News10NBC Investigates: Billing and customer service problems continue at RG&E

Jennifer Lewke News10NBC

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Despite a year-long News10NBC Investigation and assurances from the CEO of RG&E that things are turning around, the billing and customer service issues at the utility continue.

Over the course of the last few weeks, the number of complaints coming into the News10NBC newsroom has skyrocketed again. Many of them are from customers who either haven’t gotten a bill from RG&E in the last few months or from those who’ve received multiple bills in one month with different balances. 

“In mid-2022, all of the sudden it started to become erratic,” says Bill Dillion of his RG&E bills. 

He’s on a budget billing plan which means he is supposed to pay the same amount monthly but that hasn’t been the case for months and recently things went from bad to worse. 

“I’ve tried to be patient through this process but when I got three bills in January that really kind of broke the ice for me, I wasn’t going to just be quiet anymore,” Dillion tells News10NBC. 

Dillion received separate bills from RG&E on Jan. 9, 11 and 17.

“Three bills in January all with different previous invoice amounts, and all with different balances due and none of them reflecting the fact that I had already paid an amount on Jan. 5,” he says.

He’s worried things aren’t getting much better at RG&E, and so is Tom Yandow, who has been trying to get service turned on at his new apartment.

“I’m trying to give them business and I can’t even get ahold of them,” Yandow tells News10NBC. “I mean what’s wrong with that picture? I’ve called the last five business days, at various times and waited anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to either be disconnected when somebody does answer the phone or to hang up from frustration of waiting.”

After News10NBC Investigative Reporter Jennifer Lewke reached out to RG&E on Yandow’s behalf, a customer service representative contacted him in less than an hour.

“It’s only because you did that, that I got a call back from Kelly from RG&E,” he told Lewke. Once Yandow connected with the customer service representative, his issue was resolved within 10 minutes. 

 The RG&E customer service rep apologized for the delay and explained that call volumes are high because the experienced reps are still training on the new billing system and the new employees are still going through initial training. 

“I appreciate your help,” Yandow told the representative before hanging up. “It’s too bad that I had to call the news station to have them contact somebody to have somebody get back to me, but thank God they did or I’d still be on hold.”

In a statement on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for RG&E told News10NBC, “We continue to stress how RG&E, following severe COVID impacts, is adding hundreds of new staff to the more than 800 workers in Rochester alone, combatting rising supply rates by providing millions of dollars in relief to customers impacted by increase in rates set by out of state energy suppliers, suspending late payment charges, and since 2019 invested over $11 million in economic development. RG&E continues to make significant improvements to customer service to continue to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy to Rochester residents.”

The New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) and the DPS Consumer Advocate, will hold a virtual public forum on Tuesday, January 31, and an in-person public forum on Tuesday, February 7th to receive public comments regarding alleged delayed or erroneous billing, delayed or inaccurate meter reading, and customer service problems affecting customers RG&E. 

The NYSDPS says it has seen a significant increase in complaints against the company and a deterioration in customer service performance metrics in 2022, especially since August 2022. Among other issues, customers have reported high, inaccurate, or delayed bills, which they assert are inordinately based on estimated meter readings. These problems have been compounded by the inability of customers to reach the companies’ customer service representatives by telephone without substantial delay. 

The in-person public hearings will be held Tuesday, February 7th from 1-3 pm and 6-8 pm at Rochester City Hall, inside Council Chambers at 30 Church Street.  

The virtual public hearings will be held on Tuesday, January 31st:

VIRTUAL:

DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 2023

TIME: 1:00 p.m.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number:     2343 229 4895

Event Password: Jan31-1pm

Phone-Only Access: 518-549-0500

Access Code: 2343 229 4895

VIRTUAL:

DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 2023

TIME:  6:00 p.m.

Electronic Access: www.webex.com

Event Number:     2333 158 8627

Event Password: Jan31-6pm

Phone-Only Access: 518-549-0500

Access Code: 2333 158 8627

Any person wishing to provide public comment on the record at the virtual forums must pre-register by noon on January 30, 2023.

To register electronically: Participants who would like to provide comment and will log in to a virtual forum electronically may register at www.webex.com and then click “Join A Meeting” at the top right-hand corner of the screen and enter the appropriate event number listed above and provide all requested information.

To register by phone: Any participant who is unable to participate electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to provide a statement must register to do so in advance by calling 1-800-342-3330 and providing the requested information.

On the date and time of the virtual forums, electronic participants should visit www.webex.com and enter the appropriate event login number. All call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the DPS’ Human Resources Management Office at (518) 474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711.

Individuals that may need a language accommodation are encouraged to call the Department at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

Other Ways to Comment:

For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at a public forum, there are several other ways to provide your comments. Comments should refer to Matter 23-00068, NYSEG/RG&E Billing Investigation.

Via Internet or mail: The Department of Public Service will launch a dedicated comment form on www.dps.ny.gov by January 31, 2023. Alternatively, comments may be mailed to Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, New York State Department of Public Service, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Commission in this matter and may be accessed on the Department’s website in Matter 23-00068.

Toll-free Opinion Line: Comments may be submitted by calling the Department of Public Service’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is designed to take comments about pending matters from in-state callers 24 hours a day. These comments are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.

Filing a Consumer Complaint 

If you wish to file a complaint about your utility service, you may contact DPS at www.dps.ny.gov/complaints, 1-800-342-3377 (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) or by writing to Office of Consumer Services, 3 Empire State Plaza, 4th Floor, Albany, New York 12223. Please include as much information as possible with your complaint.

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