Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The bills with Huntsville Utiltiles are ridiculous, at this point. It seems the bills are getting higher and higher and people are having to choose between paying their mortgage or utilities. There has been controversy in the state over this. is. I made a payment for $382 Jan 30 or 31st. They cut my power off for non-payment, yesterday. The recording stated that I didn't pay when I did. I paid more than half of which is the policy or it is supposed to be. It is stating I still owe 400, but the woman on the phone told me the rest was towards Feb, not Jan. *** a single woman who lives by herself and has Crohn's Disease and there have been period I couldn't work. Why am I having to pay almost $400 or more every month to keep the lights on? They were also threatening to turn the power if in January when it cold outside. The excuse was it was 40 degrees during the day, but it was in the teens or twenties at night. Even the meteorologists state it is the night time you need to worry about and bring the dogs in. The nighttime was the concern, not the day. I''m sick and tired of this. I don't know who I need to talk to or what news stations I need to go on, but The prices are insane, and they are expected to go up more in October. It will be a total of a 5% price hike. People can't pay their bill now. I mean I hate them at this point. I HATE THEM! I had rather claw my own eyeballs out than deal with them. I mean it is an ongoing issue that I can't take anymore. Someone has to do something about this. People should never have to choose between their house payment and power.

  

  Business response

  02/12/2025

  Greetings,

  We are in receipt of the customer's statement. Prior to this ******************** submission, we have had direct communication with the customer regarding this account, account status and payment history. As a public not-for-profit municipally owned utility provider for community foundational services, we strive each day to do what is best for our customers. It is our goal to be fair and equitable to all. However, we cannot provide services and not collect payment for the services consumed. While we prefer prompt payment, we do understand that from time to time some customers may experience hardships and we will work with those customers on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend ***** on a frequency desired by this particular customer. As always, we encourage customers to contact us when they know they will have a challenge paying, before their bill is due. Additionally, we share information about local agencies that help customers with utility bills. We exist to serve. Never is it our intent for our customers to be without foundational services, but we also count on them to do their part. Yes, there has been an increase to the electric rate. We avoided this for as long as we could, but the price of materials, equipment and vehicles has risen at such a fast pace that we could not hold off any longer on the increase.  As a reminder, during the heating season, *** encourages customers to keep their HVAC units set on 68 degrees not only for optimum energy efficiency but to also ensure that their electric consumption and ultimately their electric bill is reasonable. 

  

  Business response

  02/12/2025

  Greetings - please find below some additional backup context related to this compliant. 

  Ms. ******* filled a similar complaint with the Huntsville/********************** on January 23, 2025. Her situation basically stems from a lack of payment. In November 2024 we billed her for her monthly consumption of $237.47. She made a payment of $110 and then a second payment of $60.00, leaving a balance for her November 2024 consumption of $67.47. That was then added to her December monthly consumption charges of $357.12 plus the previous $67.47. We received no payments from Ms. ******* in December. Due to the Holiday's (we don't disconnect customers between Christmas and New Year's) plus the fridge temperatures (we do not disconnect during the winter if the temp is below 32 degrees) she was never schedule for disconnect, even though she remitted no payment in December. On Jan 9, 2025 her January invoice of $448.35 was released, plus the previous balances. She called us on January 15th - we offered her a payment arrangement, but she declined it. She was then disconnected on January 15th. However, following the disconnect, she called back and asked for a two-day extension until January 17th - which we granted and restored services. Then she emailed on January 24th requesting an additional extension. Weather prevented us from disconnecting any customer until January 30th. Customer was disconnected and reconnected on January 30th as she made a payment of $380.00. Customer was then disconnected on February 6th because the previous payment was not sufficient to bring her account balance current. A payment was made on February 6th for $60.00. As of this response, no additional payment has been received. 

  Customer response

  02/13/2025

   
  Complaint: 22912608
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I have crohn's disease and have been in and out of the hospital. I haven't been able to work. I have tried multiple time for assistance. I always have to beg and plead and it gets old. I'm also directed to 211 for assistance, but that assistance is a joke and now funding for it has been blocked. Even before that they didn't answer the phone or said they met their quota. Recently, I tried to get an extension again. They wouldn't help me and cut my power off. I paid it last night. The *** said I had to get a new contract of which will be impossible for me to get, especially if I am already struggling like so many others. This is the only utility company in the area. I feel they are taking discriminating against the poor and disabled. I can supply proof and even emailed it to them and nothing. They hung up on me once when I said nothing and have been ignoring my emails. I'm honestly so tired of dealing with them. am furious about this. I need help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  

  Business response

  02/13/2025

  Since this last communication, we have reached out to the customer directly. From that communication, a mutual understanding has been established. 

