Super Car Wash

Good afternoon,
?
Ms*** has recently contacted PNM regarding her high bill.? Our investigation has shown that this high and unexpected? usage
did? occur at her property, and has been accurately billed to her account.? When troubleshooting large bills a
customer might
receive there some steps we can take to help try to determine the cause of
unexpected usageHowever, PNM is
limited in the ways we can troubleshoot this type of complaint.? This is especially true when the complaint
involves an apartment complex
?
When a customer calls us about a high bill, we want to check to make
sure their most recent meter reading was correct.? While our meter readers are experts in
reading these meters, they are only human, and occasionally make errors.? We will ask a customer to get a reading from
their meter if possible, and determine if we have read the meter correctly.? In this case the reading we got over the
phone confirmed the most recent reading as accurate
?
Another troubleshooting step we will use to try to help understand what
appliance(s) a customer has that may be causing the unexpected high usage is to
do what we refer to as a ‘breaker test’.?
A breaker test works by having the person turn off all of their breakers
at the property, and then to check the meter to see if usage is still
occurring.? Then, one by one, we have the
person turn the breakers back on, and then check the meter to see which breaker
is connected to whatever is causing of the high usage.? While this will help determine where the
highest usage is happening on the property, it may not make it 100% clear what
the cause for the unexpectedly high usage is.?
To determine the exact cause of the usage, a customer or property owner
would need to hire an electrician to run tests to find the exact issue.?
?
In this particular case, the customer called us back after doing the
breaker test, and stated that the meters usage had recorded kWh worth of
usage while the breakers where off.? This
tells us that there is possibly some sort of electrical connection that is
connected to the meter, which is not also connected to the breaker box.? In a house this can usually be easy to locate
and is usually something like a pool or hot tub that may be on the property but
has a separate breaker on a dedicated electric connection that may not be
connected to the breaker box.? However,
this can be much harder to determine at an apartment complex without the help of
an electrician
?
With the exception of the electric meter, all of the electrical wiring
and equipment on any property is owned by the property owner, be it a home
owner, or the property owner of an apartment complex.? This wiring was not installed by PNM or owned
by PNM.? If there is something that is
connected to Ms***’s meter that is not connected through the breaker
box in her apartment, then this is something that the property owner would need
to hire an electrician to find
?
Prior to Ms*** moving into this apartment, PNM was contacted by
the apartment complex management to investigate a meter mix up between the
apartment she moved into and an apartment next door.? The investigation showed that the two meters
were mixed up, so PNM swapped the meters and correct this in our billing
system.? However, this was not a PNM
error that caused the meter mix up.?
Because all of the electrical wiring is owned by the property owner,
when PNM installs our meter at the property, we rely on the customer’s
electrician to properly label each meter box and make sure it is connected to the
right apartment.? PNM cannot tell if the
meter box is improperly marked
?
Our meters can only measure the amount of electricity that flows
through it; they are unable to ‘see’ what appliance(s) are using the
electricity.? If there is an issue with
something that is causing unexpected high usage at her apartment, then the
property owner must hire an electrician to be able to determine the cause of
this usage.? This is an issue that the
tenant and property owner must work out between them.?
?
Please let? us know if you need any further information

Good afternoon,
Pursuant to NM State Statute, PNM is restricted from giving out any customer information without the
customers express permission.?
62-8-Consumer information;
disclosure prohibited
A.? ? ? A public utility, as defined
pursuant to Section
62-3-NMSA 1978, or its employees or agents shall not sell
or disclose consumers' nonpublic personal information without the customer's
permission or unless it is in accordance with standardized credit reporting
practices, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 56, Article NMSA or the
federal Fair Credit Reporting Act or other reporting requirements imposed on
the public utility.? ?
B.? ? ? Exempted from the provisions
of this section are:?
(1)? ? ? the public regulation
commission pursuant to the Public Utility Act [62-13-NMSA 1978] and the
Public Regulation Commission Act [8-8-NMSA 1978] and rules adopted pursuant
to those acts; or?
(2)? ? ? an action by a government
agency or an officer, employee or agent of an agency acting on behalf of the
agency to obtain telephone records in connection with the performance of the
official duties of the agency
This particular statue prevents
PNM from responding to this complaint with any specific customer account
informationI would highly recommend
that the customer contact our customer service center at ###-###-#### to
discuss their complaint further.?
?
Aaron
PNM
Executive Customer Relations

The extra $monthly charge has been refunded to the customers account, leaving a balance of $27.50.? We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused the customer.? Please let us know if you need any further information.?

