Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I received excessive and unexplained charges on my recent bills for the Energy Allocation System from NES. My usual charge has always been under $5, similar to my neighbors. However, I was charged $133 last month and $289 this month, which is an unreasonably high increase.I previously contacted their customer ********************** team last month, and I was assured that I would receive an email explanation regarding this charge. However, they gave me one vague response and I never received any follow-up. They definitely charged me the wrong amount and should adjust the ********.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Thank your for the opportunity to respond to the complaint from Ms. Zhang. For reference, NES has been hired by Gallery ******** to read their submeters and bill each resident based on their readings and the rates billed by Pepco.  
  NES reviewed Ms. ******* account and confirmed the billing is accurate.  Nevertheless, we brought Ms. ******* concerns to the property management of Gallery ********, and they have decided to issue a discretionary credit on Ms. ******* account.
  We would be delighted to speak directly with Ms. ***** and answer any questions she may have. For her convenience, we invite her to contact our Customer ********************** Team at ************** during our hours of operation (Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm ET. )
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2025

   
  Complaint: 22954422
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The manager of my building confirmed that the billing charges I received for energy allocation was incorrect and indicated that the service provider, which is NES, has identified the cause of this discrepancy and will be coordinating with our service team to resolve the matter. When NES says they confirmed that the billing was correct they are lying and escaping the problem. 2. I contacted their customer ********************** again both by call and emails. They never replied although they promised. Please check the attachment. Therefore I'd request that NES provide me the corrected billing and explain in detailes what was the issue, and I request NES to apologize as they've wasted my energy and time and it's damaging my mental health.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing a complaint regarding inaccurate billing for water services by [Company Name], resulting in charges amounting to thousands of dollars that do not align with my actual water usage. At the companys request, I completed a water test, which confirmed no issues with my property that would justify the excessive charges. Despite this, the company has deflected responsibility by advising me to contact my HOA, even though the billing is directly managed by the company and not the **** This lack of accountability has caused significant financial strain and frustration. I am seeking a full investigation into the billing discrepancies, a refund for any overbilled amounts, and a clear explanation of how the errors occurred and how they will be prevented in the future. I expect prompt action to resolve this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Thank your for the opportunity to respond to the complaint from Ms. **************** For reference, NES has been hired by the ********* of Westwood of Orange County Condominiums to read their submeters and bill each Condo Owner based on their readings and the Rates billed by Orlando Utilities Commissions (OUC).
  
  Ms. ********* contacted our office with concerns about increases in her water usage.  At that time, we asked Ms. ********* to test the accuracy of the meter by performing a 10-gallon flow test. She confirmed that during the test, the meter only advanced 10 gallons, confirming the meter was accurately measuring water flow.  She also provided a picture of her meter's register, showing the meter read.  The picture of the reading aligned with the last billed usage and the next meter reading that we received.     
  
  Based on these findings, we have concluded that Ms. *********** water bill was calculated correctly in accordance with her consumption. Therefore, no credit could be issued for inaccurate billing.
  
  We would be delighted to speak directly with Ms. ********* and answer any questions she may have. For her convenience, we invite her to contact our Customer ********************** Team at ************** during our hours of operation (Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm ET. ) 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company is currently overcharging certain property units and not informing property owners of this increase or reasons why. They are giving property owners the excuses about why their bill was increased and someone elses has not . I was told my new water bill will have a new sewer base and sewer charge. Which has Quadrupled from what Ive been paying. A neighbor of mine, who is in the unit directly next to me/connected to me has not had a change in her bill. I need assistance with getting proper billing in regards to this matter that is not being resolved, even after speaking with the supervisor of this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/30/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. As a billing provider our customer ********************** department can assist home owners with ways for them to test their homes for leaks and test their equipment. Rates and billing was correct to the city bill. The residents usage went up by ***** gallons. The owner of the home will need the home checked and the meter tested to see what caused that. Please call customer ********************** at ************ or send meter pictures to ********************************************************* with your NES account number for review. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been addressing a water bill issue with my apartment complex for several months. During this time, the property management has changed three times, and I have yet to receive a resolution for these charges. I also reached out to the company responsible for the water meter, and they informed me that the property management will take care of the situation. Unfortunately, they have not been able to provide a resolution or additional assistance. They have only confirmed that the meter is functioning properly, but there has been no inspection of my building or the surrounding apartments, nor have they offered to replace the meter given the ongoing circumstances.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/17/2024

