Pacific Gas and Electric

mia carson

Thu, Dec 7, 4:56PM (1 day ago)

This letter is a complaint of the "Billing bad practices" and customer mistreatment and account manipulations done by PG&E/the agents of

PG&E Corp.

Note;The PUC has been informed of the most current issues and has attempted to mediate.

On September 12 2023 in the afternoon my residential power was shut off. I happened to be off of work that day and was in the home when it occurred.

I was a bit surprised as I had been sending payments monthly missing only one payment since the beginning of the year but doubling up the next month. I say a "bit" surprised only because I had experienced issue upon issue on this account since inception(more on that later).

I immediately called the PG&E "customer service" number provided by Google. When the line connected I was put through the tedious automated system and after multiple requests was put through to a PG&E agent. A young man answered the line and requested my address and name.

He referred to himself as Jacob ( I teased him that sure that was his name as he did have a slight E.Indian accent, but everybody it seems on a customer service line does nowadays) I told him the billing was incorrect and explained the account history to him. He said he could not access all of that immediately on this call(or something to that effect)but let us see what we can do now to get my power back on. That seemed like a logical path to me as I need power, no question about that. "Jacob" went on to ask me a number of questions such as my income my rent, how many residents etc.

He made a statement regarding my income to cost of living in a very empathic manner. This is probably where I should have got suspicious as he actually sounded like he cared,;compassion? He said not to worry as PG&E had a "special Program" available that he believed he could qualify me for. I was sceptical, reiterating that I did Not owe the amount stated and I had supposedly been in a "special Program" that was obviously some sort of ruse by PG&E already.

He said that other than paying the whole bill as stated right then it was the only way he had available to get my power back on then. As I was not about to(nor could I)pay the amount in question I told him to tell me what we could do right then(I figured I could battle the amount later).He told me that PG&E had certain generous "sponsor organizations" that if I could come up with a percent of the bill the "sponsor" would cover the rest to clear my account this one time. He at first asked me to pay $850 then in order to do this which I said I could not do he requested $550 I told him I did not have it finally it was agreed I would pay $450 on that call and another $423 by the next month and the "sponsor" would cover the rest of what was stated as past due(even though I did not owe that amount).I thought on it a moment and rationalized that so long as the account was cleared I could just forgo fighting out the incorrect billing even though I was still paying more than I should have; I wouldn't have to hassle with it anymore. Jacob also went on to say that I would then be put on "Predictable Billing" and from then on would have a "Predictable monthly charge of $200 to $250,

every month.

Well, that got me and seemed actually reasonable as I live alone and don't use either heating or AC and had suffered(even according to PG&E field agent) excessive bills for very low usage.Jacob told me my Sponsor company was Union Members"something", I should have wrote it down.He then asked me for my debit card so that he could get the power on for me.I asked him if he could email all of this to me in writing he said no as he was just a phone agent and had no ability to email customers directly. I asked him how I could know that This time PG&E would keep their word. He did give me a phone number he said was his direct line but I have since lost it. He said this is what he/they do and my power would be returned he guaranteed it.

I made the $450 payment then on that call, thanked him and hung up.My power came back on within about 15 minutes and I believed all was well in my world.

PG&E received another payment from me for $350 on September 14 or 15. Around the 12th of October I sent another check for $100; making and in fact exceeding my responsibility in the agreement I had made with PG&E on the 12th of September. Approximately a week later I received a 24 hour phone notice that my power would again be shut off and the amount stated was the full amount from September! No clearing of the balance and no credit for the $900 I had paid!Again they were not crediting me for money paid and not keeping their word!

I checked my bank account and Yup there was the $450 payment and the $350 the 100 did not show yet but it had only been a week.

I was forced to again call PG&E knowing that all they do is lie,steal, make false promises etc. but there was no option as all of the service centers have been closed and there is No way to speak to anyone in person or get hard copy proof of anything anymore.

Two phone attempts later I finally get through the automated phone system that wanted Only to get a payment in order to proceed; I reach an agent that coincidentally also is a male with a slight accent. After listening to my very frustrated story twice he agrees I do need his mgr. I am on hold for so long I am just getting ready to hang up and start over when a womans voice asks "what is the address?" I think to myself "well you knew my G...D...address before I even spoke a word to begin with",well, the computer did.

Already frustrated, I give it to her."And the name on the account?". I think"It is right there on your caller ID,are we really going to do this?" and I give it to her. She mentions my account being very high and about to be shut off. Did I want to pay that amount now to prevent shut off?" Clearly the agent before said nothing, just put me on hold and transferred the call?