Thank you for your inquiryI’ve reviewed the account you’ve
submitted and find that PNM has performed our required functions for billing
correctly in this instanceI’d like to explain our investigation and
conclusion
?
Our
customer has asserted that the usage this winter has
been a great deal higher than last winter, and that is correctThe total
billed consumption from November to February is around 89% higher
than the same period the previous yearWe can certainly understand why that
would be a cause of concern to any customer
?
PNM’s responsibilities in rendering a bill to a customer can
generally be considered to provide an accurate measurement device, collect an
accurate measurement each billing period (within reason), and bill for all electricity
measured
?
We provide a meter to each customer that is pre-tested for
accuracyIn this situation, due to the large increase, we exchanged the meter
used for the period in question on March and subsequently tested itThe
meter is operating within limits, as defined in public utility
regulations issued by our governmental oversight authority, the New Mexico
Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC)This means that we did provide an
accurate measuring device
?
It is PNM’s responsibility to obtain an actual meter reading
from each meter for each billing periodBecause human error is an inevitable
reality in our business, we use a process (as do most utilities with metered
service) to account for human error and ensure that the process will “self-correct”
Our meters are not reset while they are on a customer’s property; they continue
registering from the last reading, similar to how a car odometer doesn’t reset
when you turn the car offIf you’ve not ever seen how that results in a
self-correcting system, I’ll provide an example*** just built a new home, and
got a brand new meter with a starting reading of In his first month, he uses
kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, and so his meter reads “100”However,
the meter reader accidently enters a reading of “150” into the systemThis
means that for month 1, *** has paid for kWh of electricity, which is more
than he usedHowever, the meter keeps recording for month two from its actual
first reading of “100”*** also used kWh in his second month, and so on
meter reading day, the meter now reads “200”The meter reader in month
enters the correct reading of “200” into the systemOur system recognizes that
*** was already billed for kWh last month, and so only bills him kWh
this monthIf we’d taken the correct reading for month 1, *** would have been
billed for kWh for the two monthsEven with the error, though, *** is
still only billed for kWh
?
At the account referenced in your inquiry, we took a reading
of on March 17, when we exchanged the meter for testingThe last
clear and undisputed reading was taken on November 18, at This means
that, since the meter was measuring accurately, we know for certain that 7,
kWh were used between November 18, and March 17, This particular
customer is disputing a bill based on a reading taken February 21, of
Because is between the two verified reads, it’s likely correct (if
it were higher than the read in March, we’d know it to be an error because the
meter does not run backward)
?
While ordinarily PNM must obtain an actual reading each
billing period, there are situations in which we are permitted to estimate a
bill, and this account was estimated in December, as a locked gate prevented
our meter reader from taking the readingTypically speaking, as estimates
under these conditions are permissible, we don’t offer to review the final cost
of a bill based on the estimate unless the customer can either provide us with
a reading or requests a rereadHowever, given that the January and especially
February bills were higher than expected, we decided to make certain that a
combination of the estimate, a potential human error (there’s no evidence of
such but it’s always a potential), and the way our pricing structure works
didn’t adversely impact the customer
?
PNM’s pricing structure for this rate charges customers a
low rate for the first kWh in a standard billing period, a slightly higher
rate for the next 450, and a premium rate for usage in a billing period
exceeding kWhBecause our residential pricing structure is such that
customers pay more for electricity the more they use each month, and the fact
that this customer had an estimated reading and higher than typical consumption,
we decided to run a simulation available to us in these circumstances to see if
the customer was impacted substantially by these eventsIn this case, we
looked at the kWh consumption from November 18, to February 21, to
find a daily averageWe multiplied that average daily consumption and used the
average to figure out how much consumption would have been billed in each
billing period (based on the number or days, since that can vary)We simulated
bills for the newly calculated usage, and found that the difference to the
customer would have been less than $That is not enough to justify
rebilling the account, as it suggests that the initial billing was correct
?
To sum up, PNM has thoroughly investigated this matter
We’ve determined that we have correct readings from a working measurement
device, and that human error was unlikely, because apportioning the usage
evenly over the three months in question makes almost difference in the final
price of the bill

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: The usage does not add up and PNM is again utilizing months out of the specification of the disputeThe month in dispute IS NOT NOVEMBERThis is highly unacceptable that you cannot even review the information provided and instead try to pull off other months to even out your falsified data
Regards,
*** *** [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

Authorization for release of information attached

I never received any communication prior to the refusal and blocking on our account to pay our bill.? PNM should be forced to in block and allow online payments

