, NEP is obligated to always match or charge less than the given...

rate of the local host utility providers for both residential electricity and water usage. In other words, the rate that is applied to a resident’s water and electric usage will never be higher than that of the host utility provider.NEP’s Resident Care team has provided additional information, including an explanation of charges to the resident. Additionally, NEP’s Resident Advocate contacted Ms. [redacted] directly by phone to provide additional information.

The company's payment system provided me a confirmation number along with an "accepted" sign within my account payment history. This is represented in the attached images. As you can see, both the eCheck payment and credit card payment have identical green "accepted" tabs. This information is misleading and makes one think their payment is accepted. If the payment is not truly accepted, then the company should not have a green tab stating "accepted" beside the payment. Furthermore, upon discussion with the customer service representative, I was told this error occurs often for customers. However, this issue was not addressed in their response. To rectify this situtation, I demand a refund of $30 because the company misled me into believeing my payment had been accepted. k

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide on behalf of our partner property owners (i.e. our “customer(s)”). As a condition of service with our customers, NEP is obligated to always match or charge less than the given...

rate of the local host utility providers for both residential electricity and water usage. In other words, the rate that is applied to a resident’s water and electric usage will never be higher than that of the host utility provider. A notice of NEP’s late payment penalties is included on our bill. Additionally, NEP provides a 7-day grace period after the due date that enables residents to make a payment without receiving a penalty.NEP delivers a unified bill at the request of the resident’s property owner (our customer) that includes electricity, water, common area usage costs and a $15 trash collection fee. While the average monthly cost on the resident’s account is $145.91, it is effectively for three separate services the resident utilizes at their community. Upon review of the resident’s account, NEP found an average monthly electrical cost of $88.40. Ms. [redacted]’s most recent bill included an electrical charge of $66.29 based on 442 kWh of usage. As stated above, this cost is inline with what the local host utility, AEP Columbus Southern Power, charges. Using AEP’s rate calculator, NEP’s Resident Advocate input the same usage and found a cost of $66.31. NEP’s Resident Advocate contacted Ms. [redacted] directly to provide information about her account and answer any questions she may have.

As previously stated, the average combined cost for electricity, water and common area usage services since the account’s creation in 2013 was $176.15. While recent bills, particularly those over the summer, are higher than this average other bills have fallen significantly below. Like many residential consumers, usage costs associated with this account rise during the summer months and fall during autumn and spring. NEP matches the cost of the rate structures applied by the local host utilities, however consumers of these services will find that as their usage increases their costs also go up. Unfortunately, the resident has failed to complete two payment arrangements. On August 12, with an outstanding balance of $761.08, the resident agreed to enter into a payment arrangement. A payment of $235 was to be made on August 16 with a second payment of $240.00 on August 30. While the first payment was received, the second payment was not made to the resident’s account on the agreed upon date. On September 14, with an outstanding balance of $842.43 the resident agreed to make a payment of $216.84 on September 16 with an additional payment for the same amount on September 30. As an additional gesture of good faith, NEP waived almost $100 in late payment penalties during this time. While the first payment was received, NEP did not receive a second payment on the agreed upon date. A payment was not made to the  resident’s account until October 17.On October 20, NEP Resident Care Supervisor spoke directly with the resident about the status of the resident’s account and set up a new payment arrangement.

NEP attempts to read every meter every month.  Occasionally, it is not possible for NEP to read a meter as scheduled.  This may be due to bad weather or inability to access the meter.  At these times we estimate usage based on seasonal and historical information consistent with the...

same policy used by this customer's host utility which in this case is AEP.  We have reached out to this customer and offered to change out his meter free of charge.