CenterPoint Energy Reviews

The gas company, Centerpoint Energy, will not adjust their bill. The customer service supervisor, who was the third person I spoke to about adjusting the bill, said they do not adjust bills. She understood that the gas was not used; it was leaked into the atmosphere, but we still needed to pay the bill or service would be turned off.

Why is the gas company so unfair and unreasonable? The water company used common sense and adjusted the bill because of the accidental leak--why is the gas company being SO WRONG? I will tell anyone who will listen to my experience and will absolutely never again put gas in any home I build or buy. Seeing these other frustrated customers, I see I am not alone in getting robbed by this monopoly gas provider.

We had no service by 5:30, so I called again. The representative I spoke with stated disconnection was due to nonpayment. So, I gave her the receipt number of payment; she verified receiving payment and the $2 credit, and stated that the technician is en route to restore service.

While I was on the phone with her, the technician pulled up in front of our home, checked the reconnect order which stated in error that interruption was due to nonpayment. He got out, hung a tag on my door, but did not knock or ring bell, then drove away. Since I was on the phone with Centerpoint, I asked what was going on. The representative stated that it was the end of the technician's work day, and he said no one was home.

Since that obviously was not the case (there were four adults here), she stated he would be back the next day to restore service, but that there would be a $185 reconnect fee which would be waived.

Well, our bill this month (July) was $23, I paid $35 and we have no gas once again! The $185 reconnect fee has been reinstated, and now they want a second one.

I have no intention of paying either fee for their error; is there any recourse?

It seems that a company would want to schedule this so it could be done in one trip but since the cost of sending someone else is of no relevance when it can be passed to the consumer. Anyway, it's midnight now and I guess I can go to bed and call them and the public service commission tomorrow. What a crappy monopoly service. But what can you do with a utility. When I need new appliances, I will replace with electric just to get away from their service.

We had to cancel our plans to wait for a technician who never showed up. Even tho two customer service representatives said that they would come. I stayed up until midnight then I had to get up at 5:00am to go to work doing landscaping on a 105 heat index day. I can't take off to meet them tomorrow so I guess a hot shower when I get home is out of the question. My 13-year-old was horrified by thinking a large black man was breaking in on her and our two large dogs barking wasn't stopping them. When she called me, I had to coax her into looking outside to see if there was a utility truck. Thank God, there was.

Desired settlement: I would like for the $45.00 service call fee showing "inside trouble" on my billing statement dated 06/20/2011 to be credited back to my account since I did not have or report inside trouble, only a power-outage in the neighborhood. Customers should not be billed for a service call fee when reporting a power-outage in a neighborhood or on a street.

When I went to the website to retrieve the billing information, I was unable to because the history was deleted. I have been with this company for over 20 years. I am a single parent and can ill-afford to make such a payment this large to restore my services. I think this is a huge error on Center Point Energy’s part and would like assistance. It is unheard of for a company to not bill a customer for over 2 years and then expect a balloon payment.

The one time I let the gas bill go (an honest error), they waited for the temperature to go up and shut me off. My bill was due today, the 29th. It was my fault. I did not open the bill to see it was a shut off notice that was due on the 24th. All of this happened because I owed $35.59. So now they tack on their service charges of $60.00 for the shut off and reconnect. I am paying $30.00 a visit for about 15 seconds of work. How is that fair?! How would it be fair for low income people, the elderly, or someone with an infant?! If they are late with their payment, how is it fair to charge double the payment due for disconnect/and reconnect fees? CenterPoint has a monopoly here in Houston.

I thought monopolies were a thing of the past. What happened to free enterprises? The government broke up ATT, didn't they? So, how is it that the energy industry gets special treatment? Oh yeah, I'm in the great state of Texas. The CSV person told me "I have to be here tomorrow from 7 a.m. till...garbled. “Till what?” I asked. The person said: “From 7 a.m. till,” and then garbled again. Once again, I said, “I'm not getting that. From 7 to what time?” Then, she told me, "From 7 a.m. till midnight.” Till midnight, I will lose a full day’s pay! It’s like there's a lot of money in this economy that a person can pay CE's fees plus lose a full day’s pay for this. I am self employed and this is going to hurt the checking account.

A couple of times they would say that they estimated the charge and not actually read the meter. They must have been ripping the customer off for a long time but I came to notice when they send me a bill for $480 which turned out to be $150! Other two instances also the mistake was always that if it has gone un-noticed, the consumer would have paid more, much more! The error is always penalizing the consumer, that the charges are always outrageously higher than the actual usage never the other way around. I don't check it out unless if there is an obvious overcharge.

