ComplaintsforCenterPoint Energy

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Return fees Numerous times CenterPoint energy has charged me return check fees and I have no return check fees from my bank corresponding with their fees. Their bill matrix system is faulty and over charging for a service I barely use. I rarely cook and my bill is normally 35 dollars and some change with most of that their service fees. I gave attempted up reach out to them regarding this asking then to look into this .

  Business response

  04/24/2024

  Thank you for allowing us to address your concerns. As a courtesy we have waived one of the NSF fees charged to your account. As discussed in our conversation, we will need proof that from your institution that you did not request a stop-payment for the payment made on 01/31/2024 in the amount of $51. Once we receive this information, we can send it to the appropriate department for approval to remove the additional NSF charge. 
  
  Kind regards,
  
  CenterPoint Energy

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  CenterPoint left me a voice mail asking if I used gas. I called back and apparently my gas meter had stopped working about a year ago. then they send an estimated bill and expect me to pay it. there was nothing unusually about my utility bills and I had not noticed gas consumptions or electric usage. Why did CenterPoint wait a year before investigate of my gas meter was working.

  Business response

  03/27/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to CenterPoint Energy. In review of the account, it was found that the gas meter was non-registering at Ms. *********'s home for over 12-months. The gas meter was removed and replaced with a new meter in February 2024. Because of meter being non-registering, it was not recording the consumption that was being used. During the non-registering period, the bills only reflected distribution and service charges and did not include the actual supply charges. Although the meter was non-registering for at least 12-months, we only calculated the consumption back to 6 months on the account. A supervisor also provided the account with a 10% adjustment on the total March bill as a courtesy leaving the total balance due $544.09. Since there was gas consumption being used during the time that the meter was non-registering, the billed charges are valid. A 12-month payment arrangement is available on the account if needed.

  If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Customer Service at **************.

  Best regards,

  CenterPoint Energy

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I transferred my service from my previous address (**** ********* *********** ** *****) and they changed the address of the service but didn't change the billing address and I never received a bill the entire time I've been at the new address. They shut my service off with no warning no call or notice so I called and paid the bill and they told me they were billing my previous address. Then they charged me an extra $237.00 for disconnection. I pay all my bills and if I had a bill I would have paid it but I never received a bill. I want the $237.00 refunded back to me.

  Business response

  03/18/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to CenterPoint. In review of the account, we show that service started in your name in April 2023. Payments were received in May and July 2023 via our automated system; we do not show that we were notified either of those times that you were not receiving your billing statements. We do not know a customer is not receiving their billing statements unless we are contacted directly. When service is disconnected for non-payment, there is a reconnection fee and deposit required to restore service. Customers are entitled to a refund of the deposit after 9 consecutive months of on-time payments. The deposit will automatically be refunded after 12 months of on-time payments. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  2/27/2024 Business lost part of the power to our business. No power means we can't run charge cards, so we lose money. Called and let Centerpoint know of the issue this morning, but have to use automated system, which is a joke. Nobody ever got back to us, so after some research found another number that got me to a person and soon after this afternoon a crew showed up. They have to run lines to our business to replace existing old lines. Repair crew said they never received the alert of downed power and the person on the phone showed no record of the call.

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Can you please provide the address of the business that was affected? The address provided appears to be your residential address and we will need the business address to review your concern.

  Customer response

  03/05/2024

  **** * ** **** ***** **** **
  ******** 47630

  Business response

  03/11/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to CenterPoint. We do show that an outage ticket was submitted in the morning on 2/27/24 via the IVR system. The IVR system is to report full outages only, not partial electric service. The meter pinged 'energized' and the order was completed since the service appeared to be on. We show when you called back and spoke with an agent, the agent created a partial service ticket and a field technician was dispatched. 

  We apologize for the inconvenience but a billing adjustment would not be made on the account. In the future, if you have a partial outage, please speak directly with a Customer Service agent who can enter that type of specific ticket and add specific notes to the ticket about the outage. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  so we have their services at our house in indiana we are in the process of moving to new york but as of the end of october the majority of our family has relocated. i am occasionally there but we took our depp freezers all of our kids t,v, consoles computers etc from the house there hasnt been anyone in the home cooking or doing laundry all of the lights are off ect. thermostat in the new high effecient heater installed is set lower than when we were living there so all energy consumption has decreased but the bill has went up significantly every month regardless of this the last bill recieved was for almost a thousand dollars for a vacant house they are not doing any meter readings i assumed when i paid the previous bills they would do a reading at some point and adjust and credit the account but they just keep increasing the bill. there is no feesable way that the house is using a thousand dollars worth of heat and electric with a security light and a furnace set to eco mode there. when we used to cook 3 meals a day do 2 loads of laundry run 4 computers plus t,v,s vaccums alexa chromebooks kindles phones etc, this is the second time we had an experience with centerpoint and having to file a complaint i could understand if we were living there but my electric bill in upstate newyork above ******* to give you an idea of the cold and weather we live in a house that is over 200 years old less effecient than the house in evanville and my electric bill was less than half of the bill i recieved from centerpoint. price gouging, becuase there isnt another service provider is rediculous account number ********************* property address **** ******* *** ********** indiana ***** 