  

  Business response

  02/13/2025

  As of today, we spoke to the customer directly. We have restored her service and have offered her a payment arrangement option. Additionally, we have reached out to a utility assistance agency on her behalf. We do believe we have identified an agency that can assist her to pay her present $600 plus account balance. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My account number is ************ Im currently in the hospital Ive been in the hospital for a month in a half now. My case manager an organization make a payment on my behalf I just got out of *** as well I have sickle cell disease.Before I even got in the hospital ms. ****** and myself had spoke regarding my bank account information she stated that she went in and added the bank details so that it wouldnt be returned because it was a new bank account ********* home is new and we dont have a mailboxes that we get mail in because we are waiting on the postal service to get locks that the mailbox has to have before mail can even get delivered so we where advised to sign up for e notifications and I didnt receive any notification from Huntsville utilities at all now Im currently in the hospital and my mother and two kids which is a 3 month old as well and my utilities have been shut off after my case manager was told that they were setting me up on a four payment plan when the $220 was paid the other ****** of 01/28/2025 at 2:21 pm Ive had to sign out ama from the hospital because not one person **** or jasmine assisted the only person I spoke to was yuneko I hope Im saying it right was the only one that understood what was happening here I need someone to contact me immediately.

  

  Business response

  01/30/2025

  Greetings,

  We are in receipt of the complaint filed by ******** ********. We have reviewed this account and payment history. We offer our sympathy regarding the hospitalization. We were not notified of the medical inpatient procedures, and our computer system does not know when a customer is hospitalized. Unfortunately, based on the account payment history, no additional time can be permitted. Full payment is due. Further, we have identified several inconsistencies in the complaint. Also, we have not received any communication from others on this street regarding issues receiving their monthly utility bill from us.  Separately from contacting our office via telephone and or in person, customers can check their account balances via our mobile app and or our My Account portal at anytime in the event they do not receive their paper monthly statement and or e-billing email notification. Customers can also post payments to their accounts via our ************************* app and payment kiosks. We would encourage this customer to also consider signing up for our 3rd Party notification, so that in the event hospitalization occurs again, whoever is identified, can receive notification of the utility bill being due. Additionally, we also encourage the customer to register with the local ********************** so that they can also provide support assistance. As of this response, service has been restored to this address, but service will be interrupted again if payment is not received by close of business today, Thursday, Jan 30, 2025. 

  Regards,

  Huntsville Utilities

  

  Business response

  01/30/2025

  Unfortunately, this customer is not sharing all of the information about their account and situation. We have received at least 2 returned payment items on this account form this customer. She has also spoken to multiple different people here at ** and because she is not receiving the answer she is seeking, she has decided to send in this complaint. A quick cursory ****** search of her name will provide you will more understanding of her. 

  Customer response

  01/31/2025

  For one I did however explain to them the return payments. As you see in the complaint I mentioned that I spoke to ****** regarding the return payments. 
  

  Also googling my name has nothing to do with this matter. I filed this complaint due to the nature of how I was spoken to from two of your employees not based on the answer that was given. 

  next time make sure you ****** the dates and time and what happened to someone of why they went to jail for something they didnt do. Have a great day. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Huntsville Utilities has installed a digital meter on my house that I did not give them consent to install. I have contacted Huntsville Utilities on September 4, 2024 at approximately 2:26 PM about removal of the digital meter and replacement with an analog meter. I was told that once they install a digital meter that they cannot change it back to an analog meter and that the board of directors passed this rule on Friday August 30, 2024. I have never given consent to Huntsville Utilities to change the meter from an analog meter to a digital meter in the past and I still do not give consent. If they somehow obtained consent through some kind of loophole of me not explicitly saying "I do not consent" then I have revoked an consent that they may have assumed on my part when I spoke to a representative on the phone named "******".