What horrible policy I think...or are they just trained to escalate frustration? I tell her no and start again with my story .She says PG&E has no such program and says I did not talk to PG&E agent. She says there are only local employees with no Indian accents? 25% of the Bay area residents ,it seems, have Indian accents!

I tell her whoever he was he picked up on the PG&E phone line took my money and turned my power on. She says she shows no 450 payment. I ask "then how did my power go on?" Clearly I was speaking with PG&E.The woman is accusatory, combative and all but out right calling me a liar. I don't lie, I just don't do it.

But PG&E does. I finally get pushed to the point I tell her I"I just can't do this with you, enough! I hang up. I know, not productive but...

The next day I try again hoping for a better supervisor. I go through the automated system the agent, th e hold a supervisor picks up I tell her I had tried the day before but the supervisor I was talking to was difficult and I hung up so I was trying again. She informs that was her. I start again explaining that I am unwilling to send any payment until this is rectified as PG&E was not crediting me payments made.

She again says they have no such program. I was not talking to PG&E. She says no $450 payment but that i made a$2900 and 3200 payment that day but that the bank cancelled both. I told her I did not make those payments.

If I had that money we would be having a different conversation. She says she sees $350 payment and a $100 payment. I tell her neither of those are even reflected at the balance they are stating due. I am again frustrated.

I tell her "okay, all of the history aside,this needs to be fixed, what do we do Now?" I am talking and notice an "echo"of hollowness...she had hung up on me.

Two days later, knowing somehow this has to be handled, I call the PUC.

I go through the automated system and I reach Maryanne. I start explaining all of this over again to poor Maryanne and she takes all of my information and says she need to talk to PG&E. I wait two or three days and I call back. Maryanne says she left mssgs but none have been returned and she will try again while I wait.

I waited a long time so long I put it on speaker while I made a batch of tuna salad and then a sandwich and then ate the sandwich and then did the dishes just as I was picking up the phone to hang up Maryannes voice came on. She stated she was sorry no one at PG&E was responding and it had been such a wait that her boss said she has to disconnect. She said she would keep trying. I waited a couple of days and I called the PUC again.

Maryanne said she couldn't get anyone and had left several mssgs.She said she would try another way. I hung up and again waited a few days. This time when I called Maryanne said she had talked to someone that they were showing the 350 payment ,not 450. They now showed the $100 but there was no mention of the $2900 or 3200 payment somebody,not me, made and cancelled.

I stated then how did my power get turned on if there was no payment?and where did my 450 the bank shows go? She told me I was to send copies of my bill and bank statement with a letter (much like this) to PG&E. I said okay and hung up but realized to PG&E where? To who at PG&E?So I called Maryanne back.

She said she would find out. I waited a few days and called her but had to leave a mssg. I again waited a couple of days and tried again and left another mssg.It was now the Thanksgiving Holiday so I waited until the following Tuesday and tried again. I believe this call or maybe the next I got her.She said she had left multiple mssgs.

but had got no response. I expressed to her that it was really concerning me and that I had got another shut off notice but was not trusting PG&E to credit me besides we still have not corrected the overbilling. She sounded frustrated when she said "Hold on,we are going to do this now.So I held and held. Finally a woman picked up and asked how she could help.Maryanne was gone she had just transferred me over.The woman said her name was Michelle but sounded like a different one I told her i needed an address and name to forward to she asked what it was regarding.I told her briefly what had occured but that I understood she was just to give me the address not help with the issue.

She said if she was to help with issue she would have questions for me.I told her ask please. She claimed there was no 100 payment now? and of course no 450 she said that she saw I made two payments and cancelled them. I told her I did not make those payments she insisted I did.

She became argumentative about Jacob and said the turn on order was made by a female, not the person I claimed I had spoken with who clearly wasn't PG&E. I answered back yes he was as he picked up PG&E phone line and then my power was turned on. She questioned how I "supposedly had made the 450 payment. She kept using the phrasing "so you are saying that..." as if it was something other than what happened, acting as if I was making it up or being untruthful.

I corrected telling her multiple times "no, that is what happened not I am just saying". She was refusing what happened completely.As if? .We did figure out the 100 payment was refused by my bank around November 8th. I had been told it was received back in Oct.