I have a feeling that myself and most of the consumers of this company might have overpaid several occasions when the charges are not verified (or checked the meter reading).Unfortunately, there is no other choice for the consumer because this is only gas company operating in our area. I really wish some law firm should file a class action law suit against CenterPoint Energy for this high way robbery that is been going on for so many years (at least past 3 years when I started verifying the meter readings). I have all their original and re-billing invoices for proof. This month, I have not yet complained and holding the bill for some lawyer to come forward to sue this company.

So they decided to disconnect us while we're in Florida for an overdue amount of $29. We promptly paid them this amount + $19 to get us current. When we returned, no hot water. Now they require $62 reconnect and a $125 deposit to restore service. Unfortunately, we don't have that money until payday. So me, my wife and 11-year old are supposed to go without heat and hot water for 7 days, then whatever time it takes for them to get out to turn it back on. It's getting cold at night here. I really wish Centerpoint isn't the only provider of gas in Houston. Their extortion seems illegal.

Both Ms. P. and supervisor Ms. R. were very strict in saying that there was no way that they could send someone back to my home. I know it is not their fault that it was cutoff. But if I can pay all that money to get it restored by the time that they want it restored, then why can't I get the customer service that I deserve as a long time customer? Ms. P. was not that rude, but the supervisor Ms. R. was very rude. She didn’t even want to hear what I had to say. I work in customer service and I know from the experience that there is always a way to help out a customer if you want to. Evidently, they did not want to. As Ms. R. so bluntly put it, Center Point has me **, because they are the gas provider for my city. So, whatever they say goes and that is not right. I needed hot water to take a bath because I have a job that demands me to be at my best in appearance. I could not do that because I was unable to get my job clean. It is hot as hell outside and my family and I needed to take a bath. I hope that this complaint is taken seriously.

I have no other options for gas and they can make me do whatever they want if I want gas service. This is unbelievable that a monopoly exists and the company has no heart! I’m not remaining delinquent, but now I am forced to comply or have no gas. I was treated horribly as well. I was explained the same information over and over as though I did not understand. I also was spoken to in a diminutive manner. I have never been dealt with like this and if it were possible I would switch my provider no matter the cost.

I called CenterPoint's Office for reconnection and found that I am responsible for a $60 reconnection fee and a $105 deposit is now due to get reconnected. Of course, the phone techs were conveniently unable to waive anything for any reason, regardless of a good history with the company. To add insult to injury, after paying the reconnection fee, I was told that the service tech will be by anytime between 8 in the morning and 8 at night.

That someone has to be home for reconnection. They will give a narrower window for their appointment. Now I am incensed with this last act of consideration from CenterPoint, who by the way, has no competition in the Natural Gas arena in my area. I would love to bill them for my time which is equally as valuable as theirs. If I had an alternative, I would take it over this ** for customer service from CenterPoint Energy!

A month later my husband receives a copy of his driver's license record in the mail from CenterPoint saying that he lived at the address so the balance would stay on his account. Again, the old account was in my name, not his. We never disputed that we lived at that address so what they provided was not sufficient in our opinion. Again we contacted CenterPoint and asked for a copy of the past due bill and was told the same thing. The only thing they could tell me was the dates of the bill. I explained that we no longer lived in that house during the dates on the bill and that I would gladly provide copies of lease agreements as proof.

I also remembered that when we were vacating the house I had to call CenterPoint several times just to get our service disconnected. The first time I was told that I had to call back closer to my move out date. The second time was the disconnect and the third was to confirm that my disconnect request had been received. Of course now they are not able to locate these phone calls. I was told that I had to fax my lease agreements in by 5/24 in order to avoid being disconnected. I faxed them several times just to make sure that they received them.

I called on 5/25 to confirm and was told that there were no notes in the computer yet but that it normally takes about 48 hours to be updated. I called in 5/27 and was told that they still had not been received. The rep suggested that I fax it to her and she would make sure the credit department received them. The rep even called to confirm that she received them. On 6/16 I still had not heard from CenterPoint and because it was after hours I decided to send in an email. Today 6/19, I received an email stating that a decision was made on 5/27 and I owe the bill. It said that someone also contacted me on this date which is not true. I just need someone to please help me get this resolved. All I am asking for is a copy of the bill. If it is during my residency at this address, I have no problem paying for it. However, I don't believe I should be expected to pay for something just because someone says I do. Dealing with this matter has added stress and taken time away from work and family.

