We Energies

Review: Hello, my issues with his company are with both the billing AND customer service. I have been billed for two months for a large amount of electricity that is just not feasible that we are using. When they were contacted the first mont upon receiving the $526.00 bill for a condo unit with NO heated basement, kept at 68/70 degrees and barely using lights was just ridiculously high. Myself and my partner [redacted] spoke to several customer service representatives who have stated themselves that it is a high bill. One representative that [redacted] spoke to also admitted herself that was a unusually high bill and would honor our request to have a technician come out and look at our meter that she agreed with us that I was possible something was faulty with the wiring. As if you look on the rear of my unit you can see that there was a newly installed meter because it is a light gray in color when the rest are brown. That is the meter that We Energies has been billing me these outrageously high amounts from. When asked if they physically look at the meter it was stated that they did not it was electronically read from their computer system. After being told a technician would be sent out I unfortunately missed the initial call to schedule one as I work a third shift and sleep during the day. When [redacted] called back we where informed that there was no record of our calling and that this representative was not going to send out a technician. And it has just been his type of a up hill battle to just get a technician out to look at this meter. Since than I have paid the $526 as I do not want to ruin my credit rating in the meantime even though I do not agree to the amount. I have now gotten a $670.45 bill due 2/4!! How low are we suppose to turn our thermostat down??? It is a cold winter and I have two young children we barely use ANY electricity to explain these charges. Our thermostat is already set to 68 we have covered the windows since the last bill yet NO matter what I DO am I being charged $143.00 MORE. They are claiming that we are using insurmountable amount of energy. All we have on at night is one lamp and a TV. And no lights during the day because I sleep and the TV. There is NO way that those two items are going to cause that much energy. I have repeatedly requested a technician to be refused repeatedly. One customer service representative went so far as to blame my sister the former occupant for not advising their technician of where to place the meter. I'm sorry my sister is not a electrician she does not know where the meter should be placed and that is not up to her. That to me tells me that they know their meter is faulty otherwise why not just send a technician out to remedy the problem refund what I over paid and be done with it?? I have even been told by email by a representative to hire a electrician when I again requested a technician. Why? It's not faulty wiring of mine it's their faulty meter. I'm already being way overcharged by their company now I am to have to pay an electrician for their faulty meter?? The unit was unoccupied with the appliances UNPLUGGED and my sister received a $100-$200 bill from them and that was when NO ONE was in there and nothing was plugged in thermostat at 50. My requests for a technician to come out and look at this meter have continually been ignored. I would like it to be looked at and this to be remedied. I want the meter to be fixed, my money refunded or credited and this bill adjusted. There is no way we are using that amount of energy.

Thank you,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: A technician to fix the meter, refund what I already have overpaid, an apology and billing adjustments.

Business

Response:

We

have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s account information and agree that her recent bills

have been very high. Her past two months of billed consumption have been higher

than any monthly totals at this apartment in several years.

We

received a report on January 17, 2013 from a third-party male that Ms.

[redacted]’s meter continued to register usage after he had turned off the

breakers to the apartment. Since receiving that report we have attempted five times

to contact Ms. [redacted], three via phone and twice through email, but have not

been able to reach her and she has not called us back. Our second email, on

January 30th, included the results of an on-site meter test completed that same

day in response to her high bill concerns. Our technician indicated the meter tested

accurately, but said there was significant draw on the socket at the time of

the test, consistent with a unit using electric heat. He also indicated he

received no answer at the door when knocking/ringing (at approximately 10:30am).

Based

on the report that usage continued to register when the breakers were shut off,

the first thing that needs to be determined is whether or not Ms. [redacted] is

being billed for the correct meter. If she is not, conversations about

conservation and possible culprits for the high usage are irrelevant. This is

why it is important for Ms. [redacted] to call us back as soon as possible. While

we do not employ technicians who work on internal wiring or appliances, if

internal access can be provided we can send someone to help determine if the

meter is assigned properly (this is why the tech checked if anyone was home on

1/30).

We

must stress that we can only assist in a situation that involves one unit being

assigned to another unit’s meter, and vice versa, because that only involves

rebilling the usage to the correct unit. If Ms. [redacted]’s meter serves her unit

and part of another unit, or it serves her unit and building common areas, it

is a crossed-wiring issue and she or the owner would have to contact an

electrician.

Also,

please note that most instances of a meter being billed to the wrong unit are a

result of incorrect information provided by a builder, contractor, or owner,

whether it is a mismarked socket or incorrect plans submitted to our new

service department. Ms. [redacted]’s concern that one of our customer service reps

suggested it could be her sister’s fault if the meter is interchanged is very

likely a misunderstanding, because her sister moved to this unit in 2008. The

meter currently serving it was installed in 2005.

We

do, of course, correct billing accordingly regardless of who caused meters to

be interchanged, so it is important for Ms. [redacted] to call us as soon as possible

to arrange an appointment. If, after the investigation, we determine she is

being billed for the correct meter, daily usage suggests the apartment's heating system is the primary driver of the consumption. On very cold days over

the past six weeks – days with high temperatures well below zero – the daily

kilowatt-hour usage has been very high, while the more mild days show

significantly less consumption. If we are billing Ms. [redacted] for the correct

meter and the bills remain high, her next step would be to talk with the owner

of the property about the heating system and whether or not it is functioning

properly. As always, we can provide account information to Ms. [redacted] at her

request.

We Energies Customer Assistance

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

"We have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s account information and agree that her recent bills have been very high. Her past two months of billed consumption have been higher than any monthly totals at this apartment in several years.