  

  Business response

  09/06/2024

  This issue is under review.

  

  Business response

  09/09/2024

  Huntsville Utilities has communicated directly with ****************** and this matter has been resolved.

  Customer response

  09/10/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted Huntsville Utilites on 06/19/23 and completed the moving process for my utility account. As of 08/03/23, the only communication I have received from this company, are the attached documents and emails confirming my account is active and the move transaction is complete. Today, I called this company and spoke to *** who advised me that they do not have an account for me at this address and I will need to complete a new application for them to process my request. This company is saying the only way service can be in my name, is if I pay them two separate fees for this "new" account. I was told everyone has to pay these, and it doesn't matter who you are, everyone does it. I requested to speak to a supervisor and requested a supervisor name. *** told me she does not know who the supervisors are, but that when I'm ready to complete my application, that I can call back, as long as I have my banking information for them, so they can charge me 2 separate fees. I requested this to be reviewed and to waive these fees. I respectfully request Huntsville Utilites to complete the application as it was processed, completed and activated Online (see attachments) and waive any fees that are not fees for utility usage.

  

  Business response

  08/04/2023

  This complaint is under review.

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In January 2023 I received my utility bill and there was an abnormally high amount charged for water. I contacted Huntsville Utilities and informed them that I had bursted water pipes resulting from the freeze on December 24th. I was instructed to submit the repair bills and I would receive a credit. I submitted them yet, to this day, I have not received a credit nor an explanation from **. Now, due to the short storm that came through our area yesterday afternoon my neighborhood lost power at approximately 5:30 pm yesterday. I have tried multiple times to contact ** to request an update but they refuse to take mine or any of my neighbors calls. Its been SIXTEEN AND A HALF HOURS without a SINGLE word from ** nor any hint of an update. This is a SERVICE that we ALL pay for and are not receiving which constitutes a BREACH OF CONTRACT!!! Im not naive, I realize it takes time to make repairs but having representatives man the phones and provide updates is NOT too much to ask for and I am asking for a telephone call from a supervisor who will explain this horrible excuse for customer service. My number is **************. If Im not able to take the call please leave me a message and Ill call you right back.

  

  Business response

  08/24/2023

  ******************,

  First, I apologize for missing your complaint. It's no excuse, but sometimes the notifications we get from the BBB get caught up in our email security. That is the reason for the late response.

  Regarding your burst pipe situation, I will follow up with our team to check the status and why you haven't received a response.

  Regarding the outage, that was a rather bad storm system and, unfortunately, our phone system also crashed. We know our customers expect better and we are taking steps to correct and improve the communication issues we had. The restoration, however, was performed in as timely a manner as was safely possible.

  Thank you for reaching out to us. You will hear from us soon.

  ********************* - Director, External Affairs

  Customer response

  08/31/2023

   
  Complaint: 20360830
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I requested a telephone call! Apparently ** didn't read my complaint completely as it was written. I didn't ask for a response in the form of a letter or email through the BBB. I asked very clearly for a telephone call from a supervisor!! It's been more than a month and I still haven't been contacted in the manner that I had plainly requested. Additionally, I still, after 8 months of waiting, have not received a credit nor an explanation from anyone at ** regarding the excessive water bill that was caused by a freezing storm that occurred on December 24th. I was told by a ** representative when I called in about the bill that once I submitted the repair bills I would receive a credit on my next bill. Well, I've had 7 "next" bills since then and still all I have are "CRICKETS,"! not CREDITS!!

  I seriously don't understand why clear and precise requests are made yet never obliged. THIS is the reason that ** has such an incredibly bad customer satisfaction rating, one of the lowest in the entire Country, in a City that's been voted as "Best Place to Live" in the US!! I personally find that hard to comprehend. I strongly urge a supervisor from ** to contact me within the next 10 days by TELEPHONE. Otherwise, I plan to bring this complaint formerly before the ************ and the Mayor's ******* In my opinion it's absolutely ridiculous that it should have to come to this but apparently that's the way ** is being operated and intends to continue to operate. I truly hope for a quick response and resolution.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  09/14/2023

  As requested, ****************** received a phone call to discuss his bill and the outage event indicated on the complaint. ****************** is welcome and encouraged to contact me directly should he want to discuss these or any other issues going forward.
  - ********************* - Director, External Affairs

