Today is Friday. We were late paying our bill of $88.00. Yesterday when we were out of town, Columbia Gas came to our house and shut off the gas (it was very cold outside). When we came home that evening, we paid the bill online and called today to have the service reconnected. We had to pay an additional $75.00 to do that, but they scheduled the turn on for next Wednesday! So for five days, we have to sit in the cold and use only the microwave to cook. We were told if we wanted to expedite it, they would charge us an additional $85.00. And if we needed them to come inside to light the pilot, that too would cost another $75.00. When we called customer service, they laughed at our being upset.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
When my family of 5 moved into our new home of June of 2010, everything was great until we had to get gas through Columbia Gas. Our residence used to be 2 different apartments with different tenants at different times. So, they gave us a deposit of $700 because others neglect to pay their bills. We struggled and got it paid. Since then our service has been current with no disconnections, but we have had to get extensions. I called this afternoon, a year later from the time we've been here and I had to listen to how we weren't getting our $700 deposit back until we paid our bill by the due date for 12 months straight without using no extensions. This is terrible and a joke.
They should be ashamed of themselves and I hope that their jobs weigh heavily on their personal lives. This is a ridiculous demand and I wish I lived in the perfect world that Columbia Gas does where you always have perfect timing and the right amount of money just to pay them on time. So, they get to "hold" onto $700 that could go towards our children or for home repairs. This is just terrible and I really wish there was another provider of natural gas in our area. Nothing but crooks!
I had my gas shut off today from Columbia Gas, stating that I didn't pay my gas bill while my due date is tomorrow. I called them and I was told that my due date was actually 2 days prior while I just checked that online a week ago. It was written that it was tomorrow. If you can avoid gas and use electric, go ahead. Columbia Gas is a company of thieves and liars. I got to pay more than $150.00 to have my service restored. The worst thing is that they have $300.00 deposit on my account and the bill owned is $211.00. So, they already have their money. I don't know if somebody had the same issue with them. Please help.
I just received a statement of my bill in the mail that had me puzzled with the sudden increase in charges. After reviewing my bill, I saw that my current charges for the month was only $35.20 and they had charged me an additional $223.65 because of some adjustments they had made. Because my bill is always paid in full including any late fees, I called customer service to see what the adjustments were for. I was told that my meter have not had an accurate reading since 2007. The meter reader for some reason got an accurate reading this month after all this time so they made adjustments for the past 3 years on gas I used. I asked them why am I being charged and penalized for something that is their fault.
Their worker is the one who did not do his job all this time for whatever reason. They said that didn't matter and that I am responsible for the gas that I used. When I asked how they knew how much gas was used from the past 3 years based on 1 reading, they could not give me a straight answer. How they can up with a figure is still puzzling to me since they haven't received an accurate reading until this time. I told them that $223.65 should come out of their worker's pocket for not doing his job. I should not be held responsible for something that was not my fault. By law we have a "Beware of Dog" sign on our fence although our dogs are locked in kennels which I suggested may be the reason why the worker didn't enter the yard. Even if this is true, nothing has changed all of these years.
We still have the same dogs which are locked in the same kennels. I was told that there is nothing they can do, but read the payments out to make it affordable. My question is, why should I have to pay it in the first place? This was their mistake. I told the customer service supervisor that I was not letting this matter go and if I needed to, I will take it to court and to the media because I am sure they are getting a lot of people with the same circumstance who are just willing to pay and let it go. It's not right. I'm sure I have rights and I intend on doing my research and find out what they are.
The customer service reps for Bay State Gas (Columbia Gas) are rude and unhelpful. Their "technicians" failed to turn my gas on upon moving into my new apartment because they knocked on my back door (there is a doorbell on the front) and when no one answered, they simply left. The phone support was unsympathetic and offered an appointment a week later. Since that experience, I have had to call them a couple of times, and every time is a bad experience. Unfortunately, I rent and Columbia Gas was my landlord's choice, not mine. Homeowners and landlords, beware, do not choose to do business with this company!
I have resided in Stafford, VA for more than nine years. Since August 2005, my family size decreased from seven to a total of four since June 2009. I am writing this letter as a citizen who strongly believes that my rights are being trampled over by the Columbia Gas of Virginia. Since my separation in 2005 and divorce, my children and I have made every effort to streamline our resources by devising and implementing a very successful energy conservation methodology.
We have greatly modified our behavior over the years and have successfully cut back on all of our utility costs. We learn and impliment new ways each year. We do not ever use the fire place. During the summer months and even a few days during the winter, we grilled outside. Many of my neighbors have witnessed this.