  Dear ****,
  During the billing cycles from May 11, 2024, to September 5, 2024, there was a significant water leak in your unit, resulting in usage of ********** gallons per day. It appears that repairs have since been made, as your usage has returned to normal levels consistent with your historical average.
  Please note that NES does not make adjustments for usage billed, as the city bills these charges directly to the property. The leasing office has already paid the bill that the usage was billed on, and any requests for adjustments must be directed to your leasing office, as they are responsible for approving or denying such requests.
  Thank you, and please let us know if you have further questions.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/27/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Poor water qualty..Plumbing/ Sewer rates extremely over quoted...not metered for for single dwelling appropriate

  Business Response

  Date: 09/10/2024

  Mr. ********,

  Thank you for reaching out, upon review of your account I show that your property has chosen to do RUBs which is legal in your area. In regards to the water quality you are in an area that suffers from frequent water breaks due to the type of soil and extreme heat. I would suggest reaching out to the local municipality for more information in that regard. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/22/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  National exemption services. Utility submeter company. This is a pure scam that the developer JSR homes llc set up for our community. I contacted them to close my account to put it in a renters name. They told me unless I sell MY House, I cant close the account. I have never experienced anything like this with a utility company. I will be seeking legal counsel moving forward. I should have control over what I would like to do with my own property.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  Ms *******,
  Thanks for reaching out. I know this can be unclear; however, the *** governs your property and can make decisions regarding community utilities. Since your property has a master water bill that comes into the community to provide water, your *** has opted to install submetering on the units. This allows the *** to bill you directly for your or your renter's usage. Since you own the home, the bill must be in your name per Florida regulations. I suggest you check with your community's *** and the governing documents for more information. Please let us know if we can provide you with more details. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/03/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Since March 2023, my water bill from National Exemption Service (NES) has been consistently averaging around $64.512 per month up until December 2023. However, in February 2024, I received an unusually high bill of $233.09. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that this significant increase was due to a back charge imposed by NES, the billing intermediary, claiming that there were problems with the meter which led to miscalculations. According to the ** Water Consumer Bill of Rights, if a customer's meter is found to be malfunctioning or providing faulty computations, adjustments to the bill should be made to reflect the average consumption over comparable periods. In this case, the policy allows for adjustments for up to three previous comparable periods for which records are available. However, NES has refused to abide by this policy, stating that they are not the utility company and therefore, the Consumer Bill of Rights does not apply to them. They have explained that they have been estimating my bills from March 1, 2023, to November 30, 2023, and thus, I was charged a back charge amount of $164.25 in addition to the actual owed amount of $68.84, resulting in a total charge of $233.09. Furthermore, it is important to note that nowhere on any bill from March 2023 to November ***************************************************** that the meter was malfunctioning. This lack of communication regarding billing estimation or meter issues further exacerbates the situation and demonstrates the unfairness of the imposed charges. I firmly believe that NES's refusal to adhere to the Consumer Bill of Rights is unjust and constitutes an overcharge. They have failed to recognize their responsibility in ensuring fair billing practices and have instead opted to impose arbitrary charges without proper justification. Therefore, I am seeking a refund of the overcharged amount of $164.25, as per the ** Water Consumer Bill of Rights.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2024

  Thanks so much for reaching out about your concerns. You are correct in that your bill was estimated while we worked with your property manager to repair the issue. NES is not a utility provider. We are a billing company, and those statutes do not apply to us. To make it as fair as possible, we continue to estimate with the property approval so that you avoid incurring an overwhelming bill to pay. If we had not estimated an amount to pay, you would have had to figure out how to pay a 1000 bill. NES will not be refunding any amounts to you. If you feel this is unfair, please get in touch with your property manager. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/23/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My bill has gone up 200-500% since July of 2023. This is excessive and the phone number listed for this company at ********** never answer the phone and only once did and rudely hanged up phone on us.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2024

  Hello International LLC,
  I'm sorry about your experience calling ***********. I tried to locate your call in the records but couldn't find the phone number you called from.
  However, we want to assist you. Would you please reach out to CSR @ submeter.com with an email stating the account number in the subject line and a picture of the meter currently? We want to ensure that we read the meter correctly. If you call the customer ********************** line again, you can ask for a supervisor and mention the BBB complaint number to help escalate the call. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  NES or National Exemption Service is apartment complex (**********) water and sewer utility company. Since the beginning they would charge a flat rate of $60 a month for these utilities. Last couple of months the monthly payment went up to $90 with the explanation that Jea (the local water provider) raised their rates. That is not true that JEA raised their rates by 50%. It does not make sense to spend more on water than energy for a family of 2.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2023

