NOVEC

**and [redacted] have been delinquent on their electric bill since March Their payment history shows payments being received 5-days late and as a consequence, every bill since March has included a disconnect notice Their August bill had a disconnect notice that $was due by August 29th to prevent an interruption in service When there was no response to the notice on the bill, we left a door notice on September 2nd that the account was overdue When no payment was made, they were disconnected for non-payment on September 17th In addition to the disconnect notices on the bills, we also attempted to call the number listed on the account on separate occasions NOVEC made attempts each on 7/28/at 12:PM and on 8/31/at 1:PM The calls rang thru but were never picked up Their September bill did have a disconnect notice, but they were disconnected based on the disconnect notice on the August bill, not the September bill The [redacted] ’s will not receive any compensation, or have fees waived based on being disconnect for non-payment of their bill Pamela R [redacted] Customer Service Supervisor NOVEC

The promised credit in the amount of $has been applied to Ms [redacted] 's account I just checked her account and it does show as an adjustment, reducing the total amount due from $to $ I believe the application of the promised credit is Ms [redacted] 's desired action on NOVEC's part I have no way of determining when the credit was actually applied, but do know it is there now I apologize for the additional inconvenience to Ms [redacted] , but am considering the matter resolved on NOVEC's part at this pointThank you - Mike C***, NOVEC Public Relations

** [redacted] ’s January bill contained a notice that his account was $past due, and that the past due balance needed to be paid by January 19th to prevent an interruption in service On January 28th ** [redacted] called the Customer Service Center to request payment arrangements He was advised at the time NOVEC does not make payment arrangements, and since the grace period on his account expired January 19th, his account could be disconnected at any time for nonpayment He stated that he would make a payment on January 31st On January 30th, NOVEC left a past due notice at [redacted] ’s home for which he was charged a $collection fee When he called us about the notice, he was advised that there were notes on the account that he would be making a payment on January 31st but noting the account does not stop collection notices from being delivered The $collection fee he was charged is the standard fee charged whenever a technician has to deliver notices to a home Information concerning collection fees is contained in the Terms & Condition for Providing Electric Service that is on file with the Virginia SCC The collection fee ** [redacted] was charged will not be waived [redacted] NOVEC Customer Service Supervisor

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: Everything in this response is factually incorrectFirst, I never have received a paper statement because I was enrolled in ebilling until I cancelled ebilling as it was sporadic as you can see in one of the documents in my email that I never even got a statement for the month of November Which I paid $on 12/07/as you can also see in another photo that I have submittedIf I’ve ever been late it was only by a few days depending on my paydayI’ve always been a good customer to NOVEC for years but they are a horrible and inconsiderate and clearly dishonest businessThe last email I received from Novec statement was 12/20/The last phone call I received from Novec was on 1/8/stating I owed them $of which I paid $on 1/10/and received a successful submission payment and a confirmation number! I never received another phone call, shut off notice or statement after that 1/10/payment (see attached payment proof and confirmation number on the novec webpage)Not one email, letter in the mail,or phone call from the date of 1/8/2018-1/24/2018!!!!! Not one Call stating we are shutting off your power tomorrow or you owe us anything, because as I far as I was aware all was well as I paid on 1/10/2018! Novec never said differently, then I come home from work on 1/24/with a notice on my door stating I owe $and my power was shut off!! Why?? I submitted the payment 2weeks prior, no calls, no notice that anything was wrong- not a note that something went wrong with the payment,not one call! Shame on NOVEC, it appears they do this intentionally to charge more fees and get more money! the company states it helps people with families but yet here they give no notice and shut the power off on a family with small children in the winter for no reasoner proper warning! I provided my documentation on the phone and the customer service was rude and uncaring just as their pathetic and untruthful response to this Revdex.com complaintIt is evidently that I have paid as expected, that novec was hit or miss on email the bills ( which is why I canceled ebilling just weeks ago- so it’s untruthful that they ever sent my paperbills) that I submitted the payment to them on 1/10/and the past due was caught up, novec never advised me of anything after that date, so if something was wrong they should’ve called! Just a horrible business and they are wrong and dishonest! I don’t expect different as they are the only electric company in this area and sadly they are getting away with itI demand the fees be returned and that we are compensated for their incompetence and errors on this as well as for having small children that had to sleep in a freezing cold home and then don’t bother to turn the power back on the next day until am Regards, [redacted]