Revdex.com? Jefferson, NE? Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109? Re: ID#*** - PNM? Gentlemen:? In compliance with the statutes, I unlocked the back gate on December 6, at 7:a.m.? During the afternoon my nephew took me grocery shopping and we were away for approximately two hoursHe verified the gate was unlocked upon departure and also when we returnedAt 7:p.mI locked the gateI cannot keep my gate unlocked due to security concerns.? The following day I received the telephone recorded message that the meter reader was unable to gain access to the meterUpon checking my cameras, there was no indication of anyone walking up the driveway or near the meterI then called PNM advising that someone was not being truthful and requested they read the meter that week as I would not pay an estimated bill under the circumstances, This did not happen but much to my surprise two different meter readers came on two different days during the same week (not scheduled)The January 8, meter reading resulted in a statement in the amount of $and which was paid on January 12, This amount is comparable to my average usage of $60-monthly.? The inefficiency of the meter reader is their problem - not mine.? Due to the details stated herein, I am not liable for their charge of $I am a law abiding citizen and it appears I am a victim of circumstances.? Numerous telephone calls were made by me to PNM and I am positive they have a record of my concerns.? Respectfully?
*** ***

Service was started under customer’s account on December 18th,
2014.? The customer signed up for
paperless billing on this date and gave PNM the same email address to send his
bills to as it is listed on this Revdex.com complaint.?
Every bill that PNM issued to the customer was sent to
this email
address, including the final bill that they are disputing in this
complaint.?
The customer did not contact PNM customer service to stop
their electric serviceInstead, they used
our website on November 7th, to schedule a move out order to be
worked on November 11th, PNM records every single phone call we
receive; we record the date, time, length, and voice conversation.? We also have records of when someone calls us
accidentally, and the call only last for a few seconds.? There are two phone numbers listed on the
customer’s inactive account.? I did not
find any records of either phone number contacting PNM in October or November
of 2015.?
The final bill for the account was created on November 11th,
and mailed to his email address on November 12th.? Attached is a copy of this email.? The bill went unpaid, and the balance was eventually
written off and sent to a collection agency on February 20th,
2016.? This balance still remains unpaid
as of the writing of this response.?
PNM did send the customer his final bill via email as we had
done with all of his other bills and gave ample opportunity for the final
balance to be paid off before it was written off and sent to collections.? PNM has also acted in
accordance with standardized credit reporting practices, pursuant to the
provisions of Chapter 56, Article NMSA and the federal Fair Credit
Reporting Act when this balance was sent to a collection agency.? There was no PNM error that led to this
balance being written of or being reported to a collection agency.?

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
*** *** [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]*** *** ** has always been in tenants name not mine, any balance from *** *** should be transferred to my address at *** ***.? I have made several calls and talked to it after another who assured me this would happen

Good
afternoon,
?
PNM did
estimate the electrical usage for Ms***? account on Dec 6th,
due to a locked gate.? Per NMAC Rule
the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission allows electric utilities to estimate
a customer’s bill for up to two months in a row
for various reasons.? Below is the specific rule:
?
NMAC
ESTIMATED BILLS: B.? A utility may render a bill based on
estimated usage to a residential customer other than a seasonally billed
residential customer if the utility through no fault of its own is unable to
obtain access to the residential customer’s premises for the purposes of
reading the meter or in situations where the residential customer makes reading
the meter unnecessarily difficult; a meter is defective or has been evidently
tampered with or bypassed; or weather conditions prohibit meter readings other
force majeure conditions exist.? If the
utility is unable to obtain an actual meter reading for these reasons it shall
attempt to contact the residential customer to obtain access to the premises,
or it shall undertake reasonably practical alternatives to obtain a meter
reading.?
?
PNM
attempted to gain access to the property to get a meter reading without success
due to a locked gate.? Because of this we
estimated her electrical usage for the billing period of November 3rd,
to December 6th, 2017.?
When we estimate a bill, we use historical consumption records from the
previous year during the same time frame and then the previous month’s
bill.? This gives us a usually fairly
accurate estimation of how much electricity was used by the customer.? Since PNM is required to provide our customers
with monthly bill by the PRC, it is sometimes necessary for us to estimateWe will also send a letter to our customer’s
whose meter we were unable to access notifying them of the estimation and what
can be done to remedy the situation
?
If the
estimate does not account for all of the customers usage during the time frame
that was estimated, a “catch up” bill may occur the following month when we are
able to obtain an actual meter reading.?
In this case, we were able to get an actual meter reading on Jan 8th,
We were also able to re-read the
meter on Jan 12th as requested by the customer, confirming the
accuracy of our last meter reading.? The
Jan 8th meter reading did account for some usage that had occurred between
Nov 3rd and Dec 6th that had not been accounted for in
the estimated reading.? Usage through Dec
6th should have been kWh rather than kWh.? In turn, the
January usage would have been lower around kWh rather than kWh
?
We
understand that it is important to get an accurate monthly reading every month
for our customer’s and to not estimate the bill unless absolutely
necessary.? And we understand that estimates
or not always 100% accurate, as they are in fact only estimations of
consumption.? However, the bills produced
based on an estimated reading are valid according to the NMPRC.? The bill for $that the customer is
disputing is in fact a valid bill.? There
has been a late payment fee of $charged to the account since the balance
has gone unpaid.? I will remove this
charge from her account; however the $does need to be paid by the
customer soon.? If this balance continues
to go unpaid, it may result in disconnection of power for non-payment.? This disconnection would be in compliance
with NMAC 17.5.410.? If a payment arrangement
is needed we will be happy to work this out with the customer.? She will need to contact our customer service
contact center via phone, or through our website to make this arrangement.?
?
Please let
us know if you have any further questions or require further information.?