We received a report on January 17, 2013 from a third-party male that Ms. [redacted]’s meter continued to register usage after he had turned off the breakers to the apartment. Since receiving that report we have attempted five times to contact Ms. [redacted], three via phone and twice through email, but have not been able to reach her and she has not called us back. Our second email, on January 30th, included the results of an on-site meter test completed that same day in response to her high bill concerns. Our technician indicated the meter tested accurately, but said there was significant draw on the socket at the time of the test, consistent with a unit using electric heat. He also indicated he received no answer at the door when knocking/ringing (at approximately 10:30am).

Based on the report that usage continued to register when the breakers were shut off, the first thing that needs to be determined is whether or not Ms. [redacted] is being billed for the correct meter. If she is not, conversations about conservation and possible culprits for the high usage are irrelevant. This is why it is important for Ms. [redacted] to call us back as soon as possible. While we do not employ technicians who work on internal wiring or appliances, if internal access can be provided we can send someone to help determine if the meter is assigned properly (this is why the tech checked if anyone was home on 1/30).

We must stress that we can only assist in a situation that involves one unit being assigned to another unit’s meter, and vice versa, because that only involves rebilling the usage to the correct unit. If Ms. [redacted]’s meter serves her unit and part of another unit, or it serves her unit and building common areas, it is a crossed-wiring issue and she or the owner would have to contact an electrician.

Also, please note that most instances of a meter being billed to the wrong unit are a result of incorrect information provided by a builder, contractor, or owner, whether it is a mismarked socket or incorrect plans submitted to our new service department. Ms. [redacted]’s concern that one of our customer service reps suggested it could be her sister’s fault if the meter is interchanged is very likely a misunderstanding, because her sister moved to this unit in 2008. The meter currently serving it was installed in 2005.

We do, of course, correct billing accordingly regardless of who caused meters to be interchanged, so it is important for Ms. [redacted] to call us as soon as possible to arrange an appointment. If, after the investigation, we determine she is being billed for the correct meter, daily usage suggests the apartment's heating system is the primary driver of the consumption. On very cold days over the past six weeks – days with high temperatures well below zero – the daily kilowatt-hour usage has been very high, while the more mild days show significantly less consumption. If we are billing Ms. [redacted] for the correct meter and the bills remain high, her next step would be to talk with the owner of the property about the heating system and whether or not it is functioning properly. As always, we can provide account information to Ms. [redacted] at her request.

We Energies Customer Assistance"

I have several issues with this response. First I contacted We Energies in December regarding the $526.00 bill and requested SEVERAL times by phone myself & my boyfriend [redacted] whom I gave permission to discuss my account, to send someone to look at my meter due to the high bill. We were initially told that yes that is unusually and they would send someone out and call to make an appointment like I have previously stated stated I did miss that call as I do work a third shift and do not get to bed until after 3:00am so I sleep during the day. We did call back to make the appointment and spoke to a other representative who flat out refused as I previously stated. ANY time I have missed a call I have called back. Recently I switched to emails due to the last representative spoken to advising us that there was NO record of our calls.

We Energies states "We received a report on January 17, 2013 from a third-party male that Ms. [redacted]’s meter continued to register usage after he had turned off the breakers to the apartment. Since receiving that report we have attempted five times to contact Ms. [redacted], three via phone and twice through email, but have not been able to reach her and she has not called us back. Our second email, on January 30th, included the results of an on-site meter test completed that same day in response to her high bill concerns." I don't know who contacted them on January 17,2013 but it was no one affiliated with me as I did not reside at this condo on January 17, 2013. I am unaware of the meter continuing to run when the breakers were turned off. I did not receive ANY calls from We Energies regarding the meter continuing to run after the breakers were shut off. ON January 16, 2014 at 12:13pm I replied to a email from '[redacted]' I received on January 16, 2014 at 10:36am WHO suggested we turn off the main breaker and check to see if it affects other units and the main area. Again as I have explained and responded prior this is NOT a apartment complex there is NO common area that is shared by these condos. There would be NO way for me to know if someone lost partial or all of their power upon my shutting my main breaker off. The ONLY way I would know is if someone called into We Energies and notified them of a possible power outage and We Energies notified me. There is NO common hallway, or lobby these are individually owned condos that are kind of like side by side townhomes. Separate except for a shared wall. Yet We Energies continues to refer to this as Apartment rather than Unit which is not what is on my address and postal address and I have advised them this is not a apartment. I have no missed calls on my phone from We Energies except one and that was regarding the meter test and the representative left a voicemail which I have saved stating that they were sending someone out to do the meter test and since the meters were on the outside of the residence so I did not have to be present. I was home that day sleeping as I sleep during the day due to my third shift schedule as I have informed Ae Energies in my 1/16/14 email I did not hear any 'knock' the only door the technician may have knocked on was my patio door as that is where the meter is near. I heard no knock on my patio door and heard no buzz for entry either as to knock on my front door you would need to buzz for entry as the atrium is gated. I heard neither. The representative called and left a voicemail with the results and a email to which I responded on January 31, 2014 at 4:12am. So I have responded to their 'attempts' at communication and do have the emails and voicemails saved and can also pull my phone records if need be. I have yet to hear anything back from that email this is the first response I have heard since then. My last two months are not the only high bills, my sister has provided me with bills she has received when no one was occupying this condo and stated she contacted We Energies regarding the high bills herself. One bill she received was $284.24, for NO ONE living there????

