ComplaintsforBaltimore Gas And Electric Company

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 21, December 23, 2021 and January 12, 2022, I contacted BGE because my account showed an outstanding payments of $250.50 (a electronic payment originally submitted on Nov 26) and $398.42 (a electronic payment originally issued on Dec 21). I contacted the BGE agent by telephone and was instructed to provide the records of the completed payments via email. Although all information was provided and followup requests for resolution were sent on my part, I have not received any record of receipt of the info seeking resolution or followup from BGE. Unexpectedly, BGE sent two letters on Jan 31, 2022 and Feb 1, 2022 regarding returned payments. The letters also stated that because of returned checks, future payments must be in cash or certified check, including the possibility of a turn off notice! I have never been the recipient of such a notice! BGE has not provided any followup to my request to investigate the lost payments. I did not receive any info indicating that the payments were past due or not received except for my own due diligence in paying bills monthly and there was no notice from BGE until the returned payment letters stating that BGE would no longer accept my form of payment -- an electronic payment from my bank account made monthly. Although the original payments were made and the amounts deducted in my account, I was instructed by BGE to reissue the payment, which was done, but this required cancelling the orginal and reissuing the payment. It is not clear why BGE took a long time to process the payments that were made on time, then attempted to use the cancelled check and not the reissued check months later. I submitted payment, again, a third time, via credit card for payments previously made in November 2021, December 2021 and January 2022. My bills are up to date only because of my own efforts. This is very unusual for BGE and also very unusual since I have been a reliable paying customer for more than 30 years!

  Business response

  05/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/26) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by close of business May 3, 2022 to address their concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  04/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last year in 2021 BGE had a construction company do work at the electric box at the end of my property. They have left wire outside the box and i don't want to get my mower close to those wires. i called BGE repeatedly last year with no resolution. They have completely ignored my complaint. I am going to follow up with MD Public Service Commission also. BGE needs to come out and finish the job !!!!!

  Business response

  05/02/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/25) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer by close of business May 2, 2022 to address the customer's concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  04/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Upon moving in to the apartment, we were required to setup BG&E service for gas and electric. BG&E is the only provider in the area and hold a total monopoly over such services. BG&E forced a non-refundable "application fee" for the setup of service, which is entirely separate from any other fees they charge for account creation, credit checks, etc. When asked, they insisted on denying the refund or reimbursement of this fee. Charging such a fee as the monopoly service is unfair business practice, as there was no "application" for service and I agreed to no such charge. Then, over the last 6 weeks, BG&E has repeatedly sent letters, called, and emailed about needing access to a meter. They have repeatedly referred to me as the "owner" or the "landlord" of the property. They were advised, twice, by phone that I am neither and do not control access to any meter. They were advised by email of the same, at which point I included my landlord and their methods of contact. My landlord was directly advised of the situation and they contacted BG&E about the issue. Yet, they continue to leave harassing voicemails and letters addressed to me, threatening the termination of service. And I have no bill for service.

  Business response

  04/26/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/18) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by close of business April 25, 2022 to address their concern. Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/04/25) */ ***Document Attached*** See attached for BG&E's response, which is a defense of their indefensible monopolistic and opportunistic behavior, as well as a blatant attempt to avoid accountability by refusing to engage with the BBB process and insisting on private communication (which they had previously refused/ignored).

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  2 years ago I requested that a friend of mine be added to the account (at his request). He recently moved out so I called BGE to remove his name from my account. Their answer was to close my existing account and open a new one at the cost of $20. I refused as I believe this should be a simple admin process and I don't see a reason to close an account listing myself as the primary account holder financially responsible for it just to open another account

  Business response

  04/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/07) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by the close of business April 14, 2022 to address their concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For roughly 3 or 4 years I experienced issues with my furnace, stove and hot water heater related to a faulty gas valve and I incurred expenses of roughly $3800. The faulty gas valve was creating starting issues with the 3 aforementioned appliances which cost me time and money. Over the course of 3/4 years I had my starting mechanism on my HVAC repaired numerous times before having it rebuilt. I replaced all the burners on my stove as they were not starting appropriately and I had 3 service calls on my hot water heater which was new but was also having cut off issues related to a bad gas valve. After a 3rd service visit from the plumber and more time lost from work he stated he had never seen anything like it, that's what all the techs said for all the appliances, they didn't understand why they were not working correctly. Finally he recommended contacting BGE as that is the only thing that may still be a factor. After calling BGE out as advised it WAS determined that the gas feed into the house was faulty and was causing my appliances to malfunction. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was for years to continually have to repair appliances and continually be told 'it should be working'. After the faulty valve was replaced I have not had any concerns with any of my appliances at all. I attempted a resolution with BGE but they denied my claim. I have copies of all invoices and I would not have incurred these costs or frustration if BGE did not have faulty equipment. I am seeking reimbursement for these expenses, thank you.