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last month, I received a bill from Huntsville Utilities for over $330 for services for this property. This is a newly purchased property and there are no major appliances being used and there is no central heat in the home. I use Kerosene heaters to keep the house warm. They sent a guy out to the house and he could not find what used the electricity. I wanted them to come see that the house was bare. No reason why a home that is not lived in would have a bill that high. I kept calling every week to try to find out how the bill could be that high with nothing running in the home. This month the bill is less than 1/3 of what it was and they can not explain it. Then the customer service department kept lying and giving me the run around about their being an investigation on my account and today 3/6/2023 the supervisor **** said that the investigation was closed on 2/14/2023. They have offered no solution or resolution instead they are trying to justify the amount without a clue as to why the bill would be that high. If they did not think that there was truly an issue then the customer service department would have told me on the 14 of February or anytime thereafter that the charges were valid. After they sent someone out on 2/14 at 9am, I called later that day on 2/14, 2/16, 2/20, and 2/28. Each time I called the customer service department said they were investigating and someone would get back to me. No one did! I have never called in on a justified bill. This is unacceptable.

  

  Business response

  03/17/2023

  **************,

  A thorough investigation of your complaint has taken place. 

  A home energy inspection was completed 2/14/23. No issues, visible or otherwise, were found.
  

  Following the energy audit, you requested a meter test, which was completed on 3/6/23 free of charge. Test results show the electric AMI meter operating normally, with no meter issues.
  
  The meter readings are attached for your review. Although you contend there was no usage, and considering the meter has been tested and is operating normally, something or someone was using electricity at that property during the time in question. 
  
  Based on the investigation that has taken place, Huntsville Utilities considers this issue resolved. No billing adjustment is warranted at this time.

  Thank you for contacting us.

  *********************, Director of Community Relations

  Customer response

  03/21/2023

   
  Complaint: 19547803
  
  I am rejecting this response because: at the time of billing no one was living there or using electricity at this location in a manner that would produce such a high bill. When the agent came to the property he even stated that there was nothing there pulling the electricity. I was told by customer care that this would be taken care of after the agent came back and found no issues. If you can see how many times I called about this issue please advise as to why the agents were telling me that there was an open investigation re: high usage and that someone would call me back and correct the issue. I have paid every bill I have owed and the amount that was charged for that month exceeds the amount I have been charged even after moving in. I pay my bills in full every month and I would not be wasting my time or yours if the billing made sense or was correct. Check my history and you will see that I have never called in to complain about a bill at any property. I have never called requesting any adjustments prior to this bill. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  When I moved to Huntsville AL five, six years ago, I had to pay a $300 fee for the initial start of ***************** Now upon leaving the **************** my $300 starter fee is NOT fully accounted for. I have contacted Huntsville Utilities about the amount that is still due me (which cannot be verified from the Invoices), that they have forwarded to me. (no one bothered to get a calculator and do the math) The Invoices are NOT correct. I am still due $46.08 which does NOT show on the Invoices and CANNOT be accounted for according to the Invoices. I find this very unprofessional and downright thievery since they won't refund what is due me.NOTE: all invoices have been attached. (all emails of this situation of conversations can be forward to the BBB if need be).Thank you

  

  Business response

  02/07/2023

  To All Concerned;

  Our records indicate ************************ paid a $300 security deposit on May 11, 2017.

  On May 12, 2020, per ** policy, ************************ received a partial security deposit refund, plus interest, in the amount of $205.42 (see attached invoice).

  On January 12, 2023, **************************** account was closed and the final reading was taken resulting in a credit and refund. The final bill was $44.35, to which the remaining $100 deposit (plus interest of $0.36) was applied, leaving a refund of $56.01 for ************************ that was mailed on January 19, 2023. 

  If ************************ has not received the refund, she should call our *************************** at ************.
  Given the account has been closed in accordance with company policy and the customer has been issued a deposit refund, plus interest, ** considers this matter closed.

  Thank you for contacting us.

  - *********************, ********* ********* Relations

  Customer response

  02/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 18934757
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  ******************************************************

  Customer response

  02/10/2023

  I see where the money(s) were applied.  Thank you 

  This can be closed.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