"We must stress that we can only assist in a situation that involves one unit being assigned to another unit’s meter, and vice versa, because that only involves rebilling the usage to the correct unit. If Ms. [redacted]’s meter serves her unit and part of another unit, or it serves her unit and building common areas, it is a crossed-wiring issue and she or the owner would have to contact an electrician." NOW this have an issue with these meters are installed BY We Energies, are the property OF We Energies and I am charged for use of the energy and the use of the meters YET they are NOT responsible for a possible cross wiring? How so? These meters, meter boxes and a power pole are all outside SO that being the case and those being the property OF We Energies most likely installed by We Energy technicians then how is it that they can only merely 'assist'? Especially since the NEW meter that was installed in 2005 is the one that I am being billed for and am having issues with. As a company I feel they can more than assist and are responsible for this as it has been obvious for awhile that there was an issue. Especially when there was almost a $300.00 when no one was living here as a company there should be some responsibility on their part to do more than 'assist' and try to lay the blame at other's feet. I find the mere kilowatts that I and my sister have been billed for more than speak for themselves. For me to have been billed $526.00 for December than $670.45 for January for a condo is outrageous, and for to have to even come to the Revdex.com to fix this is more so. So per them only assist knowing that there is a possible crosswiring issue they will still continue to bill me for electricity that I am not using. That's fair. How are they not the one's who assign the meter's ? It is their meter?

So I am just out that money I paid to them for electricity I was not using. My sister is the current owner of the condo. I am not satisfied with their response. I was not contacted other than the times I previously mentioned. My sister & her husband are going to hire an electrician to eliminate that aspect of the disagreement and we will inform We Energies of the results as well as the Revdex.com. We will then go from there.

Review: It is unfair that WE Energies do not work with consumers who are struggling to prevent disconnection. The recording when you call them says “We will gladly work with you to set up a payment arrangement”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their idea of a payment arrangement is a ridiculously high dollar figure that they demand when they know you are struggling. I’ve been a customer for over 20 years. I kept in contact with them by telephone about my sluggish financial situation. I received a “Disconnect” notice and called in about late September. I advised the agent I was applying for energy assistance. The agent told me I could probably get funds from energy assistance within a few days. I applied for the assistance on October 1st, and have not received it yet (as of Oct 8th). So the agent is either misinformed, or lying. The agent told me I would have to make a down payment of $480.00 by 10-8 to avoid disconnection. It is completely unreasonable for WE to demand such a high dollar amount from someone who is having money problems. I understand I owe them money, but I have stayed in contact with them, and they know I am applying for assistance. It is absurd to expect that someone who is having trouble paying by the due date in the last two months would suddenly have almost 500 dollars to give to them. That is the reason I called them and applied for Energy Assistance. On about Oct 3rd I called in again, to their collections department. The agent I spoke to on this day told me if I did not pay $480.00 by Oct 8th I would get disconnected. I asked her why the previous agent told me my down payment could be possibly be less, if I were to get energy assistance. She “played dumb” and told me the down payment would have to be $480.00. Only after constant prodding did I find out that if Energy Assistance would have made a payment, my down payment amount required would be less. So, in other words, WE wants you to make this huge down payment you can’t afford and then retain your Energy Assistance funds as a “credit”. She obviously is trained to not mention this, as the money hungry monopoly utility company wants to squeeze every penny out of you that they can get. On October 8th, I again called in multiple times, requesting to speak with a supervisor in the collections area. I was promised a “return call” from a supervisor, but no one ever called me back. Apparently, this is WE Energies method of “We will gladly work with you to set up a payment arrangement”. Additionally, their billing and budget plans are designed to confuse and hoodwink the consumer. They refuse to apply Energy Assistance toward your down payment. What do they care where the money came from? Obviously if you are APPLYING for Energy Assistance, you need help with your DOWN PAYMENT. You would expect more professionalism and courtesy from a large company. The agents lie to you, and are sneaky and deceiving. They are a greedy, greedy monopoly that does not care one bit about their customers.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] has been the customer of records since 1995 and he is billed

monthly for gas and electric service. The account balance is presently $996.51. On 10/08/13 We Energies received confirmation that Mr. [redacted] had been approved

for $525 in Energy Assistance, reducing the balance owed to $471.51.

Review: WE Energies updated underground electric facilities. WE subcontracted [redacted] to do the work. Shortly thereafter sewerage backups began. On the third visit by the plumbing contractor a sewer lateral breakage was determined where the work was performed. In April, 2013 WE was contacted regarding the break. On 7/18/13 ** brought a camera truck and confirmed the break. On 7/22/13 ** brought a Vacuum Truck to expose the break. Not only was the sewer lateral severely broken but the newly laid electrical line was damaged and had to be replaced. I was told to get estimates for the lateral repair. I submitted the proposals to both WE and **. I also submitted the plumbing invoices. I was told by [redacted] of WE Energies (###-###-####} to have the work done and I would be reimbursed. This is the basis of my complaint. Property address is [redacted]Desired Settlement: Plumbing invoices = $1249.75 Lateral Repair = $4750.00. Not included cost of clean-up in building and tenants units and my numerous trips regarding this situation. This situation was caused by WE and its subcontractor.

Business

Response:

[redacted], while installing

new underground electric primary, unknowingly struck this private underground

sewer lateral. Upon notice, [redacted] vacuum excavated the area and exposed the

damage. [redacted] agreed to have Mr. [redacted] have his contractor hired to perform

this repair work. An estimated cost of repair was given in the amount of

approx.. $3,500.00.

Repairs were made and invoices

forwarded to [redacted] totaling $5,999.75. ** Energy contacted Mr. [redacted] and

questioned the actual amount when provided a different estimated amount

originally.

After several conversations with

Mr. [redacted], on August 20, 2013, sent a release agreeing to settle for

$5,999.75. On August 22nd a representative of [redacted] indicated that the signed release had not yet been received.

