ComplaintsforSoCalGas

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My last bill was supposed to be $35.81 paid on the 28th of January. I've been in Georgia since January 27. I attempted to call in to close my account January 25th ahead of time. When i called the automated voice message informed me to go online to do so. I went online and the online area asked me to call in to do so. Anyways eventually I do so and they said it can't be cut off immediately it takes two to three days. Week goes by i get a notification about a bill. I call in and they say oh no the account is closed ignore the notification it's standard protocol. Another some time goes by and i get a message about an automated payment. I call again and they said it's closed. I told them that several people had said this yet i have a bill posted on my account. They asked when did i move etc. i provide the information and they said no worries we could back date it and remove the bill then close the account. I'm thinking fine with me. So, time goes by and again i get a automatic payment message. At this point I'm frustrated. So i call again and ask that they provide a letter stating my account is closed and the date it was supposed to be closed. They said no worries they'll send the letter to my new address. I received the letter and left it sealed just in case. Today I get another bill notification so I open the letter for the letter to state my account has a zero balance. I and fed up with this and this is stressing me out regardless to the amount because i shouldn't have to keep dealing with this. Something needs to be done ASAP.

  Business response

  06/30/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/13) */ April 13, 2022 BBB Case #XXXXXXX ******************************************************* Re: **** ******** **** **** ****** ********* ** XXXXX - XXXX The Better Business Bureau has requested we review your April 6, 2022, complaint and respond to your concerns regarding the closing date and closing bill for your previous address. Since all records are electronically stored and all phone calls to our Customer Contact Center (CCC) are recorded for quality assurance purposes, I was able to locate and review contacts made by you to So Cal Gas. On February 3, 2022, you contacted So Cal Gas to verify your service had been closed, as you had already moved out of California. The Customer Service Representative (CSR) you spoke with assured you the service was taken out of your name and the service closed. On February 4, 2022, you again contacted So Cal Gas stating you had called on January 21, 2022, to close the service. There is no record of an order placed on that date; however, it was explained we do have record of a Close Order placed via the So Cal Gas website on January 28, 2022, to close service on February 2, 2022. Consequently, the service was closed as of February 2, 2022, and a closing bill in the amount of $10.55 was mailed. You disputed this, insisting you had called to close service the end of January. After speaking with the CSR at length, she was able to grant you a one-time adjustment on your bill and reversed the $10.55 charge. She assured you the account was closed, and you now had a zero balance. In conclusion, we have confirmed your billing for your previous address was stopped as of January 23, 2022, and the current balance on your account is zero. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your complaint. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/19) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) They still tried to charge me the $10.55 later on top of a reversal fee because the payment they took out of $10.55 had to be sent back to my account. They sent me a letter saying the bill was paid and a letter a month later stating that I owed for the $10.55 and a reversal fee because they had to send me my funds back. They stated I should have removed my bank account information from the SoCal gas account before closing my account. I'm away from my home in Georgia right now but when I get back I can attach the letters. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/04/26) */ April 26, 2022 BBB Case #XXXXXXX Rebuttal ******************************************************** Re: **** ******** **** **** ****** ********* ** XXXXX - XXXX Thank you for acknowledging our response to your complaint regarding your closing **** and amount. We understand you did not accept our response, as you have further questions. For further clarification, when you contacted SoCalGas on February 4, 2022, your closing **** for $10.55 was waived by the representative with whom you spoke. As a courtesy, the reversal fee of $7.50 has also been waived. For your reference, we have mailed you a Statement of Account to further assure you the balance on your account is at zero. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with further information regarding your complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  02/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ever since ******* ***** I have noticed the price of my bill going up, even into the new year. There was a big price increase for my bill that I had to pay for December of ****** versus previous bills being *** and lower. Then the biggest cause for concern was when my bill for January came at a whopping ******** a bigger price increase even though I tend to always use the same amount of gas day after day and week after week. The ******* bill due for January 18, 2022 led me to call SoCalGas in an effort to find out why my bills have been increasing so much. The woman I spoke to attested the high gas usage to a possible leak in my boiler/water heater, when this is not the case at all. My boiler is not, nor has it ever leaked anything, and has remained regulated at the same settings it has always been at. Nobody is home from 5 AM to 4PM to be using any gas, and we don't cook often either. There is not a gas leak anywhere in the house, nor do we constantly use gas, and we also don't use the a/c to warm the house up. This sharp price increase of gas is wholly unwarranted, and the new gas bill for February, 2022 came in the mail with an even higher price! This time they want me to pay ******** My call to SoCalGas resolved absolutely nothing. All they did was send me a letter stating that they, "couldn't assess any conditions that may have existed at this address or caused the increase in gas usage during the billing period. However, the new reads obtained indicate that your consumption has decreased, and it appears the condition no longer exists. Our investigation findings indicate you have been accurately billed for gas accurately delivered to the meter." They send a letter saying this and yet **** me ******* for February, despite my gas consumption remaining in the same range that it has always been at for the past year of 2021. Now, all of a sudden my consumption has decreased and the condition no longer exists? Fix this problem, and fix the meter if it is an issue.