Apparently it wasn't sent to my bank until weeks later. Unfortunately my identity had been stolen on Oct.31 and my account numbers then changed on the 2nd of Nov. I did not even think there might be a concern as PG&E had said they had got it weeks before.What was concerning me a bit was that all of the times PG&E stated that I had not spoke to them(though my power was turned on from that "made up"call, and my money was taken by they claim other than them; PG&E agents expressed absolutely no concern as to who might be hacking their phone lines or taking their customers money, no regard for their customers security(wonder if this is what led to my identity theft on Oct 31) none at all.I was not getting anywhere but offended by the woman's attitude and insinuations so I requested she just give me the name and address I originally requested.She said she would and then the call disconnected.I had no way to get her back as I had been transferred to her from the PUC. She made no attempt to call me back so I assume the disconnect was intentional on her part and that she had no real interest in helping me.

A little history.

Spring 2022 my bill had got excessively high. I had been making payments but they were not being credited. I called PG&E and stated as much they said they hadn't got them but suggested I take advantage of a special program for bill forgiveness. At that time I still had some trust.

We also set up for a field agent to come check my meter. During the winter I had requested I be (weatherized. I was contacted back by a woman who forwarded me the form for my landlord. I faxed it back signed.

I received no response. I tried faxing multiple other times but it would no longer go through. I left multiple mssgs on the number she had provided but never received any response and I gave up.I went through the process for the program and was told it would take two billing cycles and my balance would be cleared Sept to 0 so long as I made my payments each month and would vanish completely in one year.I was laid off in July beginning of August with no notice PGE deposited 3 payments from over 4 months prior$700+. That is illegal by the way.

It also drained my unemployed bank account making my rent short. I called in about it nobody knew"how that could have possibly happened" but it is much of why my bill was so high I had to get on the "special program". I was assured I would be credited that back the next month Sept. Sept.

came I had a 0 balance and then a $160 bill. I made a payment of $200 giving me a 40 overage.That would give me a 0 balance and a $740 credit. I had been accepted for Care when I was laid off and it was supposed to be in effect as of Oct.1.That being said if I planned an average of 200 a month through Dec. it would be covered with $140.over for variance.

I started sending payments again in January between 250 and 650 a month. When the field agent had come to my house he said my meter was right but I was being charged an excessive rate as his home was at least another 500 sqr feet larger than mine and had five people living in it rather than one. He said my actual usage was very low but my bill was more than 30% higher than his. I do not use AC or the heater.

I was back to work 5-7 days a week.I live alone and don't have outside lighting ,a pool,or even use the garage opener. I have a 7 month old energy star refrigerator. I rarely cook, don't even use a blow dryer and have no gas.Please somebody do the math for me as none of this adds up.

As I never did get a name or address to send this to I will be sending it to PG&E Corporate(an officer if I can get an address), the PUC, Consumer affairs, and maybe 7 on your side. For the record there have been other issues of uncredited funds on this account prior to this instance.

I am a 59 year old ,30 year Fremont Resident. I have had this account for almost 8 years.

Thank you reader for your kind attention.

With hopes of assistance and a remedy for this terrible Company.

Since

Overdue bill, said I had to pay 100 to avoid shutoff, I paid 103 on Dec 7th., leaving a balance of 300. On Dec 12th my power was cutoff.

Even tho the notice said to pay 100 to prevent cutoff and I paid 103.

So all food fridge n freeze has gone bad. My cupboards r bare. Limited income. My place is in a cell tower dead zone so I have to have Internet to make receive calls when I'm at home.

No power means no phone service at home. Ridiculous seeking out places where I can alot at least an hour straight to get some charge on my phone.

Not to mention I get around via bicycle and require charging my bike lights so have to charge buncha things to keep safe.

I take responsibility 4 getting in this pre *** ament, but PGE didn't keep their written word and cancelled me. I'm suicidal.

I am absolutely shocked that there is no way to discuss my problem with a live person!

I am on a fixed income. My PG&;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;E bill, as it is, is unaffordable for me.

I need to discuss my options, such a tiering options, and what times is energy usage most affordable. Is there any way possible to speak with a live agent? PG&E is the only company, that I know not to provide this company not to provide. The service of alive agent!

PG&E's rates are ridiculously expensive in comparison to other energy providers, but alas the only provider available to me. PG&E keeps raising rates, raking in customers money, but provides no customer service with a live agent.

Please contact me.

At 530-210-**** or email me at czastro360@***.com. To explain why

I cannot have access to a live agent to help me.

Cathy Zyskowski