Puget Sound Energy, INC.

Thank you for forwarding the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate her bringing this matter to our attentionMs*** states that she emailed PSE to take service out of her name on 10/22/2015, but service was not stopped in her name until 1/14/
Ms***
states that she sent an email to [email protected] to request that her service be removed from her nameThis is not a valid email address for PSE customer service and her request was not receivedAs the email address Ms*** used was not a valid email address for her request, PSE will not consider it to be proper notification of a request to end serviceMs*** service was taken out of her name on 1/14/when she called PSE’s customer service and requested to end service
PSE ends service on the date of notification, which in Ms*** case is 1/14/If Ms*** former property management is willing to contact PSE and accept billing responsibility for service at her apartment for the dates of 10/22/2015-1/14/2016, the end service date can be changed on Ms*** account
We trust that this information will assist in closing the complaintWe apologize for any inconvenience Ms*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely,
Puget Sound Energy

Dear Ms***,We have attached the call recording dated 5/13/for your review. You will hear in this call that our agent advised you that once you are disconnected your account his closed and a new account is opened which is in order to keep the balances seperate. She also advised you to reconnect service a deposit and reconnection charge is requrired and that the minumum to reconnect service is 1/of the deposit + a $reconnection charge. The agent advised you that the full deposit is $252.00. When you said you could not pay that much she advised again the minumum to reconnect service is 1/the deposit which was $+ the $reconnection charge for a total of $163.00. While we do agree the 6/27/statement is misleading as only references a deposit amount of $143.00, the full amount charged (and quoted to you on 5/21/15) was $252.00. PSE will not be removing any of the $deposit. We are sorry this is not the outcome you were hoping for and as we have stated previously, if you feel PSE is not in compliance with the rules we must adhere to as a regulated utility, you do have the right to file a complaint with the *** *** *** ***. Their phone number is*** and their address is *** ** *** ** SW, Olympia WA 98504-9022. If you do choose to file a complaint with the *** they will performance a compliance check to ensure PSE has not violation any rules. If you need to set up payment arrangements on your account balance of $please call our Customer Service Department at ***Regards,SrEscalated Complaints ExaminerPuget Sound EnergyPerformance Management

Dear Mr***
Thank you for forwarding your complaint to our office for
reviewWe appreciate you bringing this matter to our attentionYou state that
you received a high bill as a result of malfunctioning equipment and are
requesting that any back charges be credited from your
account
Puget Sound Energy recently discovered that the module on
your gas meter has been malfunctioning since May The module was replaced
in March 2015, but as a result of the malfunctioning equipment you were under-billed
for your gas usage for that time periodWe have corrected the error and
adjusted your account, and will be sending you a detailed statement showing the
corrections to your bill for usageWhile we are required to bill you for your
consumption during that time period, we have established an interest-free
installment payment program for the chargesA letter explaining the installment
plan was mailed to you on April 29,
I trust that this information will assist in closing your
complaintI apologize for any frustrations you have experienced as a result of
the above matter
Sincerely,
*** *** | SrEscalated Complaints Examiner
Customer Care Operations
Puget Sound Energy
www.pse.com

Dear Ms***,The deposit assessed on your account is not due to "slow pay" it is a result of the number of disconnection notices issued on the account in the most recent monthsAs a regulated utility, the rules allow us to charge a deposit if a customer has received at least notices in
the last monthsOur records indicate there have been disconnect notices sent for your account in the last months
Following are the dates of the disconnect notices that have been sent for your account.8/20/149/22/1410/1/1410/22/1411/20/143/23/154/21/155/20/156/19/157/27/15...⇄ /> Starting in April of this year, PSE's disconnection notices were updated to include the below messaging:
Deposit Warning Message Printed on Urgent and Final Disconnection Notices:
Important: If you receive three delinquency notices within a twelve month period you will be assessed a security depositIf service is disconnected for non-payment, a minimum reconnection fee of $plus a security deposit is required for reconnectionAppointments for reconnection are subject to scheduling availabilityA $service fee will be assessed for each visit by a company representative for the purpose of disconnection which does not result in disconnection of service
PSE's system began automatically charging deposits to all customers after notices had been sent following the message added to the disconnect notices in AprilThe first disconnection noticed issued on your account with the deposit warning message was the disconnection notice sent on 4/21/The deposit was charged on 7/27/after the 5/20, 6/& 7/disconnection notices were sentPSE is not waiving the deposits charged as this business practice is in compliance with the Washington Administrative Code that we must comply with as a Regulated Utility What we can offer is to provide you with a month payment arrangement on the $deposit instead of the month arrangement that PSE is required to provide under the Washington Administrative Code. If you would like to accept the month arrangement, please let us know
Regards,
Customer Care

