Complain about a product or service

Bay State Gas

Ethiopia of Brockton MA (08/12/08)
I have been a customer of Bay State gas for a year. After moving to a new apartment, I was told that the house was warmed by oil heat, but the water remained heated by gas. I called Bay State Gas to have the gas at my old address turned off and my new address turned on. The service representative explained that her computer was down and that I would have to call back to schedule an appointment on Monday. Of course no record of this conversation was made.

Monday morning, I called again requesting a transfer of service, they explained that they wouldn't be able to come to my home until the following friday. And also would not be able to turn off my service at my old address until then as well. Furthermore, the appointment would be all day meaning I could not leave the apartment until after they arrived which could be at any time during the day, and NO the day for the tech's don't end at 5.

The representatives were cold and uncaring. The company fails to meet the needs of the average American lifestyle. All day appointments scheduled for days or weeks later are unsatisfactory. Especially in regards to hot water and heating in a region that can become quite cold.

I believe that we deserve a choice in choosing a company to provide heat. And customers are treated with disregard due to this lack of choice.

In order to accommodate the company I was forced out of work that day to be in the apartment. Also, I had to pay for service at my old address for an additional week when I didn't live there. Meaning if anyone turned up the heat at that location I would be responsible.

John of Norton MA (10/30/05)
On October 24th, I realized my gas furnace was not working and called the company to send a technician to look at it. They told me they were very busy and probably could not send someone out for a few days. I told them that I could probably wait until the following Saturday (October 29th) and they said they could do that and we set an appointment for between 8am and noon.

When Saturday came, no one showed up ALL DAY and when I kept calling them, they kept saying I was still on the list but couldn't give me an approximate time when they could come out. We scheduled it for first thing Sunday morning at 8am. That time has now passed and have not gotten any assurance on when they are coming. Besides going without heat during cold weather, I told them I was leaving on a business trip on Sunday afternoon so someone needed to come in the morning.

I feel like since I was trying to be accomodating that I have been pushed down on the priority ladder. I realize gas emergencies come up but also think that since I scheduled a technician practically a week in advance that I should have had someone out by now.

Since the temperature in the house was very low, I had to go out and buy electric heaters for the bedroom, costing over $50.

Jacqueline of Attleboro MA (10/27/05)
I have been a customer of Bay State Gas for 15 years. My heating at my residence and a three-family are provided with natural gas from Bay State Gas, as there is no other provider in the area. I also pay yearly for Guardian Care on three heating systems.

Over the past two years I have made 5 call about one system but it never seems to be repaired and returns with the same issue (no heat)from the pilot going out constantly and having to be relit by hand. This is their equipment which we rent as well. The operators and service technicians all seem very rude and don't seem to care about these reoccuring issues. We have waited at times for more than a day for them to respond to a service call request, and these calls are not when you would expect them to be at peak demand.

We also found that at one time the service technician had increased the temperature on the water so high that it was scolding. Since then we hired a private contractor (even though we have a service contract with Bay State Gas) to look at the system and he said the water temp. setting was set at the maximum which was not appropriate. He lower the temperature on the water and said it should cost us less now. He questioned the integrity of the Bay State Service technician in jacking up the temperature in the first place.

Why is Bay State Gas allowed to provide such sub-standard service? Now with the increase in natural gas prices passed along to us, and Bay State Gas' request for a rate hike, we do not think they deserve to gain a rate hike for poor service. They have no competition and we have no other choice but to change back to oil or electricity but at a cost to change our heating equipment! This extremely frustrating. We feel like we are trapped with Bay State Gas.

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