Review: We Energies are charging me for Gas and Electric which I am not using since I don't stay in the unit. They estimate based on my previous months bills. I disagree on this. I don't stay in the Unit since Oct 2014. My account # is [redacted]. I spoke with Kim and her advise was completely insane which did not make any sense. We Energies should stop charging such fraud charges. If we don't pay on time We energies charges fee and how can they charge on the utilities that I don't use. They saw they thought my meter was down. If meter was down they should sent someone to look at it not charge customer thinking meter is down and charge them previous months charge. I need We energies to investigate my billing from October 2014.Desired Settlement: I need refund of all my payments I paid since Oct 2014 through today. They should calculate the actual meter reading then I will pay my bills from Oct 2014 with no interest.

Business

Response:

Most meters used by We Energies transmit readings to us via radiosignal. When a meter transmits a reading indicating zero energy was used duringa period when we have seen usage in previous years, it means either thatconsumption habits have changed or the meter is not accurately registering. Asthe Revdex.com is aware, in the instance of a non-registering meter we are required bythe Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to estimate consumption for theentire time period of the inaccuracy. If a non-registering meter is billed withzero readings, even for a short time, it can result in a very large rebillamount after the meter problem is verified and corrected. With this in mind,when our billing system receives a lower-than-expected reading an estimate isgenerated and the following message is included on the customer’s bill: IMPORTANTINFORMATION THIS MONTH YOUR METER REGISTERED ZERO ENERGY USE. BECAUSE THIS ISNOT CONSISTENT WITH YOUR PAST ENERGY USE PATTERNS, WE ESTIMATED YOUR ENERGY USETHIS MONTH. WE WILL CONTINUE TO ESTIMATE YOUR USE UNTIL WE CAN DETERMINE IFYOUR METER IS WORKING PROPERLY. PLEASE CALL US EITHER TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENTTO INVESTIGATE YOUR METER, OR TO ADJUST YOUR BILL IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOURENERGY USE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ZERO. This message was included on the billsmailed to Mr. [redacted] on 5/1/15, 6/2/15, 7/1/15, and 7/31/15. Mr. [redacted]then called us on 8/5/15 to advise he was not using natural gas and that thezero readings were correct. The rep he spoke with cancelled the estimatedreadings, rebilled the account at zero consumption, and made a note that zeroconsumption estimates should not be done because no gas is in use. We apologizeif the rep did not clearly explain the process to Mr. [redacted], or if she didnot make it clear that he would be correctly billed based on the good meterreadings we had already obtained. Mr. [redacted] called again on 8/8/15to request we close his account as of the previous day, 8/7. The account wasclosed with actual meter readings – electric and gas – received on 8/7. Thefinal bill was mailed on 8/10/15, and did not include any estimated charges.Tell us why here...

Consumer

Response:

Review: In 2006, We energies filed a Judgment against me for an unpaid utility bill. In October of 2013, in an effort to clear old credit files, I paid the amount due with penalties in full. I have a receipt and letter from the collection agency stating the account has been paid in full and the file is closed. The collection agency has also contacted all three credit reporting agencies to have them amend my credit report and they have had the file completely removed from my credit report. I ask them about the judgment release and they told me that I would have to contact WE Energies because they are the ones who filed the judgment. This makes sense to me. I contacted WE Energies and they decided to give me the run around. They admitted that the file has been paid, but if I want to release of the judgment, I would have to contact the collection agency. Per We Energies recorded phone call I informed the representative of We Energies that I already contacted the credit agency and was told to contact We Energies (WE). The WE representative once again told me that I would need to contact the collection agency. I once again stated that I have already done so and because WE filed the judgment, WE must send the release. Upon my own investigations with the [redacted], I have found this to be correct; WE MUST send me or file directly with the court. This went on for several rounds at which I said I want to speak to someone else. I was placed on hold and after a few minutes the representative told me that WE will look at sending out a release after Dec 2nd of 2013. Considering that this account has already been paid for at least 2 weeks and cleared from my credit report, I told them that this was completely unacceptable and that it made no sense. I offered to send them a copy of the receipt. they said they show the account paid and will look at the account after Dec 2nd. I asked why it would take so long to send the release and was told by the representative that it was an old file and I took 6 years to pay them. I inferred from his remark that because I took a while to pay the bill, that they are going to take their time to release the judgment. This time frame is totally unacceptable and I believe goes beyond the time frame allowed by state law per WI Statute 779.13 which says that the satisfaction of judgment must be sent within a "reasonable" time. I find it unacceptable to have to wait 6 weeks after the bill has been paid before they will look at my file and make a decision. I find the WE energies employees indifference to the situation is disturbing at the very least and criminal and the very worst.Desired Settlement: I would like WE to send the release as soon as they receive this complaint and I would like a letter of apology. I also ask that WE be made aware of their responsibility in regards to situations like this; I find it hard to believe that I am the only one who has experienced this.

Business

Response:

Because

payments made by check may be cancelled by the customer for up to thirty days,

it is our policy to hold the Letter of Satisfaction of Judgment for a period of

35 days. We received the payment from

the collection agency on 10/31/13. Mr.

[redacted] was advised that the account is scheduled for review on 12/02/13. As

long as payment is not stopped, the letter will be released at that time.

Review: I was charged for electric service on our summer home when there was no one present in the house.

When I complained they said that it was not their problem and that their equipment looked good.

How am I to know that they checked it properly? They gave no reason, or justification for the charges, and just want the money.

This is too much money for electric service that was not on in the house.

I dispute that this is a valid bill, and just because they say that their equipment is good, why would there be charges on a house that was empty all winter with no use?

Additionally, every time I call the Customer Service people are arrogant, and I have to wait over 1/2 hour just to talk to someone.

They have terrible customer service, and they cannot answer their phones promptly. It's ridiculous to have to wait over 1/2 hour to talk to someone from a major utitly that charges so much money

My mother is 86.5 years old and on a fixed income., and lives in another state. They will not even compromise on the bill.Desired Settlement: I should not have to pay this full amount.