Thank you for forwarding the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate her bringing this matter to our attentionMs*** states that her electric service was disconnected for nonpayment, and that she was required to pay a deposit and a reconnection fee to have
service restoredShe states is requesting return of a deposit which she believes PSE collected on her account two years ago
Ms*** was mailed an Urgent Notice on February 22, and a Final Notice on March 2, 2016, both advising that payment of $must be received no later than March 10, to avoid disconnection of serviceNo payment was received, and service was disconnected on March 16, PSE has not received any return mail for Ms***
When a customer has been disconnected for nonpayment, the account that was not paid is then closedA new account is opened, and PSE assesses a deposit and a reconnection feeA minimum of half the deposit plus the reconnection fee must be paid before service can be reconnectedThis policy is in accordance with the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) rules which PSE must comply with as a utility regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC)If Ms*** feels that her disconnection was not in compliance with the WAC rules, she may contact the WUTC at 1-888-333-to request a compliance check
PSE records indicate that no deposit was collected when Ms*** opened her prior account number *** on July 17, 2012, and as such no refund is due
We trust that this information will assist you in closing the complaintWe apologize for any inconvenience Ms*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely,
Puget Sound Energy

Dean Mr***,We have performed an investigation on your account and find no record of receiving notification of the January 14th request to end the gas service effective January 30th. The only record we have of you contacting us was by phone on March 6, which is the date we ended the
gas service in your name. In the Revdex.com complaint you filed you stated a new homeowner took occupancy on Jan 31, 2017. If this person contacts PSE and accepts the gas service responsibility effective 1/31/we can make the changes at that time. Regards,Puget Sound EnergyCustomer Care

Thank you for forwarding the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate you bringing this matter to our attentionMr*** states that he is disputing the validity of a corrected statement that he received for the billing periods of September 2014-March
In March
2015, PSE identified that Mr*** meter was not correctly registering usage due to a mechanical malfunction This error resulted in Mr*** being billed for less power than he was actually consumingA new meter was installed on 12/24/All billing statements prior to 3/27/were a reflection of estimated charges from 7/29/14-12/28/14, as well as actual charges from the date of the meter exchange of 12/24/through the billing read on 1/28/When the corrected bill was issued, PSE was able to estimate the usage based on the best available information including historical usage, external temperature, and weather patterns at the locationSince the meter exchange, the reads have been an actual reflection of the usageA representative from PSE will be sending .pdf copies of all statements prior to the correction statement to Mr*** via email for his review
PSE is a regulated utility and must comply with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and all Tariffs and RulesIf Mr*** feels that his corrected bill is not in compliance with all rules and regulations, he may contact the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) at ***
We trust that this information will assist in closing the complaintWe apologize for any frustrations Mr*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely,
Puget Sound Energy

Dear Ms***PSE's position has not changed. As stated in our initial response, PSE is a regulated Utility governed by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. As a regulated utility we are required to bill customer's for the usage they consumed. The rules do not allow us to "write off" the consumption. We apologize that it took almost months to correct your billing. Also as stated in our initial response, we apologize a supervisor did not call you back. At this time, your account has been reviewed by management and found to be in compliance with the rules and a supervisor will not be calling you back. We are sorry this is not the resolution you were looking for. Regards,Stacey H.SrEscalated Complaints ExaminerCustomer Care Operations

Thank you for forwarding the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate him bringing this matter to our attentionMr*** states that although he signed up for service on PSE’s website, his power was disconnected and he was charged a connection fee anyway
PSE
disconnected the gas service to Mr***’s unit on May 16, 2016, after gas usage was detected but no customer called to sign for serviceMr*** contacted PSE that day and an account was created for himBecause the gas service was shut off, Mr*** was charged a one-time Gas Connection Charge of $to reconnect his gas
Although PSE has repeatedly researched Mr***’s statement that he signed for service online, no record of a request for service in his name has been foundAlthough PSE cannot verify for certain that Mr*** did request to sign for service online, the Gas Connection Charge has been credited to his account as a courtesy
We trust that this information will assist you in closing the complaintWe apologize for any inconvenience Mr*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely,
Puget Sound Energy

