Nationwide Energy Partners, LLC

In
response to this customer’s concerns, Nationwide Energy Partners provided the
customer with a free Meter test. The results of the meter test as performed by
a third party validator came back completely accurate, but after conducting a
further review of the customer’s account, NEP found...

several items relevant to the
customers concerns.
1. This
customer receives a combined electric and water bill meaning their usage totals
are not just for electricity.
2. The
period during which this customer experienced their high usage was February of
this year which was the fourth coldest February in the history of Columbus.  Specifically, during this customer’s 2/11-
3/15 bill cycle 11 days recorded having a low of 0 degrees and below. 
3. This
customer’s usage for February was 54% higher than the community average.  This could be due to customer habits, but is
also very likely due to that fact that this customer’s townhome is an end unit
with multiple exposed walls.  NEP data
shows end units typically use significantly more energy for heating and cooling
then interior units do.
4. NEP
matches the host utility rate structure and for this customer the host utility
is AEP for electric and City of Columbus for water.  During the time period this customer
references AEP’s winter rates were some of the highest they have ever been due
to a lack of winter discounting that has historically been available in AEP
territory.  This has led to a large
increase in energy costs associated with high usage across all customers within
the AEP territory.
The NEP
Customer Support Lead has been working with the customer and has provided
electric usage reports for the bill cycle 2/15-3/30 and 3/30-4/15. She has also
sent the customer electric usage reports ranging back to June of 2014 along
with setting up a Pay Plan Arrangement. NEP will continue to work with the
customer and provide any and all additional information upon request.

NEP submeters water on behalf of the [redacted] at [redacted].  All of the units at Pickerington Pointe have in unit water meters that are only accessible if NEP is granted entry to the unit thus limiting NEP’s ability to shut off water.  Bills were...

consistently sent to the unit in question but never paid.  An investigation on the account show this unit was sold and then rented but NEP was never made aware of the transfer of ownership to update the account information as is required.  NEP has contacted the current management company for the [redacted] and offered to remove this customer’s late fees.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our services. Per the contract between NEP and the property owners we partner with, NEP is required to maintain the same rates as the host utility provider for both electricity and water. In other...

words, you will never be charged more for usage than a rate equal to or lower than your local host utility. AEP Columbus Southern Power and Columbus Public Utilities are the respective host providers for electricity and water. Their fixed fees are structured in such a way that, at current rates, a host utility customer will pay a minimum of $12.51 for electricity and $19.79 for water regardless of usage. By virtue of NEP matching host utility rates, we also apply these fixed fees. A minimum charge of $32.30 will appear on a combined bill in these rate structures even if no usage occurs.NEP was made aware that this particular condo is currently being shown for leasing or sales purposes. We would expect low, but periodic usage to occur due to heating and other activities related to displaying the unit. Upon examination of the account, NEP did observe a decrease in electrical usage in the two most recent billing cycles. Mr. [redacted] owns a condo of approximately 1300 square feet. Between June and November NEP measured an average 1085 kWh of usage at the residence. In the two most recent billing periods, usage in the unit has seen a marked decrease. From November 15 to December 15, NEP measured 544 kWh, with most of that usage occurring at the beginning of the billing cycle. Between December 15 and January 14, NEP measured 213 kWh. The most recent billing cycle has not been completed, but NEP measured 82 kWh of usage between January 15 and February 10. Mr. [redacted]’s most recent bill had a total balance of $87.93 for water, electricity and common area usage, which falls in line with the observed lower usage and a decrease in CAU chargesThere are contributing factors that impact resident bills in this community. A significant portion of an average bill  is composed of common area usage charges. Common area usage is consumption by any source that no single resident is responsible for. In the case of this property, there are several power-consuming amenities that lead to average common area charges above $80 per resident, per bill. The property heats and lights a common atrium, which is a multi-story open area with large glass windows adjacent to unheated spaces or exposed to the outside. The property also maintains a parking facility with three separate electric car lifts as well as several recreational facilities, meeting rooms and game lounges. Heating, lighting and operating costs for these common elements is split among the 44 condos of the community and can have a significant impact on a typical bill regardless of individual usage.NEP takse resident concerns very seriously and strives to be an open, transparent company. Our resident advocate has contacted Mr. [redacted] directly to provide additional information and answer any additional questions he may have. Presently, the resident advocate is awaiting a response from the resident.