[redacted] , [redacted] ’s electric service was disconnected for non-payment on 1/24/2018, because NOVEC did not receive payment for the November and December billA call was made to [redacted] on 1/8/@12:pm by NOVEC’s IVR phone systemA NOVEC Technician visited his home on January 10, and left a notice which clearly provides the customer with detailed information on steps the customer needs to take to avoid disconnection; the technician did not disconnect service at that time due to inclement temperatures on that day [redacted] receives a billing statement monthly via USPS mail and also makes payments on line and by E-Z payAs far as cancelling a payment, NOVEC does not cancel a customer’s payment as that is solely up to a customer if they desire to do so When the Tech disconnected service on 1/24/2018, the Collection notice had expired and a payment was not posted to the account [redacted] called at 5:pm after service was disconnected stating he paid $and provided the Representative with a confirmation numberHe was told he would be connected the following day (01/25/2018) since it was after 5:00pm A review of [redacted] ’s account found his payments were late times during the past months, Feb 2017, Apr 2017, May 2017, Jun 2017, Aug 2017, Oct 2017, Nov and Dec At this time, NOVEC will not make any billing adjustments and remove any fees on [redacted] ’s accountNOVEC made all possible attempts and followed all the appropriate actions in notifying the customer adequately before disconnecting his service Please let us know if you have any additional questions Sincerely, NOVEC Customer Service Tell us why here

Yes, NOVEC does charge a $connection fee on every new account that it opens This fees covers the cost of the technician visit to install a new meter (if needed), to take the initial reading to start the new customer’s account, obtain the meter serial number and other embedded costs associated with opening a new account [redacted] ’s argument that “we would be out there anyway to take the monthly reading” is not quite applicable to this situation Since a customer requests service to begin on a date of their choosing, and that day may not be when the meter is read to generate the next bill, a separate trip is needed to connect service A trip for a new connection requires the technician to approach and visually inspect the meter, while taking monthly readings are done remotely using ERT (electronic remote technology) Using the ERT devices, the technician can drive by the houses to get the meter readings and does not necessarily have to get out of their vehicle Although some companies may have no, or lower connection fees, other companies have higher connection fees NOVEC’s fee of $is mid-range for the industry The “authority” to charge a connection fee, and have that connection fee set at $40, is on file with, and approved by the State Corporation Commission, the government agency charged with regulating utilities in the state As a new member, [redacted] will soon receive a copy of the Owner’s Manual: Customer Guide to Service & Programs On page of the manual (attached), under the section “Obtaining Service”, the manual states: “Any person, firm, association, corporation, or public body desiring service from NOVEC must sign an application for membership and pay all applicable fees.” The Schedule of Fees follows and shows the service connection fee as $ I understand that [redacted] does not want to be charged a connection fee, but unfortunately this fee is not optional All new accounts are charged a connection fee Pamela R [redacted] NOVEC Customer Service Supervisor

Revdex.com K Street NW, 10th Floor Washington, DC Dear Revdex.com: We have received your letter dated July 26, 2017, with regards to a customer complaint from Mr [redacted] in reference to NOVEC’s E-Billing Process, and the $in fees he accruedWe have thoroughly reviewed and researched Mr [redacted] account and found the following: Bill Generation Bill Due Date Signed up for Recurring Payments Collection Notice Expired 6/5/7/5/6/13/7/20/ Based on the facts listed above, the customer is correct that he scheduled recurring payments to NOVEC on June 13, However, the scheduled date of the recurring payment came after the date of the generation of his bill, therefore the recurring payment would commence on the bill generated July 6, Mr [redacted] was sent an email on June 5, at 8:06PM with the statement in question which clearly states “Amount Due by PM on 07/05/$“ His next statement was emailed on July 6, at 7:PM which clearly states “ $MUST BE PAID BY 7/20/TO AVOID DISCONNECTIONIF AMOUNT HAS BEEN PAID, PLEASE DISREGARD NOTICE.” Mr [redacted] has been a customer of NOVEC’s since August 26, thru April 11, He became an E-Billing participant, as well as a recurring payment customer on April 2, thru April 11, In lieu of Mr***’s longevity as Excellent NOVEC Customer we will waive the $in fees that were administered to his account, and his billing history will not reflect a delinquency or any penalties Sincerely, Michael J [redacted] Supervisor – Customer Service NOVEC Tell us why here

