Washington Gas

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Every year since I have been on the budget plan I've never had this problem before. I have paid my bill for the hole year and then and only then was my bill credit for whatever amount of money I paid over . I have called Washington gas more than three times left messages, today is the only day I have received a call back. When speaking to a customer representative I was once told again that is was a   SYSTEM ERROR and the only thing that they can do is credit my account fifty dollars. As a customer who has to pay$ 660 do to a system error on Washington Gas part is not fair nor is it a reasonable out come to this very stressful problem. This so called over due balance  has put my family through a financial strain and stress. I'm asking for help not only for me but for other that maybe battling this same problem. I know that I'm just a small fish in a very large pond (Washington Gas) I just want some type of justice.
Regards,
[redacted]

November 19, 2015
Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above referenced
customer was forwarded to my office for review.On Behalf of Washington Gas, we would first like
to say sorry to the customer for the experience she had with the treatment and
disconnection of...

service from the technician named Jerry. We have made contact with [redacted], the collections agency the customer mentioned
and verified the mistake from our end of not being to track the payment
arrangement that was authorized by our company to [redacted] to proceed with a payment
arrangement for the customer. We also tried to make contact with the customer
to advise that we have already started to make adjustments on the bill to take
out the transferred balance.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, Isaiah S.
SpecialistConsumer Relations

Per response forwarded 7/7/15: text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">Discussed to customer the 58-day and 87-day bill

May 13, 2015Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.Our investigation shows that the
refund amount our customer wishes to be refunded has been applied towards their
other accounts. Please see further details below.Refund amount...

of
$1,627.54 from account number [redacted] has been applied to account
number [redacted]Refund amount of
$4,661.65 from account number [redacted] has been applied as follows.
[redacted] - $33.99 / [redacted] - $4,627.66 Unfortunately we can no longer process the refund as the
customer desire. If the customer wishes to further discuss this matter, we ask
the customer to contact our customer service hotline below.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, John D[redacted]Specialist

December 19, 2014
Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We made contact to the customer to get more details
regarding the outbound collection calls she’s been receiving since the
information provided on...

the case filed is not sufficient. Customer informed
that Washington Gas personnel from Virginia Office made contact and was able to
provide resolution.Customer has not received a collection call since then.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, John DSpecialistConsumer Relations

Please See Attachment
6801 Industrial RoadSpringfield, Virginia 22151November 19, 2015Revdex.com1411 K Street NW, 10th FloorWashington DC 20005-3404Attention:  [redacted]Re: [redacted]ID# Case id #...

[redacted]Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We have reviewed the customer’s account thoroughly. Please be informed that the customer was assessed a security deposit of $495.00 (pursuant to WG policy on Security Deposit for MD residential customers);AssessmentThe customer has not paid any bill within 80 days of the render dateRule of Calculating a DepositThe deposit amount is never more than two-twelfths of the total estimated cost of service for a one year periodTo calculate two months of usage, add the previous 12 months of historic gas usage of the service address and divide by 12, then multiply that by twoRelease / Refund RuleAfter the full amount of the deposit has been received the security deposits plus interest are refunded after 12 monthsIf the deposit was paid in installments, the full deposit will be refunded a year after the last installment was paid, provided that the customer established a good payment history for 12 consecutive monthsIf the account has not been turned off for non-payment or has not been overdue more than twice and is not currently delinquentIf an account is closed, and final bill is rendered, the deposit may be applied to the final billWe did a recalculation to comply with the Calculation Rule as stated above and have found that the security deposit assessed should only be $345. With this, we’d like to advise that the customer may to request (i.e. via phone-in to customer service hotline) a refund of $195 from their deposit. The remaining $300 will stay as active deposit and shall be refunded pursuant to Refund Rule as stated above.To answer the customer’s question regarding “proving their bills,” please make use of the chronological accounting below. All regular bills and one setup bill reflect actual gas usage based on monthly meter statement (Meter #[redacted]).DateDescriptionDebitCreditBalance11/13/2015Starting Balance--0.001/27/2015Setup bill (11/13/2015 to 1/27/15; 75 days)779.96779.962/18/2015Service Initiation Charge25.00804.962/25/2015Regular Bill (1/27/15 to 2/25/15; 29 days)408.681213.642/28/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed19.121232.763/10/2015Customer Payment (Credit-card)310.00922.763/26/2015Regular Bill (2/25/15 to 3/26/15; 29 days)336.071258.833/30/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed12.261271.094/22/2015Customer Payment (Check by phone)203.001068.094/24/2015Regular Bill (3/26/15 to 4/24/15; 29 days)151.091219.184/28/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed2.541221.725/13/2015Customer Payment (Check by phone)285.00936.725/26/2015Regular Bill (4/24/15 to 5/26/15; 32 days)84.861021.586/24/2015Regular Bill (5/26/15 to 6/24/15; 29 days)49.931071.517/27/2015Regular Bill (6/24/15 to 7/27/15; 33 days)39.881111.397/28/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed0.751112.147/28/2015Security Deposit Assessed495.001607.147/28/2015Customer Payment (Credit-card)450.001157.148/6/2015Customer Payment (Check by phone)495.00662.148/6/2015Customer Payment (Check by phone)195.06467.088/24/2015Regular Bill (7/27/15 to 8/24/15; 28 days)34.23501.319/23/2015Regular Bill (8/24/15 to 9/23/15; 30 days)38.64539.959/25/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed1.02540.9710/22/2015Regular Bill (9/23/15 to 10/22/15; 29 days)93.47634.4410/26/2015Late Payment Charge Assessed0.58635.0211/6/2015Customer Payment (Credit-card)500135.0211/12/2015Customer Payment (Credit-card) 135.020.00 Regarding customer’s request to setup e-billing, please be advised that e-billing is strictly for users only—we invite customer has to visit eservice.washgas.com for registration.For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at [redacted].Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, Daniel ** A[redacted]SpecialistConsumer Relations