I got off the phone and called them. I got the same response. I started crying just thinking of her being in the cold house all night and probably all day tomorrow too. She is like we all are and that is she does not want to leave her house to go to a motel. And she did not have the money. I spoke to Mrs. D. Mrs. D was nice until I told her that I have paid the gas bill and if they will not turn it on then I can just go cut the tag off and do it myself for her. Oh, she did not like that at all. She got very firm about I cannot do that. I want to know if I paid the bill for my mother, why I have to wait for so long. It was like talking to a broken record.

So here I am so far away and beside myself. How can one company have so much control over your life? Because they own the gas, they can say who can have gas or not. They can say who can have heat or not. It is just not right. CenterPoint has "no customer service" at all. I didn't think they could treat elderly people like this. There should be a law about this. She could catch a cold or get pneumonia. What are they thinking of?

It also stated that the deposit could be waived if I sent them a letter of credit from a previous utility company. Since my utilities at my old address in Louisiana were always paid on time, I contacted my old company LUS and asked that a letter of credit be faxed along with my account number to Center Point Energy. I also asked that a copy be faxed to me at my office. When I received my copy, I faxed it again and I mailed it. I called Center Point Energy to see if it was received, but all of the customer service representatives said they do not have access to the fax machine and that when it is received it would be noted in the system.

So I went ahead and faxed it two more times to be sure. Easter weekend is coming close and my family decided they would come visit. So I went out and bought $273 worth of groceries, which were all later spoiled because when I returned home from work on the Thursday before Easter Friday I had no power. Not once did Center Point send a disconnection notice.

I called Center Point's office and was told that because my letter of credit was not received, they disconnected the service. I asked why they could not call to notify me that they "so called did not receive it". The representative told me they do not send disconnection notices for new accounts when the disconnection is occurring as a result of a deposit that is not received or waived by a letter of credit, and the only notice sent is when you receive the deposit invoice in the mail. This really upset me as I called several times to check if it had been received and I faxed it numerous times, my old utility company also faxed it, and I mailed it.

So after seriously yelling at the customer service representatives and speaking with a manager they were able to find my fax but it was never entered into the system. Of course they apologized and when I asked when would my services be restored, they said that first my letter of credit would need to be approved and that can take 3 -5 business days and then they would reschedule my service to be connected which could take up to an additional 5 days. I was then forced to switch to TXU Energy who had the service on by that Monday and did not ask me for a $310 deposit.

So when I moved to my new home in 2008, it turns out that Center Point is the only provider of Natural Gas Service. I unfortunately had no choice to use their service. I signed up and was never asked for a deposit. For 12 consecutive months I had never been late or been disconnected. Recently, I was out of town for a period of 3 weeks, so unlucky for me my bill came while I was away and when I returned on Monday January 25, 2010 I checked my mail and saw the bill and went online to pay it while I was at work. The past due amount was $49.86, but unfortunately for me Center Point Energy already scheduled a disconnection for that same day. I returned home to find my gas services disconnected.

The next day on Tuesday January 26, 2010 I called Center Point Energy to find out when my services would be restored and the representative told me I would have to do the following things before my service could be restored: 1) Pay my upcoming bill that would be due on January 28, 2010 in the amount of $124.00 (Keep in mind that it is the 26th and this bill is not even due until the 28th), 2) Pay the $20.87 Disconnection Fee, 3) Pay a $62.00 Reconnection Fee, and 4) Pay a $150.00 Deposit.

Now considering the $49.86 I already paid that was past due plus all the current fees they are asking for, Center Point Energy would like for me to pay a total amount of $406.73 to restore my service. Now if they were just asking me to pay the new bill and a sensible reconnection fee I could probably have dealt with that. But I think that the disconnection fee is ludicrous, the reconnection fee is a rip off, and the deposit is just cruel. Especially since I asked if the reconnection fee, disconnection fee, and deposit could be paid in installments since I'm already a customer and wasn't late before, but they still said no. It all has to be paid before they can do anything.

I complained but it did nothing even the fact that I had paid on time for the entire year that I was with them meant nothing. I told them that I have a 17 month old son, but they still insisted that all these fees be paid and I call them back when I have it. So even more unlucky for myself and my son we have had no hot water, heater, and I am unable to even cook. The part that is most painful is the fact that for the past five days the temperature has been in the 30s and 40s. I totally understand the fact that Center Point turned off the gas because they want their money and I didn't pay it on their schedule. But knowing that the weather is extremely cold and making it near impossible for one to restore their service is the problem that I have. I am a single mother and maintain my home and take care of my child with a single salary which isn't much, might I add. I have always paid my bill with Center Point Energy and had this one unlucky point in time where I forgot to pay it on time and now I can't get service because I don't have an additional $406.73 sitting around the house.

