New York State’s Department of Public Service Commission is investigating billing issues at RG&E and NYSEG, two energy companies under the parent company Avangrid. Over 100 customers logged on to a virtual session to voice similar complaints about high bills, delayed bills, and in some cases, no bills for months.
The company explained that the billing issues were due to staffing shortages and the pandemic, which prevented staff from entering homes to get an accurate meter reading. To address the issues, the company has hired over 200 new customer service representatives and brought in 40 new billing specialists. They have also been settling into a new billing system installed over Labor Day, causing some customers to not receive bills for several months. The backlog of bills has since been reduced.
Both company leaders are looking ahead to the installation of smart meters in homes in Rochester over the next three to five years, which will offer automatic meter readings and help customers make energy decisions. They are also focused on investment and updating the nearly century-old infrastructure. The state DPS will hold two in-person sessions in Rochester on February 7th to continue to hear from customers.
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