6801 Industrial RoadSpringfield, Virginia 22151December 31, 2015Revdex.com1411 K Street NW, 10th FloorWashington DC 20005-3404Attention:  [redacted]Re: [redacted]Case id # [redacted]Dear [redacted]:The inquiry...

regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We would first like to apologize to the customer if there had been any misunderstanding with his conversations over the phone with customer service. A customer’s bill would still retain a discontinuance notice even if there is a pledge received for the account; once a pledge is receive through documents or through a phone conversation, we will then decide if the amount is sufficient to put a hold on the customer’s account which would prevent disconnection of service. Based on the interactions in the account, a MEAP representative reached out to our company dated 11/20/2015 to advice of a pledge for the customer, which then resulted for us to place a significant hold using a tracer to prevent disconnection of service. The payment for the pledge has been applied on the account 12/22/2015 which made the customer’s account current and safe from any disconnection.For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at ###-###-####.Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, Isaiah *. S[redacted]SpecialistConsumer Relations

May 12, 2015
Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.In response to the customer’s query regarding
information being provided to the Third Party Supplier. To Foster a more
competitive energy environment that can benefit customers, state regulations
allow Washington Gas and other utilities to provide certain customer
information to licensed competitive energy suppliersFor inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, 
John D.SpecialistConsumer Relations

I'm using bullets to keep this to the point - BLUF - I have no choice in my gas provider so I feel stuck.
- they had a glitch and took my payment 3 times on the same day.
- I went online to my account to see what happened (auto bill pay and paperless)
- Tried to reset my password (not sure what happened because I had it written down, including the answer to my security question)
- rep on phone said they can't "undo" the payment and suggested I just let them keep the extra to count towards my next couple bills
- I found that answer unacceptable
- They said I would have to wait 30 days for a check to be issued
- They also said they would reset my password and email a temporary password to me (the online system wouldn't work)
- After I initiated that process I then got the email that they acknowledged the glitch and would refund the account
- 2 weeks later I have the check and I called to see the best way to get it back to them
- Also tried to reset my password AGAIN
- My account is locked and they can't unlock it
SO - after 2 weeks I still don't have online access and their left hand does not seem to know that their right hand is doing
- customer service has been close to useless and the website access has been useless
If I could change providers I would not hesitate.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  Your procedures are STILL not clear.  After admitting I had missed a payment or two or have even been late, how does bringing that previous balance forward to current make your billing process clear?  I have been paying the current balance since that is the only thing that is clear to me and others who complain about your confusing billing process.  So, you assess me late fees on your "previous forward balance"? Where does my "current balance" payment get applied to?  Why are there so many lines of payment? How on earth can being late for a payment or two total upwards of $600?!?
Also, It is my intent to contact you.  You contacted me during the 4th of July holiday weekend.  Most people and business cease business to enjoy the 4th of July holiday break, which I was on.  You bet I'll be calling you directly Mr. D[redacted].
Regards,
[redacted]

October 28, 2014Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We apologize for the inconvenience of not having gas service at the property. The gas was disconnected due to the unpaid balance. We appreciate the effort in paying the gas bills...

however the payment were not enough to pay the usages. The customer was informed as early as December in 2012 of the account status and also how disconnection of service can be prevented. The customer needs to call Ms. D[redacted] at ###-###-#### if he wishes to discuss the account as no terms will be provided for the restoration of service.For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at ###-###-####.Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely,William S. Specialist Consumer Relations

6801 Industrial Road
Springfield, Virginia 22151
 
September 11, 2014
 
Revdex.com
1411 K Street NW, 10th Floor
#000000;">Washington DC 20005-3404
 
Attention: David Dennis
 
Re: [redacted]
ID# [redacted]
Dear [redacted]:
The inquiry regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.
The customer was enrolled on the budget billing program of $35.00 when the account was set up in September 2013 The budget installment amount is periodically reviewed to check if an increase or decrease is needed depending on the status of the total actual usage compared to the total amount billed on the account to avoid the possibility of a huge debit balance by the end of the budget season. When the customer signed up a contract with a supplier the budget program was terminated and the account reflected a debit balance of $259.70 which was in turn added to the accounts new budget billing program of $147.00. Payments were not made to the account for the duration of the enrollment with the supplier resulting to the balance reflected on the bill. The customer can call to work out an agreeable payment arrangement to make the account current.
For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at ###-###-####.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.
Sincerely,
 