  Business response

  04/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/06) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly to address their concerns by the close of business April 13, 2022. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The rep from BGE that I just spoke to told be that she understands my costs incurred were a result of a bad BGE value. She also researched and told me further that there is no mechanism in place to monitor their valves. The rep implied it was my responsibility to monitor the gas valve and blamed the numerous contractors for not identifying the concern sooner. Why would the contractor know to check the gas valve? Even when I called BGE to my home I had to talk the tech into even looking at the valve because 'he had never heard of a problem with one before' and when replaced he said 'that's the first time I've ever seen that'. BGE is negligent in monitoring their equipment and I was likely overcharged for gas in addition to my repair costs. So basically they said yes we understand your complaint and it was our responsibility but we are not going do anything to make it right. I am not comfortable with a business that treats their customers this way. They acknowledge their deficient practice but failed to make it right. Even if I do not receive justice, BGE must put a monitoring system in place so they do not continue to callously victimize their customers as a result of their faulty equipment.

• Initial Complaint

  03/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Due to a desire to save money, we reduced our heat this winter 10⁰ from last year. In November our bill was $294, which we thought was odd because it was a mild month - last year was $144. To make matters more concerning, our bill shows no energy usage for that entire month - how can that be? Thereafter, a significant disparity existed that was not statistically significant to correlate a relationship between the increase BGE cost (12%) and colder temperatures, to what we were billed. The following compares the previous year bill to our current: Dec $189 v $265 (40% increase), Jan $206 v $302 (46% increase), and Feb $196 v $478 (143% increase!!). On Monday, January 10 we contacted BGE and scheduled a meter reading for Jan 13th. We were advised BGE would also send a letter. On Jan 18, I called BGE to request the results and was advised that a reading test took place on January 10. I told him that this could not be correct because we were advised the test was scheduled for January 13. He then advised that the test was completed on the 18th and a BGE rep knocked on our door, but no one answered. This is materially incorrect, at all times, we were present that day and would have observed entrance onto our property. BGE advised the meter reading was accurate. I was then transferred to a supervisor, Mr. H*******, who stated the same. He advised that if we would like to contest the findings and our bill, then we could do so via a signed letter that will be mailed to us providing instruction. Two months later, and after several phone calls, we still have not received this information. I request your assistance in addressing the outrageously high bills and receiving adequate support by BGE.

  Business response

  03/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/10) */ BGE is a regulated utility. Based on the customer's concerns regarding the meter test results, BGE believes it is best that the customer files an inquiry with the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC is BGE's regulating agency. The customer can request a referee test to be witnessed by the PSC. In addition, the PSC will investigate the customers concerns, using the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) as a guideline. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/03/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) No, the response is inadequate and fails to address several portions of the complaint. Of particular concern, and as noted in the attachment, is that my household allegedly used 0 kWh in November (but were charged considerably). The use of 0 electricity is factually untrue and demonstrates BGE's lack of credibility. Moreover, the response provided is immaterial to the complaint and does not provide appropriate remedy.

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mother, **************** passed away on 5/11/2021, and her house was sold on 10/5/2021. When my mom's mail was being forwarded to my address, I inadvertently paid her bill twice and received a statement that there was a credit of approximately $75 on my mom's account (which by then had been closed). When I called in November to request a refund, I was told that I needed to fax a copy of the bill, a letter stating that I was the personal representative of my mom's estate, and my mom's social security number. I did that and waited several weeks without a response. I called again and was told that a check had been mailed to my mom's address before I had even faxed the requested documents on 12/8/2021. When I stated that I hadn't received the check, the person I spoke to speculated that maybe the mail was delayed since it was being forwarded from my mom's address. I waited a couple more weeks and also checked with the post office, to no avail. When I called again on 2/27/2022, I was told that an investigation needs to be completed before a new check can be issued. If this situation was reversed, and I owed money to BGE, I'm pretty I'd owe late fees and be in collections. The information on my mom's account is: **************** (sic) ************************************

  Business response

  03/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/07) */ Thank you for this submission. A BGE representative will contact the customer on, or before, March 14, 2022.