September 17, size="2"> [redacted] emailed NOVEC on August 7th to inquire why she was still receiving bills for the property at [redacted] ***, Manassas She stated in her email that the property went to settlement on 7/23/ She asked that her account be closed and a bill adjustment be done Since her account was still active, we wrote a disconnect order for the next available day which was August 10th We sent her an email confirmation that her service would be disconnected on August 10th She replied that this was unacceptable since she originally requested service be disconnected on July 23rd She stated that she processed the disconnect request via the NOVEC websiteAll service requests processed on the website generate an automatic reply back to the customer indicating that their request has been received, and that a representative will be calling them to follow up on the request I asked [redacted] to send me a copy of the autoreply message she received, but she did not I also searched every email received by the Customer Service Center since July 1st, and found no email message from her in those files A billing adjustment can not be processed for her unless she can supply documentation that she contacted us prior to her email on August 7th Pamela R [redacted] Customer Service Supervisor NOVEC

RE: Account # [redacted] Dear [redacted] , NOVEC’s procedure for refund check requests is as follows – Customer may request a refund check for credit balance if both requirements below are met: There has been business days from the date the last payment was posted to the accountAccount will not be billed in the next days The customer made a payment on 9/25/for $and made another payment on 9/26/for $93.21, leaving a credit of $The business days requirement was not met when the account billed for October and mailed on 10/5/Credit of $was applied on the October billing statement

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: if you read the response, I simply asked for Novec to be reasonable Except forcing payment and connection fees, Novec took no other actions and therefore did not do anything reasonable, just dictated their requirements It is shameful that the same supervisor that could not be reasonable on the phone is the one replying on behalf of the company It doesn't actually demonstrate Novec's commitment to be fair Revdex.com, what are the next steps? Board of Directors, Attorney General, investigative reporter? I'm willing to pursue this further There were enough other complaints of a similar nature to make me believe this is not isolated, but standard practice I again ask Revdex.com to reconsider their rating of Novec Clearly better business is not their intention Regards, [redacted] ***

This complaint was originally responded to via the Revdex.com website process on 9/17/ Below is a second reply to the complaint [redacted] states she requested her service be disconnected on 7/23/but it was not She emailed NOVEC on 8/7/to inquire why she was still being charged A CSR replied that service was still in her name and that she (the CSR) would write a disconnect order for the next available date which was 8/10/ the order was written and service terminated effective 8/10/ [redacted] replied that this was unacceptable; she wasn't going to pay for service almost weeks after she requested it be disconnected We then had an email exchange in which she stated that her original request was made via email to Customer Service I research all emails received in the call center from 7/1/forward, and replied to her that I could not find her email using either her name, account number, or email address as search criteria She then changed her story and stated she made the request via the NOVEC website When I asked her to send me the auto-reply message she would have received from a web-site request, she never provided it She later filed this Revdex.com complaint NOVEC will not do a billing adjustment for [redacted] *** until she can provide documentation (the auto-reply message) of when she originally submitted her disconnect request Other than her email from August 7th, we have not received an email from her since 7/1/ Pamela R [redacted] Customer Service Supervisor NOVEC

**. and [redacted] have been delinquent on their electric bill since March 2015. Their payment history shows payments being received 5-15 days late and as a consequence, every bill since March 2015 has included a disconnect notice. Their August bill had a disconnect notice that... $440.76 was due by August 29th to prevent an interruption in service. When there was no response to the notice on the bill, we left a door notice on September 2nd that the account was overdue. When no payment was made, they were disconnected for non-payment on September 17th. In addition to the disconnect notices on the bills, we also attempted to call the number listed on the account on 2 separate occasions. NOVEC made 4 attempts each on 7/28/2015 at 12:35 PM and on 8/31/2015 at 1:26 PM. The calls rang thru but were never picked up. Their September bill did have a disconnect notice, but they were disconnected based on the disconnect notice on the August bill, not the September bill. The [redacted] ’s will not receive any compensation, or have fees waived based on being disconnect for non-payment of their bill. Pamela R [redacted] Customer Service Supervisor NOVEC