  Business response

  03/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/24) */ On February 21, 2022, your complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) was referred to my office for review and response. The market price for natural gas has increased dramatically and is nearly double compared to last year. The price is determined by broader regional and national markets and passed on directly to our customers without any markup. SoCalGas does not control the market price of natural gas and does not earn any profits from higher natural gas prices. We use tools to secure the best possible prices for the natural gas we purchase on behalf of our residential and small business customers. During the winter season, customers can use three to seven times more natural gas, which can lead to higher monthly bills. Higher bills are primarily due to customers using more gas during colder weather, combined with this winter's rising commodity prices of the natural gas market. The Advanced Meter (AM) technology installed in your gas meter automatically reads and transmits your gas usage information to our customer service and billing centers. This provides our customers with more frequent and detailed gas usage information. On January 20, 2022, a response letter from our Billing Investigation (BI) Department was mailed to your service address, which included the details of the investigation. The findings show your gas consumption was higher than normal as of November 24, 2021. However, your gas consumption decreased on January 14, 2022, around 11:00 a.m., which means the condition no longer exists. The investigation's findings indicate you have been accurately billed for the gas delivered to the meter. We understand your concern regarding your gas usage. However, we have taken all the required steps necessary to bill you correctly. SoCalGas is not obligated to prove how the gas was used to justify the amounts charged. Since there is no individual recording device on each gas appliance, we must rely on the accuracy of our meters to determine the amount of gas registered. SoCalGas is only responsible for the operations of an accurate meter and the calculation of the bill. Customers are responsible for their facilities, appliances, and the gas consumed. This is consistent with our approved ************************************** (****) Rule 26 Consumer Responsible For Equipment For Receiving And Utilizing Gas. Please note the link below: ********************************************************* For your information, SoCalGas offers a range of programs and services to customers in need of financial assistance. To sign up and for more information on how to reduce winter gas bills, please visit SoCalGas' website at: ********************************************************************** or call our 24-Hour Customer Contact Center (CCC) at *************** Thank you for the opportunity to review your complaint. We value you as a customer and hope that future contact with our company proves more positive. Sincerely, A G******* SoCalGas - Special Investigations Department

• Initial Complaint

  01/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My natural gas bill is literally 400% higher than last month and I expect it to be almost as Hugh next month!! Last month I payed $97. The bill due on 1/29/22 is $587.00!! Why?

  Business response

  03/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/24) */ February 24, 2022 ********************************************************************* BBB# ******* Our records indicate you called our Customer Contact Center (CCC) on January 26, 2022, to question why such a large increase in your gas bill. Our Customer Service Representative (CSR) asked several questions regarding your usage. You said the heater was set to 69 during the day and lowered to 67 at night. You also advised her the fireplace was on every day. You said there were no issues with any of the appliances. The CSR issued a Bill Investigation (BI) and advised you, you would be contacted by phone or mail within 2 weeks. You called our CCC on February 15, 2022, to report no one had contacted you regarding your high bill investigation. Our BI Representative advised you a letter had been sent on February 4, 2022. She reviewed and went over your daily usage. She advised you the fireplace uses as much gas as your heater and was the reason for the large gas bill. You questioned the cost of gas from last year to this year and the BI representative explained it had gone up, however, your consumption was high due to the fireplace usage and the reason for the high gas bill. She offered conservation tips to conserve energy and lower your gas bill, however, you felt the information she was providing was unreasonable. Because your gas meter is equipped with an Advanced Meter device, we were also able to review your account information. We noticed several hours during the day registering zero consumption, and the remainder of the day the usage is consistent with heater and fireplace usage. These charts are available for you to view online at ****************, or we could mail them to you at your request. The recent colder temperatures created an increased demand on furnaces and water heaters, especially during the colder nights, resulting in higher gas bills. The high and low temperatures of a 24-hour day period vary. As an example, a heating system dramatically affects how much gas you use. The colder weather gas consumption can average four to seven times more than warmer weather. To help maintain lower gas bills, we recommend a thermostat setting of 68 degrees during the day and turning the appliance completely off or down to the lowest setting, health permitting, at night or when you are away. Furthermore, gas log fireplaces are generally designed for decorative purposes. Using gas logs for heating comfort will cause significantly higher gas consumption. The reason why, is there is no temperature regulator on the fireplace. It is just a constant flame using gas and most of the heat escapes through the chimney. For future reference, you are able to monitor and better manage your hourly usage from virtually anywhere by logging on to My Account at the SoCalGas website **************** and selecting WAYS TO SAVE and ANALYZE USAGE. This feature enables you to monitor daily usage at your home. By better understanding how much gas you are using and when, you can identify unusual usage patterns immediately. You also have the capability to subscribe to Bill Tracking Alerts, which provide customer specific information and alerts about your account. We are providing you with the following information on assistance programs available to help our customers manage their natural gas bills: The ********** Alternate Rate for Energy (CARE) program provides a 20-percent rate discount on the monthly bills. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at*************** is a year-round federally funded energy assistance program that helps qualified customers pay their utilities bills. The Gas Assistance Fund (GAF) is a joint effort with the United Way of Greater *********** that provides a one pledge per program period not to exceed $100.00 to income qualified customers. Funds are limited and available only during a designated time period during the winter season; annual program dates depend on availability of funds. Our Energy Savings Assistance Program at ************** provides free home weatherization and other assistance programs to qualified tenant and homeowners. Medical Baseline Allowance provides additional allowance of gas at a lower rate for people with certain medical conditions. Flexible payment arrangements/Level Pay Plan to help avoid interruption in your gas service. 211 Program is the national dialing code for free, 24-hour access to health and human services information and referrals. Our Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) can help qualified customers with their past due balances. Please visit **************************** to see the program conditions and eligibility requirements. *********** after completing a thorough review of your account and the information provided, the bill appears to be correct. Thank you for the opportunity to review your account and explain our position.