  **************** has a Rate Increase letter of explanation; I have provided it here for **************** to review. NES changes rates as the ****************; when we make changes, we will send residents a letter of explanation detailing the changes on their bill.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 20899369
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  The attached letter is a breakdown of the current rates but it does not explain how the rates were increased by 50%. It would explain more if I can be provided with the previous rates that shows the changes in price.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  *****,

  I can completely sympathize with the fact that you would like to know more as to why the rate increase. Simply put the cost of living is getting higher which means the utilities are raising the rates. We don't control the rates they are provided by the local municipality and we bill based on what they bill the community. For more information on inflation and what they are doing to battle it please visit your local municipality. We have addressed your complaint and done what we can to explain it to you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 20899369
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  On the bill you have sent us you are stating the following: "Community Note: Please note that JEA, ************, has had a recent rate increase which has taken effect this billing cycle." This means that you are raising the rates because JEA increased their rates. When I ask to show me the previous JEA rates, you decline doing that and then justify it by saying that the Cost of Living has increased. JEA HAS NOT INCREASED their rates by 50%. That is simply not true. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2023

  That is true that the rate has increased, I'm sorry that you are not able to accept this response we have provided you with everything we can to justify the rate increase to you. If you need further communication please contact your property. They maybe able to give you something with more information from JEA that we were not provided. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20899369
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  You have not provided anything at all. You provided the current rate breakdown but didn't explain how the rates were increased. You say that JEA increased rates but don't provide documentation for that. I don't have to contact JEA or anyone about this because I am the client and you're the provider. There's no one else in between.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/01/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  NES sub meter has once again submitted late and fraudulent billing for my water at **************************** located in ************ ********. This is the third month in a row that my bill has been to the exact amount the same usage and cost minus the third month they went up a dollar on sewage. I have very deep knowledge in the water treatment and service industry and the only corrective measure I see to prove my usage throughly is whom ever is responsible for installing a new meter with zero usage on it.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2023

  ****************** is concerned that there was a billing error for the last three billing cycles. He saw **** gallons on each invoice, which flagged him that something was wrong. Two of the three invoices ****************** was concerned about had the exact cost of $29.48. He is concerned about the charge of $30.49 on the most recent and last bill.

  
  Cycle date 5/12-6/12 & 6/12-7/12 both had the following rates:
  Water Base Fee $1.80
  Water usage per gallon 0.944
  Sewer usage per gallon 0.932
  
  
  For cycle 7/12-8/12 had a rate increase to the following:
  Water Base Fee $1.80
  Water usage per gallon 0.944
  Sewer usage per gallon 1.016
  
  
  
  
  Billing Cycle 5/12/23-6/12/23
  Total Usage 1165
  Billed Usage **** Gallons
  
  
  Cycle 6/12/23-7/12/23
  Total Usage 1255
  Billed Usage **** Gallons
  
  
  Cycle 7/12/23-8/12/23
  Total Usage **** gallons
  Billed Usage **** gallons
  NES has provided ****************** with the information that NES Billing rounds the usage billed and that NES has underbilled him in total for those three months of 30 gallons.
  
  
  NES provided the daily read history to the resident. He understands he wasn't using **** gallons flat. He was concerned with the sewer line increasing. The increase in the bill is due to average rate increases for this area. He was given the rate of increase information and advised that we do not know the schedule of rate changes. The Property Manager has agreed to replace the entire metering system to get this resident's meter as close to a zero-gallon start as possible. Based on Rates and Usage from the meter, the bill is accurate. NES has helped the resident contact his property to address his concerns, closing out any NES tickets for billing reviews. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 20545841
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I have been incorrectly charged for my water usage for months. The leasing company installed a new meter per NES and my request and my ******************* maintains 3 to four times the factual usage on the meter installed in my residence. I have reached out to both my leasing company and NES on numerous occasions to have the bill corrected and have been given the runaround from both parties. I was requested by NES to have the leasing company do checks per NES request which have been throughly done and still I cannot get a corrected usage submitted so I can pay my bill on time. Worst apart about it is that you really never know what your paying for the water service by the item as the bill only states usage of water and usage of waste so you could possibly be paying what ever the figure NES determined to be the value they are selling someone elses water for. As for now I just want to pay for what I use and not what their faulty equipment suggest but it would seem as NES does not care.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************