There is no reason for this high of a bill for a house where all was turned off all winter with no one present.

I want this bill adjusted.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] has filed an inquiry with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) about her winter bill amounts. The PSCW is currently reviewing her account information. Additionally, I have spoken with Ms. [redacted] about her right to request a third party, or "referee" test, from the PSCW if she still feels she was billed inaccurately after they have reviewed her information. We are currently awaiting a determination from the PSCW.

We Energies Customer Assistance

Review: I moved out to [redacted] back in November, 2013. I was under the impression that both gas and electric were serviced via Alliant Energy. That is the only bill I have received since I moved...5 months ago. I received a notice at the end of March that WAS DATED in the BEGINNING of FEBRUARY stating I had a limited number of days to call and get an account established as it was noticed there was activity on a house that was "vacant." EXCUSE ME?! The house was NEVER VACANT! The day I closed on the house, the sellers were still moving out!! Do not tell me it was vacant. I called the number provided on the form. I explained to the lady from WE Energies that I had lived there since the tail end of November, and just now (end of March) I'm getting a statement in the mail stating that there needs to be an account set up? I asked the lady why is the paper dated the very beginning of February, but it's almost two months later that passed and I'm just now getting the paper??!! The lady had no explanation for that. The lady told me that my first bill will have everything backdated from the end of November. I asked why....that is extremely unprofessional that immediate deadlines are given to me, as a customer to follow through on, but yet they can go months and months without any correspondence given to me, and want a full payment due asap?! Today is April 8 and I just received an email statement which I looked into, for the amount of $566.89 DUE 4/28!?!?!? That is ONLY two and a half weeks away. Where does one expect someone to come up with that much so soon? The lady stated before she couldn't even tell me what the total was going to be until I received a notice in the mail.

I had asked to speak to a supervisor that was higher above her to explain this situation. I was put on hold, told 15-20 minutes later that a supervisor would be calling me back. I stated, they will be calling me back tonight yet, correct? I was informed a supervisor WOULD be calling me back. I made my phone call on March 21....it is now April 8, NINETEEN days later and I have NOT YET received a phone call back from a supervisor?! It is so unprofessional the way WE Energies is handling this situation. The lady I spoke with on that day also told me that I don't have to worry because they can't shut anything off right yet, but they will be able to. EXCUSE ME, when are you going to threaten ANYONE with that kind of idea, when you, WE Energies, did not follow through in a timely manner. When is your delay my emergency to make sure you get paid asap?Desired Settlement: At least, I expect a phone call for this nonsense and unprofessional handling of a service. I know as a matter of fact, if this was brought up sooner than FIVE months after I moved, we would not be facing this situation. I would be very appreciative of waiving November 30 thru December 31, and being responsible for anything January 1, 2014 to present, as a way to make amends to this outrageous bill and the way correspondence and communication was handled.

Business

Response:

As she requested, a supervisor from our Customer Care Center called Ms. [redacted] on 4/8 and discussed the situation. A deferred payment arrangement has been established on the back-billed amount.

We Energies Customer Assistance

Consumer

Response:

I filed for bankruptcy and was told by WE energies to send the last 3 months of pay stubs to prove my income. Families under 200% of the federal poverty guidelines for those 3 months can have the deposit waved. I took all my information to the post office, had it weighed by the post office(3.50oz), and mailed it to WE energies. I was denied because my income was too high. They took our income for the last 8 months off the last check stub saying that I only sent in 2 weeks worth of stubs. 10 weeks of check stubs must have vanished from the unopened envelope during mailing because they only found 2 stubs. Six pieces of regular paper weighs about 1oz and the envelope weighs a few grams. How then did my envelope weigh 3.5oz. I was told that I was wrong and that I did not send the right paperwork. BULL! I sent what they asked for. Now I am gonna get disconnected because 10 weeks of stubs disappeared at their office. The same 10 stubs that prove my income is low enough that I don't have enough money pay the deposit and can have the deposit waved. How convenient for them. I asked to talk to a supervisor and was asked "Why? They will just tell you the same thing. There is nothing they can do." Horrible and rude customer service. Where are the check stubs? Lost? Thrown away? Ridiculous!

Review: I occupied a rented apartment located at [redacted]. The dates of my occupancy were March 1, 2013 through August 31, 2013. I notified WE Energies prior to August 31st that I was moving out of the apartment and would no longer be responsible for the electric bill for that unit after that date. WE Energies has completely and repeatedly IGNORED multiple requests from me to update their records. From September 1st, 2014 through today, WE Energies CONTINUES to bill me for electric services for this apartment, which I no longer occupy, and to which I have no responsibility or claim. This corporation can not legally hold me responsible for billing for a premises that I do not own or occupy. The business has ignored my requests for assistance. They have not confirmed receipt of any of my correspondence, nor have they attempted to assist me in getting this billing issue corrected.Desired Settlement: As soon as possible, I want WE Energies to make the necessary adjustment to my billing account, to reflect that I am not responsible for paying for any electricity services, surcharges or taxes for the apartment located at [redacted] beyond the last date of my occupancy, August 31, 2013. All charges for electricity from September 1, 2013 and going forward until the current date should be REVERSED/REMOVED from my billing account immediately. Once the correction has been made, I would like to receive written confirmation at my new address: [redacted]

Business

Response:

Our receipt of this file from the Revdex.com

is the first time we have been notified of Mr. [redacted]’s concerns. Our records

show we have not had any contact from Mr. [redacted] – mail, email, or phone – since his

initial email request on 2/23/13 to start the account at [redacted]. His account there was only closed because a subsequent tenant called

to start service as of 3/1/14, and we obtained Mr. [redacted]’s forwarding address

from the post office. In short, we have not confirmed receipt of any of his

correspondence on this matter because we have no record of receiving any.