• Initial Complaint

  01/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  SO CAL GAS account # ************** **** *************** LLC ** **** *** *** * ******* ** ***** Impossible to turn off gas *************** dept switches me to another dept... pls help *** ************

  Business response

  02/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/04) */ On January 28, 2022, you filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and they referred it to this office for review and response. The following is a conclusion of our investigation. Our records indicate on January 13, 2022, you called to request the gas service be taken out of your name because you sold the property. Unfortunately, your call was transferred twice because the facility was in a business name and the Customer Service Representative (CSR) did not notice the property is a residential facility to complete your request. Our records indicate you called back approximately an hour later and the CSR that answered your call completed your request. SoCalGas provides service to both residential and commercial customers, and they each have different CSR's trained specifically for that type of call. After reviewing all the recorded calls, I identified what they had in common, they all rushed to transfer you when they saw it was in a business name. Ideally, CSR's ought to identify the property is a residential facility and take your order to close service. ********, regretfully we provided less than satisfactory service by not taking your order on the first call. The CSR's will be advised of this to avoid any future inconvenience. Thank you,********* for the opportunity to review your account and explain our position. Please be assured we value you as a customer and hope future contact with our company proves more positive.

• Initial Complaint

  12/17/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  During the month of ******** ***** *********************** Company started sending my billing statements to by email address. I have advised Southern Gas Company Representatives when I set up gas service. That I want my billing statements to be mailed to me. I do not want my billing statements to come through my email address. I need Southern California Gas Company to send me my ******** **** and my ******** **** **** through the mail. I would prefer a hard copy of the two billing statements. I would like Southern California Gas company going forward into the future. Please mail me hard copies of all my billing statements in the future please. To be mailed to my home address please. I would appreciate it, and I reiterate that the Gas company please send the billing statements for ******** **** and ******** ******** **** to my home mailing address.

  Business response

  01/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/12/30) */ Our SoCalGas website offers our customers online access to view, pay bills, or request service for their account by registering for My Account. Customers must accept the My Account Terms and Conditions provided for their registration to be completed. Under the Online Billing and Payment section, the customer is informed if they pay a bill online (one time or recurring) they will automatically receive an Email notification when the bill is issued and will no longer receive paper bills through U.S. Mail unless they contacts SoCalGas by phone to "opt out" of paperless billing. Our records indicate your account was set to paperless billing based on a pre-registration process when turning on new service. However, we've gone ahead and taken the liberty to "un-enroll" your account from paperless billing starting with your January 2022 bill. You can make payments online and you will not be reset back to paperless billing. As requested, we've also mailed copies of your November 2021 and December 2021 bills to your service address. Thank you for the opportunity to review your account. We value you as a customer and hope future contact with our company proves more positive.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i sold my home on 12/1/2017. the new owner put the service in their name, property was sold and new owner did not put in their name on 9/14/2020, so cal added $195.64 to my current bill for service from 9/14/2020 thru 3/4/2021 on a house i have not owned form almost 3 years.

  Business response

  11/22/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/11/03) */ On October 20, 2021, you filed a complaint regarding a gas account put into your name after the property was sold with the Better Business Bureau and they referred it to this office for review and response. On October 19, 2021, you also filed a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), since they are the governing agency over SoCalGas we will respond in detail and address your concerns through the CPUC.

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