William S[redacted]
Specialist
Consumer Relations

October 28, 2014
Dear [redacted]:
The inquiry regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.
We apologize for the inconvenience of not having gas service at the property. The gas was disconnected due to the unpaid balance. We appreciate the effort...

in paying the gas bills however the payment were not enough to pay the usages. The customer was informed as early as December in 2012 of the account status and also how disconnection of service can be prevented. The customer needs to call Ms. D[redacted] at ###-###-#### if he wishes to discuss the account as no terms will be provided for the restoration of service.For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at ###-###-####.Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.
Sincerely,
William S. 
Specialist Consumer Relations

March 18, 2015 
Dear [redacted]:We thank you for the opportunity to respond
towards concern raised.The customer had an account with
Washington Gas when the customer resided in Virginia in 2008 and review showed
that the customer has already settled the final balance...

of the account. We want
to apologize to the customer for the inconvenience this may have caused. The
customer’s email address was deleted and we assure that there would be no
further notifications that will be made to the customer. The customer can
reach us thru our customer service hotline at [redacted].Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, William SSpecialistConsumer Relations

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:I am not satisfied with the failed attempt of Washington Gas to resolve this issue. I am requesting that my account be returned to a zero balance and that I get monthly bills for the actual amount of gas used and opt out of the budget plan.Regards,[redacted]

April 20, 2015Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.First and foremost the meter is not defective. The ERT
(Encoder Receiver Transmitter) device used to remotely read the meter is what
needed to be inspected since it is not...

providing an actual reading (estimated
reading).We made multiple attempts to make contact, informing customer of what
needs to be accomplished due to the Consecutive Estimated Reading. In two
different occasions, our technician came out but failed to complete the task
since nobody is home. Washington Gas did not fail to educate and inform customer by mailing
the letters and calling the customer on our efforts to have the meter
inspected. Customer should have contacted the property management for an
appointment date where they can provide access to the meter. This also includes
access to the premise/property of the customer which he/she can provide.Unfortunately Washington Gas cannot meet the customer’s desired
settlement and or outcome. We are billing customer based on what he/she have
consumed within the period of tenancy. The Final Bill is based on an actual
read which caused the catch up bill due to consecutive estimated reading.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, John DSpecialistConsumer Relations

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
It is completely unacceptable for my personal information to be given to anyone without my express permission.  I am requesting that Washington Gas remove ALL personal information associated with me, my account, previous house, etc.  I will need written confirmation when this has been completed.
Regards,
[redacted]

6801 Industrial Road
Springfield, Virginia 22151
July 8, 2014
Revdex.com
1411 K Street NW, 10th Floor
Washington DC...

20005-3404
Attention: [redacted]
Re: [redacted]
ID#[redacted]
Dear [redacted]:
The inquiry regarding the above referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.
Upon careful review/investigation on the complaint regarding the High Bill due to a gas leak. Washington Gas was able to verify that based on technicians finding dated 04/28/2014. The leak described in the technicians note was from a washer missing on the outlet swivel. Gas amounts possibly lost here were too insignificant to be measured. The burner on the hot water heater was found to have issues resulting in the appliance being tagged and left off. This inefficiency could have contributed to more gas being used than actually required when the burner was working effectively.
Other Reasons behind the High Bill that exceeded the $150.00 customer mentioned on his statement can be explained on the dates / period where the usage has gone up. This is the winter season months and besides that DC has encountered some series of snow storm that can also contribute high gas usage of the appliance/s due to weather conditions.

For inquiries and follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at ###-###-####.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this matter for you.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Specialist
Consumer Relations

February 27, 2015Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We appreciate for making Washington Gas aware of our
customer’s concern regarding the estimated start date reading.Upon careful evaluation of the customer’s case.
Washington...

Gas will credit the customer’s account amounting to $70.00 which
will be applied towards the customer’s gas balance. We take in consideration
the customer’s full explanation on why the usage should not be 88CCF for a 10
days period.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, John DSpecialist

December 18, 2014Dear [redacted]:The inquiry regarding the above
referenced customer was forwarded to my office for review.We appreciate the feedback from our
valued customers, comments and suggestions are welcomed by Washington Gas for
us to better provide our customers the service they all...

deserve and to meet
their expectation. Customer and I spoke on our goal to
complete all task in a timely manner. We came into understanding and were on
the same page with WG’s attempt to prevent future issue/s such as to what
customer encountered.For inquiries and
follow-up, the customer can reach us thru our customer service hotline at
###-###-####.Thank you for the
opportunity to review this matter for you.Sincerely, John DSpecialistConsumer Relations