We changed out Mr. [redacted]'s meter on Monday 11/17 in an effort to eliminate further estimates on his account.  However, it must be acknowledge that estimates will happen from time to time and that estimates are a commonly accepted practice when a meter read is not received due to technical or environmental factors.  Every major utility in Ohio will perform estimates and a review of their estimation polices demonstrates that all of them use an estimation methodology that bases the estimation on a mix of factors including past usage history, seasonal temperatures, and last available read.  Our estimation policy is no different than the policy of the host utility in Mr. [redacted]'s service territory which in this case is AEP.

Nationwide Energy Partners (NEP) would like to thank thecustomer for their concerns. As such, we have researched the account and hereare the findings:   1.  It is important to note this customer lives in a communitythat has directed NEP to produce a combined bill for water and...

electric service.  Therefore comparisons directly to [redacted] electricbills should remove the water portion for accurate comparisons.  2.  It is also important to note that NEP is contractuallyobligated to match the regulated residential rate for electric usage in the [redacted]service territory.3.  This customer moved in 3/10/15.  Since moving in 3/10/15 the customer has had 3 bills:Bill #1:  3/10/15– 3/28/15 - The customer had a $204 electric bill and a $26.45 water bill.Additionally, this bill also contained a $150 deposit.   Bill #2:  3/28/15 – 4/28/15 – The customer had$196.84 electric bill and $50.28 water bill. Bill #3:  4/28/15– 5/28/15 - The customer had a $119.33 electric bill and $49.64 for water The customer first contacted NEP on May 7th regarding their bill.  NEP’s CustomerAdvocate contacted the customer the same day. Due to non-payment on theaccount, NEP provided two ways to remove the refundable deposit to lower thetotal balance.  Option 1 - if NEP receives a Letter of Credit from a previous utility provider showing that there were nomore than two missed or late payments within a twelve month period or Option 2- if a customer signs up for the Auto Pay Service (ACH).NEP also provide the customer with a detailed Electric Usage Report for theiraccount and a rate structure comparison showing that NEP matches the rates of[redacted].  On May 11th NEP offered a Payment Plan Arrangement. Thecustomer responded via e-mail accepting the Payment Plan Arrangement, but noresponse was given once the Pay Plan was established. NEP’s offer for a PaymentPlan is still available and we are waiting for a response.The Customer Advocate has reached out to this customer providing Electric Usage Reports, rate structures,their billing ledger, and a Payment Plan Arrangement. NEP is willing to provideassistance to the customer and will be waiting on a response. We can be reachedMonday through Friday 8:00 through 5:00 PM at ###-###-####.

Nationwide
Energy Partners, (NEP) has researched the customer’s account and were able to
identify and pull information regarding her concerns. Utilities
- NEP is contractually obligated to match the electric and water tariff rates
for the host utilities in this customer’s service area. NEP...

charges the exact
same rate for this customer’s services if she was directly billed by [redacted] or
City of Columbus. Within this service area, both electricity and water are included within the bill.
15% of charges for the bill between 2/11-3/15 are from water usage.Usage
–For this customer, we were able to provide twice daily reads from our meters.
We have provided a usage chart for the past bill cycles dated 1/12-2/11 and
2/11-3/15. We have found that the electric and water usage for this resident is
higher than the community average. However, given the size of the unit and the
fact that it is an end unit, this is not surprising end units typically have
more exposure to the cold temperatures and use more energy in the winter and
summer months to heat and cool. With the change in temperature, we did see a
steady consistent increase in energy consumption with temperature drops.Temperature
- Despite last year’s cold temperatures, January and February of 2015 have
turned out to be some of the coldest months in history for Columbus, Ohio. February,
for example, had 16 out of 28 days with a low temperature in the single digits
and 8 days with a low at zero or below. As your unit uses electric heat, this
will result in higher than normal energy usage as the systems in your unit have
to work harder and longer to heat the unit. It should be noted that NEP works
with property owners to identify energy efficiency opportunities as energy
bills in winter months can exceed expectations.
Our
Customer Support lead has contacted the customer and explained charges regarding
her account. We understand the customer’s frustration and have advised the
customer we will be keeping in contact. Our Customer Support Hotline is open
from 8:00-6:00 Monday – Friday and would happy to help with any questions or
concerns.

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.