Review: In August of 2013 I noticed that there were several past accounts from WE Energies on my credit report, that indicated I had missed/late payments.

I wrote WE Enegergies about the incorrect information.

August 14, 2013- Three letters were sent to me from WE Energies, and signed by [redacted]. Ms. [redacted] indicated on the letters on my accounts the following:

Acct # [redacted] Dec 3-Sept 9- 0 times reported negatively to the credit bureaus. $0 amount owed

Acct # [redacted] Sept 15 2007- Jan 21, 2008- 0 times reported negatively to the credit bureaus. $0 amount owed

Acct # [redacted] Sept 01 2009- Sept 12, 2011, 0 times reported negatively to the credit bureaus. $0 amount owed

Despite Ms. [redacted]s letters to me indicating that I was never late, the information remained incorrect with the Credit Bureaus.

On March 21, 2014- I again wrote WE Energies and asked them to remove the false and negative information from my credit report.

On March 27, 2014 - Ms. [redacted] wrote me again and indicated that all my accounts, including my most recent account ( # [redacted]) were paid on time.

Despite numerous letters and confirmation back from WE Energies, the Credit Reporting Bureaus are stil listing past due amounts, late fees, and other negative information on my account. WE Energies has failed to correct the errors.

On April 1, 2014 I wrote WE Energies again,but I doubt I will have a resolution, it has already been 10 monthsDesired Settlement: I am requesting that WE Energies contact the three credit reporting agencies (Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax) and have the false and negative information (from all of my accounts) taken off my Credit Reports

Business

Response:

The three accounts that Mr. [redacted] references were all final years

ago. We Energies received a “form letter”

stating there were errors in reporting these accounts to the credit agencies. Based on these letters We Energies sent a

letter to Mr. [redacted] stating the specifics of the account; turn-on/ turn-off

dates, negative reports, disconnect notices and balance, etc. If the account balances were zero the credit agencies were notified and asked to remove the trade

lines from the customer records; which occurred for all three (3)

accounts

in August 2013 to delete these trade lines.

We got behind on our electric bill, made a large payment, but missed the next payment by 11 days. They scheduled a disconnect and did not send notice of the disconnect. I only found out about it when I called in to pay the bill. When I called in to make arrangements to pay they were extremely uncooperative. I still have not received the disconnect notice and I am scheduled to be disconnected in 4 days. I wish we had an alternative to this lousy energy company.

Review: I have been living at this address since October 1,2014. In February 2016, I get a call that I have been billed the incorrect billing because my gas was not hooked up properly. After I have worked so hard to get all the necessary paperwork to apply for energy assistance, I finally get approved for close to $400.00, which was wiped away when We-energies decided to correct their problem be rebilling me from October 2014 until now adding another almost $500.00 to my bill. I get a so called courtesy call from a [redacted] advising me that they made a mistake for a year and they must correct it by having me pay for it. Way to kick a person who is already down. I need assistance I can't afford to pay for WE-Energies mistake.Desired Settlement: Please correct your mistake.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] resides in the lower unit for the property located on 66th St. When the tenant in the upper unit moved out the owner was placed on service. After receiving a larger than expected gas bill for a vacant unit, the owner contacted the utility to investigate. A field investigation was completed, confirming a gas meter interchange; the upper unit was being billed for the lower unit’s gas consumption and the lower was billed for the upper’s consumption. When a situation like this is discovered We Energies is required by the Public Service Commission to correct the billing, so that each customer is billed for their actual usage, the utility is not allowed to cancel the billing. Ms. [redacted]’s was account was rebilled to reflect her actual consumption, back to her start service date (10/01/14). All of the prior gas bills were cancelled, payments credited and the account rebilled for her actual consumption. We apologize for the situation and encourage Ms. [redacted] to contact our customer service department to establish an extended pay agreement to help with the additional billing.

Consumer

Response:

Review: My account number is [redacted] I was recently place on the EIP program. I had to pay $600 on 4/24/2015 to get on the program. I received my first bill that was due on 6/01/2015 which I paid. In the early July I noticed that I haven't received my bill a couple days later I receive a phone call from WE Energies threatening disconnection. I called them right away inquiring about my bill. I asked them when it was due and they responded that it was due 6/30/2015 I explained that I never received it and could I pay the 186 to avoid the disconnection and termination of the program. She said no. I explained to her that I needed this program and couldn't afford to pay my current bill and $100. If I received the bill I would have ensured payment because paying was a priority. I explained to them that I'm on a tight budget. I only make $14 an hour and my rent is 895 my water bill 300 plus I have a car note so that I can get to work. Having my bill at $186 a month was affordable. I feel like I'm being punished for something that was out of my control it has been a struggle to come up with another down payment so soon after but I can not have my family be without electricity when my whole house runs off electricity. I will have no way to feed my family. In the past I have had some challenges that were out of my control. I lost my job, ended up having a high risk pregnancy and then loosing the child. I'm finally getting things in order and trying to stay on top. I really feel like they didn't send that bill. It was never deliver or received. Now I'm kicked off the program and my past due balance is over 3000 because I stayed in a home that was not insulated properly insulated or wired correctly. I ended up paying for both units.Desired Settlement: I would hope that they are able to lower the down payment or at least let me back on the program... if they say that my payment will be a certain amount every month on a certain day I will ensure that the payment is made.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] was previously enrolled into the Early Identification Program (EIP), allowing her to be on a fixed budget amount of $186 for 12 months. The plan began with the 5/11/15. Ms. [redacted] made the first payment however, failed to pay the bill due on 6/30 and was removed from the program with the 7/10 bill for non-payment.