Good afternoon,
?
The customer
did have a deposit on his account for the *** *** ** ** address in the
amount of $390.00.? On March 27, 2010,
the deposit along with interest was paid back to his account, giving the account
a credit of $392.41.? On March 29th,
2010, a new electric bill was issued in the amount of $130.15, which was taken
out of the credit on the account, reducing the credit to $262.26.?
?
The customer
had had active service at *** *** ** ** until February 2nd, 2010,
when a new customer called to take over service at that address.? The final balance due was $272.12, and went
unpaid for over days.? On March 31st,
2010, we transferred this unpaid balance to his active account at *** *** ** **.? When the transfer was
completed, these past due charges were mostly paid for by the $credit on
the active account at *** ***, leaving a balance due of $
?
NMAC Rule
allows electric utility companies to transfer unpaid balances from premises
no longer active in that particular customer’s name to any other active account
under the same cr.?
?
“NMAC PROHIBITIONS ON
DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE: A utility
shall not discontinue service for: B
the failure of a residential customer to pay for service received at a separate
metering point, residence, or location; however, in the event of discontinuance
or termination of service at a separate residential metering point, residence,
or location, a utility may transfer any unpaid balance due to any other
residential service account of the residential customer and proceed in
accordance with subsection B of NMAC;”
?
PNM did give
the customer back his $deposit plus interest earned on this deposit throughout
the time we had a deposit on file for his service.? The deposit was only? applied to electric usage
that they? were responsible for under? their specific account
number.?
?
As far as
the account being on our Landlord Standby program, we are not sure what
relevance that has to this complaint, however we are showing that the customer
had requested that the landlord standby program be setup at the *** ***
address on 4/25/11, and this was only recently terminated by the customer
through our website on 5/2/
?
Please let
us know if you need any further information
?
PNM
Executive Customer Relations

PNM did inadvertently charge the customer’s account for an extra deposit before her first bill was issued, but was also charged after she paid for her original deposit Because of this, when her first bill was issued, the extra deposit was showing as past due on her account When she made a
payment that was supposed to go against her usage charges, our automated system actually applied that payment against the oldest unpaid charges on the account, the extra deposit charged The supervisor that had suggested the customer make this payment had also included this information the trouble ticket that she sent to our billing team, to ensure that payment would be applied to the customer’s usage charges when the deposit issue was finally resolved
The customer did call us about this issue on more than one occasion, and was advised that this issue would be resolved At the time I am writing this response, the extra deposit has been removed from her account and the money paid against that deposit has been applied to her account balance There was a new bill that was issued on Feb 22nd that still showed the past due balance, which prompted this complaint At the time that bill was being issued the account worked required to fix the issue was still in process and not yet fully completed, thus why her February bill still showed this balance past due
I apologize for any inconvenience and confusion our mistake has caused the customer In some cases, like this one, there are factors that go into the amount of time it takes to resolve a billing or payment issue, and may take several business days for the process to be completed At this time the customer’s account balance is now $for current charges for February, and there is no longer a past due balance for $for the extra depositThe adjustments will reflect on the customer’s next bill to be mailed March 21st Please let us know if you need any further information

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:? No? bill was sent to my new address or old address.? No one from PNM reached out to me and told me I had a balance due
Regards,
*** ***[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the responseIf the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

Good afternoon,
Recently, PNM received two payments for this customer's account that were returned One payment was returned due to insufficient funds, the other payment was returned because the account the payment was make against does not exist PNM’s policy is that after two or more returned payments are received in a very short time, we will no longer allow a customer to make payments by online methods
However, a customer can still pay with cash, Cashier’s check, Money Order, or by using their financial institutions automatic bill pay The block from paying online lasts for months, and once the months has passed the payment restriction is then lifted off of the customer’s account PNM is not obligated or responsible for compensating any customer for any costs they incur to pay their electric utility bill
PNM Executive Customer Relations