As a one-time courtesy, NEP was able to waive the 2 late fees the resident received totalling $30.00.  However, since NEP bills on behalf of Mr. [redacted]’s community for the amount of electricity and water consumed, as well as trash and common area usage, the remaining charges on the account are warranted and should be paid in full.  NEP had contact with Mr. [redacted] on 1/9/17, 2/9/17 and twice on 2/21/17 regarding payment plan options and utility bill assistance information.

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. At this particular community, the host utility providers for water services are Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) and the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority ([redacted]). In response to the resident's concerns and at our customer's direction, NEP provided the resident with an explanation of the water host utility costs NEP matches and locations where the resident can compare directly against the host's posted rates. It's important to understand that our customer decides on how best to measure and pay for common area charges (CAU). NEP does not participate in the landlord/tenant relationship and cannot amend or alter the terms of the resident's lease agreement.  NEP's Resident Support Supervisor called the resident directly to provide this information and answer additional questions. Further concerns can be directed to our  Resident Support Group Monday through Friday8am to 6pm.

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 delivers a unified bill at the request of the resident’s property owner (our customer) that includes electricity, water, common area usage costs, which includes a $15 trash collection fee. While the average monthly cost on the resident’s account is $189.15, it is effectively for three separate services the resident utilizes at their community. This resident has had a strong payment history through December of 2016.  We have provided this resident with all available assistance agency information and with payment arrangement options on several occasions.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) works as a metering and billing provider on behalf of the properties it partners with. NEP always matches the rates of the local host utility. As seen on the bills we provide, including those released by Mr. [redacted], there are no “junk” fees or unexplained charges. Additionally, the resident’s bills demonstrate that his electrical and water usage are consistently below the community average with variation in line with seasonal trends. The community tends to experience higher usage in cooler and warmer months and while Mr. [redacted]’s usage increases with the community, it remains below the average.  NEP has demonstrated for the resident that the rates applied to his usage are in line with the applicable rate of the local host utility, [redacted]. NEP also found that Mr. [redacted] was paying for usage associated with the meter at his unit and no other meter - no evidence was found that the resident was paying for any other usage. To the contrary, NEP confirmed Mr. [redacted]’s usage charges by confirming the physical serial number of the meter against NEP usage data and by manually tracing the socket of his meter directly to his unit. NEP has offered to cover the cost of having a third party certify these finding and test the meter. NEP’s position is that these actions, coupled with the more than $200 in credit applied to the account during the investigation period, represent a good-faith effort to satisfy the resident’s concerns.

NEP indicated that they would send me more information than they did, additionally, they did not respond to the reply to their message that I provided yesterday afternoon (See attached Emails). I expect NEP to at the very least provide all the information they said they would provide when speaking on the phone (comparisons to similar properties that are served by NEP and PWSA) as well as take into account the response I made to their rate schedules which incorrectly double bill us for sewer service. At this time I do not consider the matter closed and fully expect further documented correspondence with NEP until such time that they can show to me that their billing is as they say it is, exactly the same rates as the host utilities.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates feedback regarding the quality of the services we provide to residents on behalf of our partner properties.Upon review of the resident’s account, we found that only one fee of $30.00 was assessed due to “No account/unable to locate account”...

error for a transaction attempted in September. Banks and other financial institutions will apply this kind of charge when a transaction is attempted and fails due to incorrect information - in particular, we see this fee occur when eCheck payment information is entered incorrectly. Unlike credit or debit card payments, verification of eCheck information is not typically immediate, and may take as long as a financial institution requires to process the transaction. A member NEP’s Resident Care team reached out directly to the resident and confirmed that the payment information for the transaction in question was incorrect. Resident Care reviewed the resident’s account history with Mr. [redacted] to discuss charges as they appear and answer additional questions. The resident acknowledged the error and discussed ways to avoid a similar problem in the future.