Review: In November/December of 2014, we called WE Energies regarding our electric bill. While on the phone reviewing our account, they realized that our gas meter had been slowing down. They acknowledge that they had not checked it since 2011 (we thought our bills were improving due to the new roof we installed the same year). As a result, we were billed $2000+ back-payment by law. In early January, 2015, I called to set up a payment plan. We agreed to pay $50/month in addition to our bill until we resolved the balance. We own the fact that we unintentionally "broke" that agreement (as WE Energies states it) because we began the additional payment in February when they logged it beginning in January. We had already made our January payment so we did not realize we were breaking terms by starting in February. We continued to make $50 payments each month thinking we were on a plan which we now understand that we were not. Again, we own this mistake. My first concern is the lack of follow-up from WE energies regarding this. We clearly wanted to rectify an issue that was a result of their faulty equipment and our payments show that we were diligent in doing so. Where was the notification from January until May simply stating that we were short $50?

In April my husband and sold our house and made plans to purchase a new home. We went to the bank and were approved for a loan rate of 3.75 with a credit score of 805. We were set to close on our home on May 11. Three days prior to closing, the bank ran a credit check and it had dropped from 805 to 695 based on a WE Energies delinquent charge, 90-day late period. We called WE Energies and at the time, they told us that this was a mistake triggered in their system when we transferred our account from one house to another. They wrote a letter stating that they had rectified this on our credit score and were helpful retroactively in fixing it. Unfortunately, as a result of this delinquent notice, we could no longer get a rate of 3.75 and our rate-lock expired before there was time to rectify the account. We spent two days calling all of the credit companies to make certain the delinquent charge was removed. We had to pay $356 to extend at least some agreement with the bank for 10 days. Thankfully, our score did come back within that time and we were able to secure a rate of 3.875. Financially, the result of this is the $356 fee plus the increased interest of $7306 over the life of the loan. For some reason, although we could not get the same rate, we did receive credit upon closing so I the net loss is $6592. I have a letter from Northshore Bank outlining the initial and final terms that occurred through this process.

Since this happened, I have been on the phone with WE Energies many times. I believe that I have received 2-3 different reasons for the problem. After looking into it further, they believe that there is no fault on their end because we did not meet the initial terms of the pay agreement. Again, I own this; however, we truly believed that we were doing what we were supposed to do. My concern is the complete lack of communication and possible error that resulted in our financial loss. If we didn't meet the terms of the agreement in January, why didn't they just tell us? From January to May, why weren't we notified that this could cause a delinquent credit score (they state that they only send notification at 90 days and that it was sent on May 5, but the bank notified us of the delinquent status on May 6 - that seems very ironic - and that is way too late from the consumer's end). Where was the clear communication to the consumer of the implication to their credit score - especially a consumer who would gladly pay the extra $50 at any time from January until May to avoid a $6592 loss? Why were we given multiple answers? It's clear that they wanted the issue to go away and only looked into it in great depth when there were financial implications on the line. Where was that level of customer service and honesty from the start? Why didn't someone tell us when were were transferring payment from one house to another that a delinquent notice would be filed? We were one the phone and of course we would have fixed it then. Dating back to the original reason for the need of back-payment, I understand that it's law that we need to pay it, but where is WE Energy's responsibility to check their equipment and notify consumers prior to it reaching a 2-year financial hardship (again, I know that this is law, but my complaint is with the overall lack of customer service). Many of the responses that I have received deal with WE Energies protocols and systems. They make it sound like we "should have known." Believe me, if we had, we would have fixed this long ago. I'm looking for someone to take our entire case from the last 8 months into account and see that we have fallen financial victim to WE Energies twice in that time.Desired Settlement: As I have stated to WE Energies, I know that we may not even realize the complete $6592 loss so I was looking for a fair agreement. Meeting in the middle seems fair as I will own fault on both sides - unintentional, I believe, but in the spirit of "do no harm," there has been significant financial harm to us. We have already realized the $356. Half of the potential loss should be $3296. I would like the outstanding balance removed, the $356 returned as a check and the remaining credited to our account.

Business

Response:

At the end of October 2014, when Ms. [redacted] filed an inquiry with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) regarding her billing issues, a six-month protection was added to her account to prevent any collection action while the PSCW file was being investigated. At the conclusion of that investigation on 12/5/14 Ms. [redacted] agreed to a deferred payment arrangement (DPA) on her remaining account balance. As she notes in her statement to the Revdex.com, the terms of that arrangement were not kept. No DPA confirmation letter was sent, and subsequent bills listed the unpaid balance as “Previous Charges” with no indication on the statements that a DPA was in place. Negative credit reporting and late payment charges were only prevented because of the courtesy protection that remained in place after the PSCW inquiry.

The 6-month protection expired at the end of April 2015, and the next bill issued on 5/5/15 included notification of a negative credit report because of the past-due status of the account. Although the negative report was correctly assessed, when Mr. [redacted] contacted us about the matter on 5/13/15 a supervisor in our Customer Care Center agreed to remove the negative report due to the apparent misunderstanding about the DPA. At this time the supervisor also faxed a letter to the [redacted]s’ loan officer advising that the negative credit report would be reversed.

While we regret the misunderstanding, we addressed the negative credit report immediately when the [redacted]s contacted us. We Energies cannot assume responsibility for the timing of events outside the scope of their account activity.

I am a customer with we-energies and last month in july my payment was only late not missed and they sent me a disconnection notice asking for $1,100. I was on the early identification program they took me off, and now they are demanding a down payment of $600.00 I am on a fixed income so I only get money once a month and my rent is $600.00 dollars. There is no way I can give them such a big down payment at once, they are only doing people like this because they know they are the only light and gas company. not fair at all I am so sick of companies to poor people this way. Something needs to be done about them.