  Business response

  02/21/2024

  Thank you for reaching out regarding your account. January brought the coldest weather this winter season with multiple days of temperatures below freezing. As a result, some customers saw an increase in their bill amount.?In addition, bill cycles for some customers were temporarily adjusted in December and January in preparation for a billing system update. In review of your account, you had usage of 7,210 kWh on your current billing statement; this statement included several days where temperatures were very low (average temperature was 33 degrees). There were multiple days during this billing cycle where the usage was over 400 kWh used in one day. On the January bill last year, there was usage of 6,704 kWh with an average temperature of 39 degrees. This usage is compared to your current usage. Colder temperatures would cause usage to increase, even if the home is empty. 

  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Customer Service at **************.

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  33 degrees is nothing we live in upstate newyork 10 plus feet of snow below freezing temperatures every day since October and our electric bill is less than the empty house. You need to check your meters because it feels like yall are using electric meters that are not accurate and raising rates while your at it. I cannot wait to close out services with centerpoint and if I ever  move back to an area that yall service I will buy land and go off grid before I give you any more of my money. A thousand dollars for a house set on eco mode with a brand new high efficiency heater. I cannot even fathom how much the bill would be if we were living there 3 thousand dollars or some crap like that. I want actual data provided to prove energy use because there is no way an empty house with no other energy use is using more energy  than when I had 3 kids in it. Yall are robbing people plain and simple.
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  Business response

  02/29/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We have scheduled an order for 3/1/24 to have the electric meter tested. Once the results are available, they will be mailed to you.

  If you have any additional questions, please contact Customer Service at **************. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bill increased from $220 to $346 in one month. They continue to increase their rates due to holding a monopoly on electricity and natural gas.

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to CenterPoint. January brought the coldest weather this winter season yet with multiple days of temperatures below freezing. As a result, some customers saw an increase in their bill amount.?In addition, bill cycles for some customers were temporarily adjusted in December and January in preparation for a billing system update. Our customers’ next bill will reflect the normal billing cycle. 

  On the December billing statement, there were 28 days of service; on the January statement, there were 34 days. The additional 6 days of usage in addition to the extremely cold temperatures the area experienced for several days during the billing period would cause usage to increase. We do encourage customers to take advantage of CenterPoint's array of bill management options including payment arrangements or Budget Billing as well as energy savings tips which can be found at: ***************************************************************. 

  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Customer Service at ************** to speak to an agent.

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In October of 2021 I sold my apartment building which were 16 addresses including **** and **** ******* ** ******** IN. I cancelled service in October when the property closed but there was a revert to owner which went into effect. When I received the next bill I called and asked why to which i cancelled the RTO in December 2021. From that point on I received no further bills so I didn't think there was any more problem. Dec 2023 a debt collector contacted me about an overdue bill for the property. Talking to Centerpoint in Jan 2022 something happened where the bills went to the new owners address but still had my name on the bill. I had no idea charges were being accrued in my name. I think Centerpoint made a mistake and only changed the billing address and not the service when the new owner called about the property but they are holding me liable when there was no way for me to know about the charges. If they had sent me a bill to me in Jan 2022 I would have realized there was still a problem, paid the bill and resolved the problem before it became as large as it is.

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to CenterPoint. In review of the accounts, we show that an email was sent to CenterPoint on 12/10/21 requesting to remove 13 properties from the RTO agreement on file under *** ******** ***. The email requested the RTO be removed from the following street numbers on ******* *** ********, IN: ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, ****, **** and ****. A response was sent back advising those properties had been removed from the RTO on file; however, it also stated that there were still 3 properties with an active RTO on file under the *** ******** *** name: ****, **** and **** ******* *** ********, IN. It was advised in the email to verify that the information was correct and if there was any incorrect information, to contact CenterPoint Energy. The email advised if no notice was received, you would remain responsible for services provided. We have attached a copy of those emails for your review. Since no request was received to remove the RTO on the remaining 3 properties, the balances owed under the *** ******** *** are valid.

  The service at **** ******* **. reverted into the *** ******** name on 7/26/22 due to the RTO on file and remained in that name until the service was disconnected for non-payment on 2/24/23. The service at **** ******* **. reverted into the *** ******** *** name on 7/7/22 due to the RTO on file and remained in that name until someone else requested service in their name on 12/20/22. 

  The RTO remained on file in the *** ******** *** name until August 2022 when the new owner of the properties established their own RTO on those properties. 

  If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at **************.

*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. ↩