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Find a Location

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has locations, listed below.

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    ComplaintsforSacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

    Electric Companies
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    View Business profileBBB accredited business

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    Complaint Details

    Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.

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    Complaint Status
    Complaint Type
    • Complaint Type:
      Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      We are building an ADU on our property on 9th avenue for my parents and SMUD illegally put a power line across our property without an easement many years ago. When we contacted them on October 4th to communicate that the line would impede on our build, a site technician, May ****, it would be no issue to install a mid-span connection. A few days later, her field technician from SMUD came out to the site and indicated that we would personally be liable to install two new gates on the neighbor's property, upgrade the *********** and panel on the neighbor's property, at our own expense, or to the do the work ourselves. When two other supervisors were contacted, they agreed that we were not personally responsible for the line needing to be moved and if we would have agreed with the first technician, we would have been liable for over $10,000 of work and any issues that would arise from that. SMUD's planning department has agreed that the technician was wrong on this but has drawn out the process of doing this simple repair for over two months. We have postponed our build for over a month and delayed our trusses for the roof to be delivered until this repair could be done. The repair was scheduled for today, 12/1, but was canceled, without communicating with us, due to the rain, and was postponed until 12/20. We were informed that it would be delayed again for another month if the there is inclement weather on that date. We are loosing money waiting for SMUD to make the repairs on their illegally placed line on our property and now, due to their negligence and delays, have thousands of dollars worth of damage due to exposed lumber to our build. We are not an investment company or wealthy real estate developer, but a small middle class family that is trying to build a home of our parents to live in. For being a community-owned company, SMUD has definitely let down this community member with their miscommunication, unresponsiveness, and delays with rectifying this matter.

      Business response

      12/12/2022

      Thank you for reaching out with your concern. SMUD has reached out directly to the customer and resolved their concerns. 

      Customer response

      12/12/2022

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

    • Complaint Type:
      Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      My complaint is about a recent change in my electricity rate plan by SMUD.I added solar panels to my house to help the environment and save some money in the long run. Up until now I was on a rate plan where SMUD would essentially subtract the electricity generated by my solar panels from the total electricity I had used in a month and charge me a flat rate per KWH for the remainder. Now, I am being switched to a rate plan where SMUD would pay $0.07 per KWH for the electricity generated by my solar panels, and then charge me up to $0.35 per KWH for the electricity they provide to me. This is totally unfair. I would like SMUD to not treat me so unfairly just because I have chosen to install Solar Panels. Other customers have a choice of staying with a flat rate for their electricity use, but I don't. I am being told that I have to be on their 5-8 Rate Plan, where I can get charged up to $0.35 per KWH of electricity. Please help me in reversing SMUD's decision, so I can stay on my current plan.Thank you.

      Business response

      11/29/2022

      Thank you for reaching out about a recent change in the electricity rate plan. SMUD has reached out directly to the customer. 

      Customer response

      11/29/2022

      I am rejecting this response because: SMUD has not provided me with a satisfactory reason as to why I am being treated unfairly. In addition, the call from SMUD was prior to my complain to BBB, I have not received any other calls from them since I have submitted my complaint to the BBB.

      Business response

      04/19/2023

      Thank you for sharing Mr. Razaqpur's concerns. SMUD has reached out and spoken to ******************** to clarify the concern. 
    • Complaint Type:
      Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Your television advertisements tell everyone to reduce electric usage between 5 and 8 pm. so no dishwasher, washer dryer, vaccuming, AC/Fans, but fails to mention one key thing : ELECTRIC CARS. People come home and juice their cars.... HOW MUCH ELECTRICITY ARE THOSE CARS USING UP? So you are expecting the rest of us to cater to that????? Ugh. We already pay a fortune in gas - because the gov't wants us to buy an electric car. ugh. I'm not happy .

      Business response

      09/06/2022

      Thank you so much for forwarding this to us. I have resolved the issue with our customer. Thank you!
    • Complaint Type:
      Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      The panel at my house was being replaced with a new one, and after the electricians created an issue, SMUD became involved and has held up the completion process - for 4 weeks now since this began we have had a trench with exposed pipes open alongside my driveway (photos attached). SMUD has been by multiple times as have the electricians over the past 4 weeks, and yet there is no progress being made. I can't use my driveway or park in my garage, and the driveway is taken up by a giant pile of dirt. The trench and exposed pipes are dangerous. After 4 weeks, I just need this resolved as quickly as possible; it's been such a headache and a massive intrusion to daily life.

      Business response

      05/05/2022

      Thank you for contacting us! We will research the work being done, reach out to our customer and seek to resolve as soon as possible. 
    • Complaint Type:
      Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      my complaint is that smud has been charging me extra money unfair with hidden cost . My **** seems to be higher and higher every time.While nobory seems to do nothing here is a look at my ****. electricity usage 58 non-summer off peak kwh@ rate ******** **** dollars electricity usage (5 pm-8pm/m-f 7 ) non-summer peak kwh@ ******** **** dollars here is the funny part.SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE FIXED CHARGE( ***** dollars.)....Sacramento city tax **** dollars state surcharge **** cents. The total usage of electricity including tax **** dollars this infrastruture money is a reap off they been doing it for years to me while i trying to save some money i get those ***** for what i think all this money is going to pay there executives hi pay rediculus money there top guy gets pay over 500 hundred thou a year while there other 99 below him makes no less than 170 thou a year to me that is not infrastruture that is just to justify the money they overcharging everybory please do something i been living here on the same place for seven years and nothing been done to upgrade the lighting yet a been charged 20 some dollars every month .thanks......

      Business response

      11/15/2021

      Thank you for notifying us. We will contact the customer and will analyze their usage and charges. 

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