PG&E Charges $1000/Month For Electricity Used In The 70's
PG&E has decided to start billing Josh's parents for electricity from the 1970's, to the tune of nearly $1000 per month.
Seems that some faulty meters were installed back then and now PG&E has figured out they underbilled the house. Problem is, Josh's parents didn't buy the house until 1986.
Josh writes:
My mother lives in a house in California that was built in the 40's. PG&E installed a meter sometime in the early 70's. As far back as I can remember we had to use the little meter cards, or a tech would come and read the meter personally. Now with the advent of the "smart meter" they dont have to read cards or check the meter. They can just check it remotely.
Here's where PG&E gets dicey. They have decided to start charging my parents an extra $800-$1000 dollars per month because they say that the meters that were installed in the 70's were faulty. When we bring up the fact that tech would read the cards or the meters themselves, they shrug it off and say that they were improperly trained. So now we are stuck paying the difference for power that was used in the 70's (before we even moved in in 1986 might I add!). So now what do my parents do? They are content letting PG&E charge them outrageous prices for power that we didnt use, but I am a bit more up to date on consumer rights and whatnot, so I need your help on the best course of action.
Thanks a bunch,
-Josh (an aggravated PG&E customer)
Whodjawhutzit? How can that be right? What the heck is going on?
Sounds like a case for the California Public Utilities Commission, 1-800-649-7570 or file a complaint here.
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Comments:
I don't think I've ever seen a more clear cut case for an EECB
Shocking.
If they decided to move and sell the house, as a prospective buyer I'd rather have a carbon monoxide leak than deal with that happy horsebones
Isn't there a regulatory commision in California? How about an attorney general?
Oh, HELL no! They're content to let PG&E bill them some exorbitant, arbitrary amount because they claim THEY installed a faulty meter 30 some years ago? Time to move beyond level 1 customer service.
I think a complaint to the office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett at [attorneygeneral.gov] should get some action.
Hey.... I didn't live there then EITHER.
Why don't they bill ME for it???
uhhhhhhhhh............... oops. Forget I mentioned it.
Wow. Can it really be true that they would be better off dealing with one of the electricity resellers that knock on their door?
They cant be charged for it, as it is long past the statue of limitations.
Sounds like he should contact the California Public Utilities Commission @ 1-800-649-7570 or go to [www.cpuc.ca.gov]
This kind of predatory practice should not be tolerated no matter how much money California needs.
Maybe I'm wrong here, but if the employees were "improperly trained", wouldn't the fault lie solely with PG&E? Not to mention they're attempting to charge people who didn't live at the residence in the 70s.
It doesn't seen that PG&E has a leg to stand on in court, unless California law has precedents for this sort of thing.
@Crabby Cakes: Yeah, that bit about "being content to pay an extra $1000 a month" got a HolyHell!!! from me too.
That's not ok, and I'd love to know what the local energy regulatory commission/board thinks about it... if their area has one.
PG&E Rule 17 makes it clear that they cannot charge for more than 3 months of underbilling; I think your parents may want to contact the CPUC.
This is major lawyer time. I'm not sure what laws apply here...but that definitely ain't right.
Holy moly.. I'm so suprized that the parents are completely ok with it.. There is no way they owe that money, especially since they didn't even LIVE there. Are they rich enough that they don't care they're being screwed out of 1000 a month?
What the heck?!
Good for the son that's trying to stand up for them though. That's really nice.
STRONLY WORDED LETTER!
@rtwigg: Is he some kinf of a super badass AG? Like new Andrew Cuomo or Pre-Public-Pervy Eliot Spitzer?
@Smashville_not taking it seriously: A three-pronged attack at your local outlet should do the trick.
@veg-o-matic: Yeah. I'd be happy to have the kind of money where an extra $1000/month on a bill wouldn't be a problem.
@henrygates: +1. Lawyer up. This may go beyond what even an EECB could resolve. How the hell can a utility bill you and expect you to pay for services delivered when you weren't even the property owner? I would think showing that they weren't living there when this happened would end this.
Need to get Erin Brockovich!
@DenverMountainMan: It is legally not their bill. They didn't own the property back then and should easily be able to prove it.
You are not responsible for someone else's electricity useage. I have a hard time believing your responsible for some old mistake even if you were living there. They need to grow a spine and contact the PUC or a lawyer.
It is funny how certified letters and law office stationary can motivate companies into doing the right thing.
@gavni: What bothers me is companies do this kind of thing and end up wasting a ton of time and money of the consumer to get the companies mistake undone.
There needs to be some sort of law that requires them to compensate customers for lost time and money for screw ups like this.
@rtwigg: Would they contact the PA AG for an issue in California though? Their headquarters are in San Francisco too.
Er no, I wouldn't be paying that. Especially for electricity someone else used. I'd have a lawyer on this asap.
My advice? Call Erin Brockovich.
@Ozyman666: If they are unresponsive they may have to amp up their attack... perhaps blaring some AC/DC would help them get some attention.
OMG---Reddy Kilowatt!!
Now we know what you've been doing all these years!
TLG
@henrygates: I'm not one to say lawyer immediately...but in this case, it absolutely needs to happen. Or call the AG of the state, at the very least.
@bohemian: Exactly! Someone is getting a little too creative in the billing dept trying to collect on this old mistake. Even if this family did live there in the 70's they shouldn't be responsible for PG&E's error.
@erratapage: Yes, the California Public Utilities Commission: [www.cpuc.ca.gov] Plus they've got an Attorney General bucking for Governor (again), so his office is probably pretty active.
First question, were the bills toooooo low for many many years and the "OP and Parents" knew this?
If so, then it would make sense why the parents are "OK" with the extra charge. They knew they were getting a deal that was "too good" and now they are doing the "responsibility" thing and paying what they owe.
It's not like Electricity is some sort of store where there is a tag on the shelf. You use what you use and the price is the price ... if you used more then was reported, you still used more.
It's like breaking a law and then trying to argue to the Judge: Honest Judge, I didn't know there was a law against having consensual sex with a 14 year old girl.
Your still broke the law ... and if you payed for only half the electricity you used (regardless of how much you thought you were using), you still used that electricity and you still have to pay for it.
Still, this can't be the *whole* story and it's definitely needs to be escalated to make sure there are not some mistakes in calculations or something.
I recently got a letter from management at the apartment I lease saying the local energy company "brought to their attention" the fact our new smart meter is sending incorrect readings, so a technician was sent to verify. My electic bill has not been exceedingly high through the summer months (running AC, dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer, etc.) so I am a bit concerned I may end up in a situation such as the OP's.
I don't know the outcome of the tech's "verification". The check was done while I was at work and no note was left. Should I contact the energy company? Anyone else going through this?
@bohemian: If the parents started to pay on the debt, they may be in trouble.
Once you claim a debt, I think it's yours no matter what.
I think they should stop paying and get a lawyer pronto.