It is obvious that Center Point Energy treats its customers this way and feels it's okay to leave them in the cold because they feel that we need them and will have no choice but to find the money to pay them their ridiculous fees. The sad part is that many of us cannot pay their senseless fees and sit without service for months on end. I don't see my service being turned on anytime soon. It will take me two paychecks to be able to pull the deposit, another paycheck for the reconnection fee, and possibly another two pay checks to cover the disconnection fee and my new bill.

The government needs to force Center Point Energy to allow other companies to service Natural Gas just as they have done with electricity. I know that all the electricity providers do go through Center Point at the end of the day, but they usually are a lot easier to deal with. My son is sick and has a cold and also suffers from asthma. The current temperature is 38 degrees outside.

Here is a small story about it. I live in a small 2-bedroom house. Many times I got very high electric bill from my agency and I also change so many times, one to another. I thought may be the agency is high but that was not the problem.

Last year, I lost my 220 connection and my heater, AC, hot water, and stove was not working. I called the CenterPoint. They sent me a worker. He told me, “You have a problem with your 220, which is between the transformer and meter and that is underground. That cost you at least 3500 dollars to do that.” I got shocked and I said I don’t have that much money, not even a job in these days. He left and sent me 40 dollars extra charge in bill. I still don’t have any 220 coming in my home. And still, I have no hot water, no stove, no heat, and no AC. And last month I got 954 cent bill from my agency (Just Energy).

The first time when I saw the bill, I was shocked. I sat in car and started driving. I hit the curve and bust my tire. I came home and thought before I didn’t have 220 and 110 will be gone too because I can pay this much bill. Then, I thought, why am I getting that high bill? I could sleep all night and the next day, I called Just Energy and asked them what this is. Why is the bill so high? We have nothing to do with that but that really doesn’t make any sense. It’s a way high bill.

I contacted CenterPoint Energy. I explained to them about my bill. First, they said, “I don’t know. Whatever the reading is, we send that to your agency.” Then they said, “Okay, we will send someone to read the meter.” I told them the meter is new. You guys change the meter. Also before, according to you guys, the meter is slow and not making enough money. Then, what happened now? Anyway, they sent a worker and took reading of it. The worker said, “They don’t come to read the meter. They just measure and go.” He said the reading is not right. Anyway, it’s a long story. I am waiting for another bill, but here I would like to request for any kind attorney to consider this mater. I am in a very bad situation. Please help. It’s not just me. There are more people who are suffering from this kind of situation. I hope that you would consider this. God bless you.

Second: When the price of gasoline a year ago or so was $4.00+, they established a cost adjustment fee. Gasoline price is not anymore that much but the adjustment stayed as is. For my residence, it's $0.89187 per CCF; for rental property, it's $0.83250 per CCF. Why is there nobody from customer service people who knows but again there is no answer from somebody who knows!

The gas cost is also different? For my residence, it's $0.89187 per CCF; for the rental property, it's $0.83250 per CCF. It's the same, nobody knows, but there is no one either to answer those questions. If you ask them where their office is to find somebody to talk and complain, there is no answer either. In total, the gas cost difference is: for my residence, it's $0.93787 per CCF; for the rental property, it's $0.9049 per CCF. Why? Again, it's the same answer which is actually no answer!

Well, my gas was cut off yesterday evening, no knocker...nothing. So I had called Centerpoint, the electronic voice said 61.08 plus $20.00 reconnect fee. But being that I wanted to speak to a person, I had to call back. I finally got through to a person and was told 157.00 and that our service wouldn't be reconnected until Tuesday. Today is Thursday!!! 5 kids, 2 adults, no hot water for 6 freaking days!?!?!?!?! The guy, can't remember his name said there was no way they could make it out here until Tuesday. Grumbling, I got off the phone called and made the $157.00 payment, plus an additional 2.95 Bill matrix payment fee.

I called Centerpoint energy back with the confirmation code and still pretty ticked off that my service wouldn't be reconnected until Tuesday. Then by the lady I was speaking to with the receipt number, she tells me that I can pay an additional $35.00 OVERTIME fee for them to reconnect today. But through Bill Matrix of course. They have to have that additional $2.95 ya know! But I had to do what I had to do for my babies!!! So I called, made the payment to Bill Matrix and then called Centerpoint back. They couldn't give me a time of when someone would be here, but someone has to be here! Good thing I have no life outside my house... ya right!