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***.While I am glad that the business has fixed the error and removed their erroneous charge, I regret that they didn't have courage to apologize for their mistake that caused so much inconvenience and forced me to waste a lot of time.I would like to use this opportunity to thank Revdex.com for helping me to resolve this issue
Sincerely,
*** ***

So days after you steal dollars out of my bank you going to send me a check, that I still have not received, and now I get to drive all over town to get that check put into my bank because you simply could not put it backAs easy as you took the money out , you should have been able to put it backThis check in the mail is completely unacceptableOh and it is Monday the 6th of March and still no check and you took my money days agoComplaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
*** ***

Dear Mr***,The current account balance on the account is $85.73, and is a valid balance owing to Puget Sound Energy. The deposit on the account was charged in accordance with WAC 480-100-Residential Services Deposit Requirements Late fees are not assessed only on deposit amountsPer Electric Tariff G, Schedule 80, Section 31, which states, "Late Payment Fee: A late payment fee of 1% per month will be assessed on all balances which remain unpaid more than business days after the statement due date...", late fees have been assessed on past due balances on this account. There was no error or mistake made by PSE in charging the deposit. There was nothing to fix, and no changes have been made to the deposit amount charged. When an account is closed, the deposit is returned to the account to pay any remaining balances. The balance due of $is the amount owed beyond any payments made and what the deposit covered upon return to the accountIf you feel PSE is out of compliance with the rules and regulations we must adhere to as a regulated utility, you may contact the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission. They may be reached at 1-888-333-or by mail at S Evergreen Park DrSW Olympia, WA Thank you, Customer Care

Thank you for referring the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate him bringing this matter to our attentionMr*** states that his credit report is being negatively impacted by a PSE account that was not in his name
On October 22, 2005, service at ***
*** Ln S.Ein ***, ** was established in *** ***’s name under account number ***Mr*** is the sole responsible billing party for the account*** *** Jrwas added to the account as an authorized party in July 2010, but Mr*** was not a responsible billing party
In February 2015, the account was closed after service was disconnected for nonpayment, and the final account balance of $was referred to external collections in July
After the service was disconnected for nonpayment, a new account number of *** was established in Mr***’s name for the gas service at the addressThe gas service was disconnected for nonpayment a second time in May The final account balance of $was referred to external collections on December 10,
The electric service at the address mentioned above is still in Mr***’s name under account number ***, meaning that he is still the responsible billing party for the serviceIf he would like to take the service out of his name, he may do so by contacting PSE Customer Service at 1-888-225-As Mr*** was the responsible billing party for the accounts that have been referred to external collections, the balances will remain with the collection agencies as originally reported
We trust that this information will assist in closing the complaintWe apologize for any inconvenience Mr*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely, Puget Sound Energy

Thank you for forwarding the complaint of *** *** to our office for reviewWe appreciate her bringing this matter to our attentionMs*** states that she would like PSE to compensate her for costs for damages done to her home and sewer pipe, which she believes were caused by PSE
during replacement of a gas line
On July 27, 2016, PSE received a letter written by Ms*** regarding her request for compensation for damagesThis letter was forwarded to PSE’s Claims Department and assigned to Claims Representative GeneGene has attempted to contact Ms*** to discuss her claim, but has been unable to reach herHer voicemail box is full and unable to accept new messages
Ms*** may contact Gene in the Claims Department by calling 425-456-She may reference claim number ***
We trust that this information will assist you in closing the complaintWe apologize for any inconvenience Ms*** has experienced regarding this matter
Sincerely,
Puget Sound Energy

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: The energy usage shows fluctuation in usage Fluctuation is normal However, something is going on to pad the usage I have also been managing actual usage in real time, and there are too many inconsistencies I have requested a personal on-site evaluation, but NO ONE has responded They also emailed me and told me that my in-home appliances would operate differently during the winter months That is BS!!! The refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, stove, etcis NOT affected by the temperature outside!
Also, they claim temperature Well, last 2/9/to 3/2/the temperature was outside; only a few degrees warmer than the last months I had the EXACT amount of appliances plugged in, and in fact used more baseboard heating then My bill was only $ The temperature from 10/29/to 1/31/fluctuated between degrees, but my bill in January was $ I actually turned UP the temperature on my baseboard heaters in January because we were tired of FREEZING! Nothing else changed with appliance usage -- remained the same for the last year I continue to stand in my determination that something is not right here!
PERIOD
PREV READ
PRES READ
KWH USAGE
BILL AMOUNT
AVG/KWH
Avg Kwh Hours
Avg daily cost
Days in billing cycle
Avg Temp
2/9/- 3/2/
$
3/2/- 3/31/
$
3/31/- 4/29/
$
4/29/- 5/31/
$
5/31/- 6/29/
$
6/29/- 7/29/
$
7/29/- 8/28/
$
8/28/- 9/29/
$
09/03/
Late Fee
$
9/29/- 10/29/
$
10/29/- 12/1/
$
11/05/
Late Fee
$
12/1/- 12/30/
$
12/09/
Late Fee
$
12/30/- 01/31/
$
Sincerely,*** ***