In June 2009 my father passed, my youngest son graduated and left home, and my children and I went to Texas where I stayed for two weeks. My children stayed the complete summer through the end of August 2009. We do not wash clothes at home but rather we go to the Laundromat, thus saving on our water, gas, and electric. I have seen these results reflected in my gas, electric, and water bill. We don't have a washer or dryer in my home. We have done everything that would warrant the lower utility bills.
Earlier bills from 2005 and prior reflect our bill and usage from Columbia Gas of Virginia with normal use and a full family size only yielded during the summer months of about 20 ccfs some higher and some lower. Its growing clear that since the gas company could not figure out what happened during the summer months 2009 this year, in October-November 2009 time frame they sent a letter saying that meter was broken and ironically after the letter I believe they disabled the meter because it was then that the meter stopped reading any changes.
Prior to that the readings for the summer months was between 7 and 8 ccfs which is consistent with household changes. This allowed them to attempt a rebilling. Their rebilling based on consumption amounts excedes our past and current consumption use. After telling them this, they sent a letter stating this problem exsisted as far back as January 2009.
After I contacted the Commision the Gas Company then sent another letter stating the problem went to back to May 2008. These appear to be scare tactics to discourage me from pursuing the truth. Even now based on the last letter that I received December 24, 2009, they have no plans to rethink anything even after I have revealed to them and to Allison S. from the State Corporation Commission, Public Utilities and Securities, about changes that occurred during the months of June 2009 through the end of August 2009, when my children left the Virginia and returned.
They are now undermining all of my family's efforts and sacrifices that most families would not even think of doing. I have experienced the aftermath from Columbia Gas of Virginia's threats before and it appears that it is happening again. Another example of their behavior is when I called and listened to their automated message they listed my bill as delinquent as a result of their recalculation and had my gas staged to be cut off even though my bill is current. They said my bill was past due as a result of their recalculations.
Since talking with the Utilities Commission, Columbia Gas of Virginia suspended any billings or actions until another analysis could be made from the use of the new gas meter. I now monitor the meter and I have noticed that since they have come out again between December 13-15, 2009, the meter has begin to read faster even though our use has decreased even more. Even with that from December 8 -24, 2009, it had only increased by about eight. I have taken pictures to show the meter's activities and plan to use as evidence if this continues.
Before, they came out between December 13-15, 2009, the new meter would change less than 1 every two days. After they came out, it appeared to read closer to one inspite of the fact that we even stopped using the stove--thus suggesting something changed since the initial installation. I asked Ms. S. to have them come out in my presence and check the calibration of the pressure based on a reading they stated on a history compared to what I saw the gas guy's measuring instrument.
It read somewhere around level seven on his instrument which was also in the upper middle of the instrument and was rising. When I asked him about it he said that it was normal. I would like to see someone who is unbiased check the integrity of the new meter's calibration. I noticed when the gas representative did his test, the reading on his approximately two ft instrument read in the middle and not at zero. I inquired and he said that it was reading within acceptable range.
At this point I don't trust Columbia Gas and based on my experiences with them rightfully so. I have yet to have them come out in my presence to review my concerns and I have letters from Columbia Gas of Virginia to prove their inconsistencies. Since my initial contact with Allison and though now it appears that she has made contact with Columbia Gas. However, the results have been minimal. To date I have received approximately five letters from Columbia Gas with conflicting information all which stated conflicting dates and rebilling results based on some unfounded calculation sources and with no consideration to any changes in my family size and consumption.
I called the Gas Company and they said everything would be on hold until January 2010 after they reassessed things using the newly installed meter. However, inspite of their words and the words from Ms. S., I have again received correspondence that conflicts with this date. I believe that I'm being stalled to give them time to build some unfounded case. I need someone to please investigate this with an unbiased and non vested interest in the Big Utilities i.e, Columbia Gas of Virginia. It's frustating to think that my family and others like us who have made ligitmate sacrifices and cut backs only to find themselves victims to the gas company.
My family and I are not trying to start trouble and we don't want to have unwarranted threats of having our service terminated. We are just managing our lives and don't won't to experience repercussions for doing the right thing. This is unjust and a gross abuse of the gas company's power. It frightens me to think what they will do next. Therefore, I'm asking for someone to please at least investigate these issues. PLEASE. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. The Columbia Gas of Virginia is trying to rebill me not based on gas comsumption but based on their recalculation. They are billing me several hundred dollars over several months.