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 11/28/2018 I open a BGE account and moved in ***********************. Subsequently, I moved out 3 months later on 02/28/2019 and notified BGE accordingly. However, I never received a bill. Now, I have a delinquent account on my credit report for $433 from ********************. Over the past 6 months I have been disputing the amount, billing dates, and Inaccurate reporting to the collection agencies. To date, BGE is refusing to corporate and has failed to send me a explanation of billing and billing notification. I am looking for assistance with adjusting my bill accordingly with the timeframe that I occupied the residency, removing the negative remark from my credit report, and obtaining a explanation of charges. V/r *****************

  Business response

  02/07/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/07) */ BGE has received this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by close of business February 14, 2022 to address the customer's concern. Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/03/02) */ ***Document Attached*** BGE has not called me to respond to this dispute. I have sent BGE documentation for when I occupied the residence. The time period for when I am billed does not correspond with the dates I resides in the unit. In addition, I never received notice of this bill. Yet, it is reported to the Credit Bureaus as unpaid since November 2020. Please note that I was Active Duty Military overseas since March 2020. I am still working to obtain a accurate Bill from BGE and the negative remarks removed from the Credit Bureaus. Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2022/03/02) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by close of business March 9,2022 to address the customer's concern.

• Initial Complaint

  02/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  BGE account number ********** my light in gass bill its been coming very higth when i live in ahouse with 2 rooms and a baseman and living room and the kitcheng too and i have my first bill from them for was 886.33 i call them never give in explenation why my bill is so hight but after that 734.87 they never says why its so much just charging me then they starting to send me bills like 500$ or 450$ still alot but i cnt hve in awser from then i change for some company the name is ************ them my energy bill gos up again like 800 next 700 i old them 1400 but why these company is lke the i had covid-19 and they send me a bill of 800 and the next one 750 the then is i old 1400 or abit more people are dien for covid -19 and these bill from these company no stop getting hight

  Business response

  02/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/04) */ Customer complaint sent to BGE HOME. BGE HOME is not the same company as BGE, a regulated utility. Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2022/02/07) */ BGE has received this inquiry A BGE representative will contact the customer directly to address their concerns by close of business February 14, 2022.

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On January 18, 2022, I was issued a BGE bill for $472.45. When I saw the on January 20, 2022 bill I called BGE customer service at 05:52pm immediately to ask why my bill was extremely high. The customer service representative explained that I had been billed incorrectly for the pervious month. I proceeded to ask how does this error occur and I have to pay for it. On January 25, 2022 at 04:03pm I called BGE customer service again and spoke to another gentleman who explained to me that I was being billed incorrectly for a few months. I explained to him that this is bad business practices and seems intentional now that my deposit is paid off all of a sudden my pervious bills were incorrect. The very first bill from BGE was $119.37 for August 26 - Sept.13, 2021 (electric: $31.37, deposit: $68.00 and electric/gas service application charge $20.00). My second bill was $161.12 for August 26-October 8, 2021 (electric: $61.72, gas: $31.40 and deposit :$68.00). The third bill $177.44 for October 8-November 5, 2021 (electric: $92.99, gas: $16.45, and deposit $68.00). The fourth bill $183.26 for November5-December 9,2021 (electric: $98.87, gas: $16.39 and deposit $68.00). I had completed paying the required deposit and thought my bill would drop not increase the amount it did which is over a 100% increase. This is completely deliberate that I was charged incorrectly that entire duration of paying the required deposit. I am never home to have a BGE bill for $472.45 for November 5- December 8, 2021 ( gas supply: $ 62.82, gas delivery: $83.97, and taxes and fees $3.77) additionally December 10-January 11, 2021 (electric: $136.26) plus December 8-January 10, 2021 (gas supply: $87.66, and gas delivery $202.02) . I work Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, Monday Wednesday and Friday 8am-11pm and rotating weekends 7am-8pm. I am never home. This bill was deliberate, intentional and unfair just to insure that I do not receive the initial deposit back after 10-12 months on time scheduled payments.

  Business response

  02/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/02) */ BGE is in receipt of this inquiry. A BGE representative will contact the customer directly by close of business February 9, 2022 to address their concerns. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/02/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I have already spoken to two BGE customer service representatives who have shown terrible customer service skills. A third time speaking to a BGE customer service representative may not make the situation any better infact it may make things worse. The bill is due on February 10,2022 and I am to possibly receive a phone call regarding the matter a day before February 9,2022 is highly suspicious on top of already experiencing bad business practices from this company. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/02/07) */ Based on the customer's concerns surrounding speaking with a BGE representative, BGE believes it may be best that the customer reach out to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) regarding their billing concerns. BGE is a regulated utility. The PSC is BGE's regulating agency. The PSC will investigate the customers concerns, using the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) as a guideline.

*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. ↩