Dear Mr***,
I have reviewed your account and performed a compliance check on the deposit that was charged. As a regulated utility PSE must comply with the WAC (Washington Administrative Code) for deposits the rule states the utility can require a deposit when a customer has been sent
or more disconnections notices in the previous months. Your account shows Disconnection notices have sent in the last months which is the reason for the deposit request. As far as the mailing address for your account, our records show you applied for service for this address on 4/18/and did not provide PSE with a mailing address that was different than your service address and your request to change your mailing address to ** *** *** *** ** *** was not received from you until 2/10/16. I verified the mailing address was changed at that time and your following statement dated 2/29/was mailed to the PO Box.
As a one-time courtesy I have gone ahead and reversed the $deposit charged on 1/29/16. If any additional disconnection notices are sent the system will automatically re-charge the deposit. Additionally, PSE does not report active credit to a collection agency.
If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Service Department at ***
Thank You,
SH - SrEscalated Complaints Examiner
Puget Sound Energy

Dear Mr***, Thank you for forwarding your additional remarks to our office for reviewYou state that you feel that your full account balance, in addition to your budget payments, should have appeared on your monthly statement each monthPSE does provide customers on the budget billing plan with their actual consumption charges as well as their monthly budget payment amountsOn the first page of your monthly bills, there was a section labeled Summary of Budget PlanIn that section were columns for Actual Balance and Budget BalanceThe Actual Balance was the total amount of true consumption for the billing period, and the Budget Balance was the fixed budget payment amountI apologize for any confusion regarding the arrangement of the information contained on your monthly statementsYou state in your complaint that you were told by a PSE agent that your average monthly usage would be about $to $per monthThe average consumption that was quoted to you at the time that you established service was the historical usage at that location and was not a reflection on what you personally would useYour monthly budget payment amount was $per month, but your actual consumption was higher than that which is what resulted in your receiving a final bill that was larger than your budget paymentsI apologize for any confusion that this may have causedNot all customers find the budget plan to be beneficial for their financial situations. PSE does not require customers to utilize this plan and does provide the alternative billing option of paying monthly for all service consumption.I apologize for any inconvenience you experienced regarding your billingSincerely,*** ***Senior Escalated Complaints ExaminerCustomer Care OperationsPuget Sound Energywww.pse.com

Dear Mr***,The reason you were billed for 12/23/is because the new customer started service in their name effective 12/24/and we had not heard from you to end service in your name prior to the new customer's start date of 12/24/16. As a courtesy, we have reversed the one day charges
for your electric and gas service for the one day of service on 12/23/in the amount of $23.15. The amount you owe on your account after this credit is $which was for the previous billing period of 11/23/to 12/22/16. A copy of that statement is attached. Regards,Puget Sound EnergyCustomer Care

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because: our position has not changedWe strongly feel that a monetary/financial penalty equal to or greater than the penalty placed on our account is justified as a result of loss of income due to addressing the electricity disconnectThe fact that they applied credits immediately indicated they accept blame for not notifying us at our current address. Sincerely,*** ***

Hello Mr ***, Our records show that on 10/16/2016, *** *** signed up for Automatic Funds Transfer in order to waive a deposit charged by Puget Sound Energy. Payments have been made through automatic funds transfer since that time. In February, a manual payment was made in
addition to the automatic funds transfer payment. Automatic funds transfer does not change the amount withdrawn based on payments made. The amount withdrawn is the amount due when the statement generates. After cancellation of the automatic funds transfer, a deposit has not been recharged at this time. However, if a late notice is generated going forward, the account is subject to being charged a deposit, if more than three disconnection notices are sent in a month period. A refund has been issued in the amount of $and a check will go out on Friday 3/3/The check will be mailed to***Thank you, PSE Customer Care