DON'T THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO WORK TOO!?!?!? They charge you an arm and a leg for everything. My bill was only 94.40 (Summertime, no heat, just hot water) and it totaled 157.00 for a reconnect fee. So it was 94.40 (gas) + 62.60 (reconnect fee) + 2.95 (pay it fee) + 35.00 (OVERTIME fee) + 2.95 (another pay it fee). Did I mention that I can't go and make the payment at the actual company, because there isn't a Centerpoint energy or place to make a payment anywhere near. The closest one is in Lawton, Oklahoma which is about 50 miles away!!!!!

This just seem illegal to me and they are getting away with it. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they started charging us to mail our bills to us!!! I know they charge us a stamp to mail our paper checks to them!!!!!!! I'm so livid over this that I am thinking about calling my attorney to see if something or anything can be done! Gas prices are high enough!!! GRRRRRR....

Something that should only be a 4 hour turnaround has to turned into 2 days! That means 4 days without electricity or water!!! Can you imagine that? How can these company have no compassion for families that live out in the country with no light or water and Centerpoint is the electric service in my area so there's absolutely no one I can complain to! I think that this is absurd to treat paying consumers like this. Not one person has apologized to my family and no one even cares that we have no electricity for 4 days!!!! I don't know who else to complain to, please get this to someone with authority in Centerpoint so that they know how their company is effecting people's lives.

I faxed them back on 12/3/2007 saying there was no more income from these companies. I received a letter fron Anoka on 1/7/2008 saying I was denied because they never received the information they requested. I talked to Anoka on 1/10/2008 and was told their fax was not working for a few days during that time. In the mean time I can't commit to a certain payment plan without knowing from week to week what my income is going to be, therefore my gas was disconnected today. I told Centerpoint I have a 19 month baby in our house right now as my daughter is out of town for work this week, and we have him every weekend, and will have him the full last week in January also, and the customer service person told me there was nothing they could do for me.

She said we qualify for the cold weather rule and they would send us out forms to fill out for the 10 percent plan. In the mean time what do we do with no heat and a baby in the house? Will we have problems with pipes feaazing? We are going to contact the Attorney general's office tomorrow and see if they can help at all.

On 09/04/2007, I found a representative from Centerpoint energy in my driveway who informed me that he was here to disconnect my gas service. The bill was being sent to another one of my properties on the other side of my country and I never realized that it was missing when the mail stopped being forwarded. To this date, I have yet to have a single call or a Voice Mail from Centerpoint to the phone number listed on my account to inform me that my service was about to be disconnected. Their answer to this issue was: well, our automated system calls customers but we don't leave a message or bother checking if the calls ever reached you... Seems to me like the system's only designed to deal with intentionally deliquent customers and not to resolve billing issues as is the case here. The reason I am contacting you to place an official complaint is twofold:

1. Monopoly practices (failure to reach a customer to try and resolve issues): Not leaving a phone message (while disconnect notices are being sent to an incorrect address) does not give a deliquent customer a way to know there is an issue with their account and to resolve it. My uncheckered payment history should have been a good reason to suspect there was an issue somewhere... but when you are the only company around, you don't have to deal with customers the way others do, I guess!

2. Racketeering (They want to charge me $70 dollars to turn the gas valve back on). This simply ridiculous!!! Mind you that I owe them a measly $98 and that until 04/07, I made regular payments.

PS: At this point in time, I believe the only gas powered appliance in my house is the water heater, which I will be replacing with an electric one so I no longer have to use the ONLY gas providing utility company. I also want to make sure that you are aware f what appears to be monopolistic abuse from Centerpoint energy. This is soooo ridiculous and could have been avoided had the company bothered to have a live employee call me on the number they had on record, which seems like proper business practice.

Please be so kind and let me know what my recourse is against the big bad wolf!

My boyfriend got home @ 4pm to two notes saying nobody was home. So that's twice they came and twice they didn't call like they said they'd do BOTH times. My boyfriend called to talk to a manager (Susan) and she said she wouldn't be able to send anyone else out today and I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I asked if somebody would call and she said yes. This is right after she said we do not have to call you. I am extremely frustrated with this company and their lack of customer service.

My bills are higher in the winter than the summer, when I finally corner them they admit that on several occasions they do estimate. It is there responsibility to maintain and read the meter. I want to be billed for what I use, not what they think I use.