September 17, [redacted] emailed NOVEC on August 7th to inquire why she was still receiving bills for the property at [redacted] ***, Manassas She stated in her email that the property went to settlement on 7/23/ She asked that her account be closed and a bill adjustment be done Since her account was still active, we wrote a disconnect order for the next available day which was August 10th We sent her an email confirmation that her service would be disconnected on August 10th She replied that this was unacceptable since she originally requested service be disconnected on July 23rd She stated that she processed the disconnect request via the NOVEC websiteAll service requests processed on the website generate an automatic reply back to the customer indicating that their request has been received, and that a representative will be calling them to follow up on the request I asked [redacted] to send me a copy of the autoreply message she received, but she did not I also searched every email received by the Customer Service Center since July 1st, and found no email message from her in those files A billing adjustment can not be processed for her unless she can supply documentation that she contacted us prior to her email on August 7th Pamela R [redacted] Customer Service Supervisor NOVEC

Yes, *** *** does have a *** *** balance of $360.83. However that balance is split between the NOVEC *** ***s ($306.85) and the *** *** ***s
($53.36). *** *** ***s are credits that were earned by NOVEC when NOVEC was a member of the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. These credits were assigned to/earned by NOVEC but were tracked at the NOVEC member level for accounting purposes. There has not been a payout of the *** *** *** in over years.
*** ***s are not the result of overcharging customers. They are net profits earned after operating expenses were deducted from revenue. *** ***s remain company assets until the Board of Directors authorizes a retirement (refund) of *** ***s back to customers. The Board decides what year(s) to retire, and the percentage of that year(s) to retire. *** ***s refunds are not guaranteed annually and refunds are made at the company’s discretion, not the customers’. NOVEC is required only to make a lump sum payment of all *** ***s if the Cooperative goes out of business When you applied for electric service with NOVEC, you signed an agreement to be bound by all policies, procedures, and bylaws of the Cooperative, including those addressing *** ***s reimbursements
The last time the NOVEC Board of Directors voted to refund *** ***s on inactive accounts was in 2010. The board voted another disbursement in April 2015, but Ms*** did not receive a payout since her total disbursement was $0.61. NOVEC does not issue refund checks for amounts under $5.00. Those funds not disbursed are held, earning interest, until the disbursement amount is $or greater and then a refund check is issued. I also checked to see if there were any unclaimed *** ***s (checks issued but not cashed) on Ms***’s account, but all checks issued to her have been cashed
When Ms*** is deceased, her surviving spouse, or next of kin, will have to contact NOVEC, fill out the appropriate affidavits, have them notarized and returned to NOVEC along with a copy of the death certificate. We would then change the name on the account and make the appropriate *** *** disbursements
In summary, Ms*** will not be receiving a lump sum payout of the remaining balance in her *** *** account. As long as she keeps her address current, any *** *** reimbursement will be sent to her automatically when authorized by the Board of Directors and under the guidelines of the plan
Pamela R***
Customer Service Supervisor

Hello, Ms*** on 05/27/called NOVEC to transfer service into her name on 06/01/Our customer service rep informed her that the current person living at that address requested a disconnect for 05/31/and our rep clearly gave the customer the option to either transfer
service on 05/31/or 06/1/ Ms*** gave our rep her clear approval to start on 05/31/2016; starting on the 06/01/would have left the property with no power, but again, the option was provided to Ms*** to decide and to make and she agreed to start on 05/31/On 07/01/2016, customer called to complain about the bill and disputed the start date and the rep informed her that we will pull the call to confirm the start date and the call was escalated to meI listened to the call, as we record our calls for coaching and quality assurance purposes, and then I called the customer back and played back the call and she heard her voice confirming, with no pressure, the start date of 05/31/ I also broke down the bill for her to show that a big bulk of the first bill is for the connect fees and not usageCustomer agreed that she agreed on a start date of 05/31/but then kept saying that still she wants the creditI informed the customer that based on her clear satisfaction and approval and understanding we cannot provide requested creditWe, however, calculated the usage for the nine days of the first bill and the credit for one day came to $that as a one-time courtesy we will apply to her accountLast but not least, I would like to emphasize the following: Ms*** contacted us first on 05/27/and not as she mentioned in her letter on 06/01/2016 The second time Ms*** called us was on 07/01/and not the second day of her first call as she mentioned. There is no record of any conversation where the customer was ever told that we do not go to connect or disconnect and that we physically do not go and shut down as she alleged; we always go to read meters to start and end services or transfer serves, we go as well if we need to remove meters. We never told the customer as she alleged that this is how we do business, nor did I ever told customer as she alleged that it does not matter who lives in the place. I informed the customer that she is not paying for the previous tenant and that we came and read the final reading for the previous tenant and then read for the new tenant; no one pays for the other Regards, Jamil S*SupervisorNOVEC Customer Service###-###-####