Review: The representatives for this company are not willing to work out payment plans with me. I had a high winter bill. I've manage to make as many payment as I can when I can. My only income that I receive is every third Wednesday of the month and the representatives always tell me that I can not get my billing date change because of the area that I reside in, but after speaking with other consumers of we-energies there has never been a problem with changing a payment date. I have called numerous times to set up a plan when the bill has reached a balance of 400.00 but I will always have a representative to tell me that I have to what until my bill prints and then call and make a payment arrangement but by then this company is asking you to pay double the amount and then if not Disconnection is to follow. I am not eligible for Wisconsin energy assistance I have paid this bill down from a 1000.00 dollars to 479.00 now the billing period for next month is not due yet and they want me to pay next month bill payment at the end of June and if I do not disconnection is set up. I'm willing to pay as I normally do but this company is very hard nosed about working with customer. I pay this company a 150.00 a month which is more than a monthly budget plan for me. This company should be listed a company that uses false advertising when tell consumers they are willing to set up some payment plans to keep your service from being disconnected. This company always states that a consumer may make a counter offer of payment. Which does not exist. Which allows for consumer disconnection.Desired Settlement: I would like for this company to stop picking and and choosing the consumers who can have payment date changes and be able to work with me on a budget plan of 577.15 I already made a June payment now this company is asking for July payment in June if they do not receive it by ending June they have decided to disconnect my service.

Business

Response:

Based on Ms. [redacted]'s account information I would be willing to discuss her payment arrangement offer and the other concerns she has about her account. I have left two messages but have not heard back from her yet. If Ms. [redacted] calls me back I will update the Revdex.com on the outcome of our conversation.

Jason C[redacted]

We Energies Customer Assistance

Review: We Energies denied service to me stating I was once associated to the previous owner and even though my billing was seperate and I have no debt with them, they denied service. I feel it is unethical and descriminatory to control service because of who you use to date or be involved with. It is non of we energies business who I date or break up with. My services do not involve my personal life.Desired Settlement: Services started

Business

Response:

We Energies often encounters situations in which a

customer who has accrued a significant balance attempts to avoid payment toward

that balance by having a third party apply for service. This is known as “name-switching”

and is considered to be a form of fraud. The Administrative Code of Wisconsin,

as enforced by the Public Service Commission, outlines utility protection

against name-switching in PSC 113.0301 (1m), which states, “Residential utility

service may be disconnected or refused

for any of the following reasons: … (h) Delinquency in payment for service

received by a previous customer or occupant at the premises to be served, if an

account is transferred to a new account holder or customer and the previous

account holder or customer continues to be an occupant of the dwelling unit to

be served.”

Review: my we energies service for more than six years was sub par and dangerous...... every time there was an outage, when the power went down and came back up, my service would surge five to six times before the power went down and when it came up, we energies was notified by mail and telephone complaints more than a dozen times over a six year period........ only to be told every time, that my problem was my electrical system, not covered by we energies............. my system was checked three times over the six years and my surges only increased to 10 to 12 each time power went down or came up.......... when my house filled with smoke I demanded we energies come out an inspect their service before my house was on the news on fire,,,,,,,, we energies did and found their drop box interior was in such bad repair that it was just luck that saved me from the fire.......... I them put in a claim for damaged electrical components, for over $29K over six years of not properly servicing by drop by we energies...... they agreed to pay all damages in full, but demanded only original receipts be sent to them, they lost them all, the entire claim and were sent a few more with another detailed list of damages, return receipt, they lost the part of the contents of that signed for letter.............. it has been over one year and now we energies has again asked for only original receipts which they have lost, we energies has not paid a dime and refuses to let me deal with upper management and or their legal department.................. they have continued to mislead me and not honored their loss..................Desired Settlement: pay their claim as they agreed

Business

Response:

Response

to Customer’s Statement of the Problem:

Review: The company sent credit bureau my information about the past due bill. And this is their right to do . But I paid this past due bill in 5 days and they didn't correct the problem with credit bureau. And after I called the customer service they said they can't correct it . I don't understand how they can send negative reports but dont send The positive reports to credit bureau. Till now this is my first bill that I didnt pay on time and my credit report is down 30 point. Even everything is paid they are still not sending positive feedback .Desired Settlement: I will be very happy if they can send the positive report or let the credit bureau to correct my information.

Business

Response:

We have reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s account and our records show

that we have not issued a negative credit report for his account at any time

since it was opened in November of 2013. He did incur late payment charges in

February and March of 2014, but at no time was his balance delinquent to the point

of being reported negatively. We report credit information on a monthly basis

and the only thing sent for Mr. [redacted] each month has been his balance, without

any indication that the amount was past due (which would qualify it as “negative”).

Review: We pay our bill on the budget plan. Always paying a surplus. They called us in December and said their equipment was not working and they could not get a good reading on our meter going back 15 months to September of the year before. So we owe them for 15 months of billing of gas charges. Even though it was their faulty equipment that cause this problem. We always had a surplus credit on our bill during this time so we would stay ahead of the billing. So things Like this would not happen! This is a very poor business practice and has created a hardship for our family.Desired Settlement: Written apology from the president or CEO of We energies. Are we responsible for there faulty equipment after our budget period was over and accounted for. I want them to Know this has created hardship for our family. And to get better at checking their equipment so this does not happen to other families.

Business

Response:

We reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s account and confirmed that the

automated meter reading device on his natural gas meter malfunctioned and

stopped transmitting accurate data in July, 2012. On November 12, 2013 we replaced the device

and once again began receiving accurate data.