In response to the Revdex.com complaint listed above, it is
important to note several items:
a)     
NEP has not forced this customer into
service.  The condominium association
that represents the community that this customer lives in has contracted with
NEP to provide...

utility services.b)     
NEP abides by the laws of the state of Ohio that
govern consumer protection, utility choice, and utility services to
multi-family dwellings.c)      
NEP applies the posted residential tariff rates
of the host electric utility which services the customer’s community.
Accordingly, the customer is being charged the same electric rates with NEP as
he would be receiving through AEP directly.
In response to the customers
concerns regarding his billed amounts, NEP has provided a detailed rate
analysis document to the customer that demonstrated that the charges on his
bill for electric usage were consistent with the amount he would've been
charged by his host utility (AEP). 
Additionally we provided the customer access to the AEP Rate Calculator.
The NEP Customer Advocate has attempted to reach out to this customer on
multiple occasions to address his current concerns.  If there are any additional questions or
concerns, please contact our offices Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
at ###-###-####.

You have a record of when NEP shut off our electric and was supposed to shut off another neighbors and refused to come out to turn it back on in this winter.  Now the problem is ongoing.  This is written as a current isue 2-19-15 NEP is overcharging us on these bills there is "no one" here all day and until after 7pm and later and that includes weekend only here for short duration so how is this much electric being used?  Is someone connected to our electric? How is our electric bill used when we unplugged the major appliances or electronics and still are being over billed? No one uses more electric than gas in the winter months when our "garden" apartment is gas and electric.  I received a threat from them to turn off our electric if our bill is not paid by Monday.  I have permanent arrangements made with them I am a human and I have to work and I have a serious injury a couple weeks ago on the ice in the parking  lot I have to work and so does my daughter and she does not work ft even after finding employment just graduating from college not too long ago. I was off on disability leave for almost two years I do not have funds to just throw away and we have other bills. I was told at another apt complex where I applied for an apt that NEP has been overcharging tennants there and one gentleman was out of the country for four months and was billed a very expensive bill for four months and he was not home or in the USA.  Also a tennant showed me where people are trying to get a class action lawsuit against NEP for overbilling their customers.  Our other concern is that they turned off our electric by mistake and refused to come out an turn it back on during the winter and we both have asthma.  A medical cert was sent to them by Licking County Leads several months ago.  Now they sent me a credit of 113.00 and promised payment arrangements and then I get a threat to turn our electric and water off again.  They also refused to tell me what the bills ran in this apt before we moved here Feb. 22, 2014.  There is something seriously wrong with this bill! We were charged a deposit of 150.00 and did not find out about it until it appeared on our first bill.  No one's bill is more on the electric during the winter months summer yes, if the air condition is being used.  Also, they had shut our electric bill off and we have a dog do you think we wanted him in the severe cold he has an illness also. We had guests coming over that Friday as well that is embarrassing and they refused to come out and turn it on when it was their fault. An apology and a 50.00 gift card to Kroger was nice and to credit the bill 113.00 but is NOT enough when it is happening again.

Thank you for your inquiry. We apologize for the confusion you are experiencing when referencing your NEP Utility Bills.  As a way to keep our customers up to date on their account activities Disconnect Notices are automatically generated any time a customer has an account with a past due balance.  This notice is created in an effort to advise you of the past due amount, and provide you with options to bring your account current.  Addtionally, prior to your Disconnect Date, an automated phone call is placed as a courtesy to remind you of the upcoming threat of service interruption.  Unfortunately, as these are automated steps that are currently in place, they are automatically generated regardless of arrangements notated on your account.  However, should you ever have questions or concerns regarding your account status or details, we are more than happy to assist you.  As notated on your account, you are not in threat of disconnection on 02/23/15 due to the payment arrangement you have agreed upon.  We are more than happy to continue working with you to pay off your past due amount and bring your account current. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach back out to our customer care team or our customer advocate.

Statements are false. Never been contacted by resident avdovcate team. I have been promised multiple times they would contact me and they never have. Called back for Mindy the supervisor, left message twice call never returned. All payment arrangements have been meet otherwise service would have been disconnected. Average bill amount is not 176. Bill consistently higher in 300/400 range. NEP only finally offered to waive 2 late fees after threatening to contact Revdex.com. September bill was 364.  August bill was 336. Need to be contacted by NEP to reach resolution ASAP

Nationwide Energy
Partners performed a detailed report of the account. After reviewing the
customer’s account, we have identified several items contributing to the billed
amount the customer references in her complaint.
Temperature
- Despite the hype surrounding last year’s polar vortex,...