Hello,Our response is the final response in this regardWe have done everything reasonable that could have been doneThe customer talks of things that are not related to the account or to NOVEC which are not for us to address.Regards,Jamil S*Customer Service SupervisorNOVEC

**and *** *** have a Capital Credit balance of $2,after they received a
capital credit check on December 1, in the amount of
$16.45.
Capital
credits are the customer’s individual portion of the Cooperative’s net
profits. Because NOVEC is a
not-for-profit business, all revenues over and above the cost of conducting
business each year are retired or allocated back to Cooperative customers. These retirements are called capital
credits. The NOVEC board of directors
determines how much to return to customers and how much to re-invest in the
Cooperative.
A former
customer’s capital credit account remains active even though the customer may
have moved out of the NOVEC service territory.
When a customer applies for service with NOVEC, they agree to be bound
by all policies, procedures, and bylaws of the Cooperative. According to NOVEC bylaws, the only time all
capital credits must be paid is if the Cooperative dissolves (goes out of
business). The board of directors may
decide to return some of the credits before that time if they feel the
Cooperative’s financial position won’t be impaired by doing so. Capital credits cannot be paid until the
board makes a decision to retire all or part of the credits for a particular
year
Unfortunately
we cannot refund the balance of a capital credit account upon the customer’s
request. The credits remain company
assets until they are retired by decision of the boardPamela R***
Customer Service Supervisor
NOVEC

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

Yes, NOVEC does charge a $connection fee on every new account that it opens. This fees covers the cost of the technician visit to install a new meter (if needed), to
take the initial reading to start the new customer’s account, obtain the meter serial number and other embedded costs associated with opening a new account
*** ***’s argument that “we would be out there anyway to take the monthly reading” is not quite applicable to this situation. Since a customer requests service to begin on a date of their choosing, and that day may not be when the meter is read to generate the next bill, a separate trip is needed to connect service. A trip for a new connection requires the technician to approach and visually inspect the meter, while taking monthly readings are done remotely using ERT (electronic remote technology). Using the ERT devices, the technician can drive by the houses to get the meter readings and does not necessarily have to get out of their vehicle.
Although some companies may have no, or lower connection fees, other companies have higher connection fees. NOVEC’s fee of $is mid-range for the industry. The “authority” to charge a connection fee, and have that connection fee set at $40, is on file with, and approved by the State Corporation Commission, the government agency charged with regulating utilities in the state
As a new member, *** *** will soon receive a copy of the Owner’s Manual: Customer Guide to Service & Programs. On page of the manual (attached), under the section “Obtaining Service”, the manual states:
“Any person, firm, association, corporation, or public body desiring service from NOVEC must sign an application for membership and pay all applicable fees.” The Schedule of Fees follows and shows the service connection fee as $40.
I understand that *** *** does not want to be charged a connection fee, but unfortunately this fee is not optional. All new accounts are charged a connection fee
Pamela R***
NOVEC Customer Service Supervisor

**and *** *** have a Capital Credit balance of $2,after they received a
capital credit check on December 1, in the amount of $16.45.
Capital
credits are the customer’s individual portion of the Cooperative’s net
profits. Because NOVEC is a
not-for-profit
business, all revenues over and above the cost of conducting
business each year are retired or allocated back to Cooperative customers. These retirements are called capital
credits. The NOVEC board of directors
determines how much to return to customers and how much to re-invest in the
Cooperative.
A former
customer’s capital credit account remains active even though the customer may
have moved out of the NOVEC service territory.
When a customer applies for service with NOVEC, they agree to be bound
by all policies, procedures, and bylaws of the Cooperative. According to NOVEC bylaws, the only time all
capital credits must be paid is if the Cooperative dissolves (goes out of
business). The board of directors may
decide to return some of the credits before that time if they feel the
Cooperative’s financial position won’t be impaired by doing so. Capital credits cannot be paid until the
board makes a decision to retire all or part of the credits for a particular
year
Unfortunately
we cannot refund the balance of a capital credit account upon the customer’s
request. The credits remain company
assets until they are retired by decision of the board.Pamela R***Customer Service SupervisorNOVEC