January and February
of 2015 have turned out to be two of the coldest months in the history for
Columbus, Ohio.  February for example had
16 out of 28 days with a low temperature in the single digits and 8 days with a
low at zero or below.  These temperature
dips resulted in February 2015 being the 4th coldest February in
Columbus in the past 100 years.  In
reviewing the customer’s usage, we did see steady and smooth increases
consistent with temperature drops.  This
indicates that a) there are not any unexplainable usage anomalies on this
customer’s account, and b) the metering equipment is working properly. 
Usage
- For the bill cycle covering the time period between 1/12/15 and 2/11/15 this
customer’s usage was 99% higher than the community average and 69% higher than
the community average for the bill cycle covering the time period between
2/11/15 and 3/15/15.  NEP also compared
this customer’s usage versus a similar floor plan within her community and found
her usage to be 25% more than her comparable neighbors.
Combined
Bill – This customer references in her complaint “$300-$400 electric
bills”.  The community at which this
customer resides has selected combined billing for electricity and water services.  Nearly 20% of this customer’s total bill is
related to water usage.
Rates
– NEP is contractually obligated to match the electric and water tariff rates
for the host utilities in this customer’s service area.  For this customer those utilities would be
AEP and City of Columbus water.  NEP
charges the exact same rate for this customer’s service if she was direct
billed by AEP or City of Columbus.
We have provided this
customer with a usage report for the month of January along with conservation
tips. We would be happy to show her a usage report for the month of February
and compare rates from her host utility. The NEP Customer Advocate has reached
out to [redacted] to provide this additional analysis; we are waiting on her
reply.

Nationwide Energy Partners (“NEP”) values and appreciates resident feedback regarding the quality of our services. As a condition of NEP’s terms of service with its partners, we always match the given rate of the host utility provider for residential service. In other words, you will never be...

charged more for usage than a rate equal to or lower than your local host utility. .As part of the terms of our service agreement with Mr. [redacted]’ community, condominium owners remain responsible for the unpaid usage costs of their tenants. NEP has investigated this matter and found no record of a payment in the amount of $149.35 from Mr. [redacted]’ tenant. However, we take resident concerns very seriously and NEP’s resident advocate has reached out to Mr. [redacted] to review the documentation cited in his complaint. NEP’s resident advocate has also reached out directly to Mr. [redacted]’ tenant for a copy of this documentation as well. At the time of this response, NEP has not received the requested information and awaits a response from either Mr. [redacted] or his tenant.

Nationwide Energy Partners (NEP) appreciates the tenant’s concerns regarding the power outage in their community and our communications during the service interruption.. NEP also received a Website / Email Contact from this tenant on Sunday, 07/19/15 and provided a response regarding the concerns...

they expressed via email on Tuesday, 07/21/15.NEP provides energy management service for the resident’s apartment community. The electricity to this community is provided by AEP [redacted] Power (AEP). Following the initial report of a power outage in this community, NEP deployed personnel to investigate the issue and determine if the outage was due to a fault in the community’s private electric distribution system, or if power was not being delivered to the community by AEP.  In this situation, power was not being delivered to the community due to a problem in AEP’s service to the community. NEP contacted AEP, who responded to the issue and corrected the problem.As shown on AEP’s Outage FAQ web page (https://aepohio.com/outages/faq/), their agents are unable to tell its customers when their power will be restored.“Why can’t an agent tell me when my power will be restored?”“It is impossible to accurately predict restorations of specific circuits serving particular residences because of the many challenges that restoration workers face. AEP Ohio provides updates approximately every four hours to the local news media so that they can report the status of the overall restoration effort.”Keeping in mind the community as a whole is AEP’s customer, and AEP is the company performing the outage restoration, NEP is unable to provide any more information than it receives from AEP.This resident submitted the complaint during the power outage and cited their power being out for 2 hours. Within the electric power industry, the Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) represents the average interruption duration.  In other words, CAIDI is the average time it takes for the electric utility to restore service following a power interruption.  The standard average time for service restoration, as reported by AEP, is 150 minutes. This means that an outage resulting from issues with AEP’s equipment typically lasts 2 ½ hours. The total outage time that affected this community on 07/19/15 was 173 minutes. This is about 30 minutes longer than AEP’s average, and about 23 minutes longer than the standard.NEP appreciates the resident’s request for improved Customer Service and online services. We frequently utilize the feedback provided by our valued resident base to implement changes that will provide superior Customer Service. We will continue to utilize the feedback provided by the residents of communities we serve in an effort to implement positive changes to our services.