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:05/09/2024

  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 will come to my door and shut off my we electric for very low over due amounts to be able to charge me a shut of turn on fee of 175 before four 285 after four I made a payment paid half my bill four days ago and they came today to shut me off for 168 this should not be legal for this company to do it should be a minimum amout. That they shouldn't be able to do this with a low income family this is the third time doing this to me it shouldn't be legal

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2024

  Please see attached document for response to member's complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 21690768
  
  I was able to save them from shutting me off by making an arrangement that you constantly say I have broken .But two times in last nine months other than this time I was charged 175 .You should have a minimum amount owed to be able to come to my door put a low income mother with two kids on the spot or I would have to pay again 175  first time you came shut me off I owed 128  and couldn't afford it that day so you shut me off for four days with lost all my food in my fridge if I can't afford 128 and am having a bad month since I lost my income .Does that really help should be at least a 500 bill before you should be allowed to shut us off I do not know why it says I want refund I don't id rather class action suite to refund all fees they have charged us and all the suffering they put my home thru for the low amount of less then a fair amount since we all know this company has inflated there prices outrageously .I also get fuel assistance that includes portion of my bill monthly yet there still able to come to my door and take my electric away with no regards to who lives there .I have had there service ten years and I've been on this property over thirty years .This never happened before they alot of people money back if they did this to as many as i think they have.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2024

  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.

  On April 12th I paid $200 to NHEC. When speaking to the call center representative. I asked if we could establish a payment plan. I was advised that we were not past due and were not in jeopardy of being disconnected. So, they could not put us on a payment plan. I asked if I could call back on the 26th to pay $400 and if that would keep us in good standing. (Our heat was electric all winter.) The rep for NHEC assured us that was okay. Two weeks later. My family and I return home on Thursday, April 25th around 6pm to find an electric shut off notice on our door. The notice said our total balance was $733.49 and to reconnect before 4pm it would be $928.49 and after 4pm reconnect would cost $1,028.40. Reconnect fee during normal business hours $195 After hours $295 We never received a disconnect notice and our bill that was just received shows the balance was due May 3rd. I called the 800 number and spoke to a rep named *****. Who was extremely rude and claimed they sent a disconnect notice on the 8th. If thats the case. Why did the rep we spoke with on the 12th tell us there was no disconnect and therefore we could not establish a payment plan. I explained to the representative that we have a 5yr old in the house and replied on electricity for heat as it still gets very cold during evenings. It didnt matter to this rep or company. I asked to speak with a supervisor and was told she might call you back if she has time between meetings.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/29/2024

  Please see the attached letter for Complaint ID# ********.

   

  Thank you.

   

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 is a copy of the email that sent out to NH Broadband on. I have emailed them on 1/6/24 and 2/5/24. I have photos if you would like to see them. Hello I am the VP of the Board in the Whip-O-Will Hill MHP in Plymouth NH. Your company installed some broadband wires in our community not to long ago. The reason I’m contacting you is the person that installed the wires on the pole behind ** ******** ******* and **  disconnected the telephone and cable wires from the side of the pole, leaving swinging around in the wind. Why he did not reattach the wires is beyond us. I live at ** ******** ******* and the lady that lives at ** ******** ******* contacted NH Broadband on Dec, 13th 2023 and asked to have the wires reattached. These wires are our telephone and Cable lines. We need them. A gentleman showed up Wednesday Jan. 3rd (three weeks later) and told the lady at ** Highland that the lines were unacceptable hanging there. Jan 4th some gentlemen from Correct Cable showed up gave her a hard time and used electric tape to hold the wires down low on the pole, even more unacceptable. I am sending some photos showing the pole and wires. The third photo that shoes the wires up high are not connected. The wire clearly has a bend in the wire were it was connected to the pole previously. That same photo shows wires being brought around the front of the pole they were connected to the other side of the pole were he put the broadband wires. The first photo clearly shows a metal clip that was used to connect the wires to the pole, where are the others? We are in the winter months and if a branch was to knocked off a tree and catch those loose wires it will disconnect us from our phones and tv. Please have this corrected immediately, ******* ** ********.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2024

  BBB-NH CASE # ********                                                       NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
  
  New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NHEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned, rural electric cooperative. NHEC is presently building a fiber-optic network that is bringing high-speed Internet access service to residents and businesses in NHEC’s service territory and beyond. NHEC is using construction contractors and subcontractors to carry out this project. The complaint in question relates to a subcontractor’s work in December 2023 to prepare utility poles to receive NHEC’s fiber-optic lines.
  
  The preparation work resulted in the existing lines for telephone and cable-television service not being properly reattached to the pole outside the complaining member’s residence. The member originally submitted a complaint about the loose wires in January 2024. A subcontractor crew was alerted to the complaint and was dispatched to the location to assess the situation. The crew was verbally confronted and accosted by individuals (presumed to be residents), and the subcontractor crew left the site to avoid further engagement. NHEC and its project contractor were notified about the incident.
  
  The member renewed his complaint in February 2024, and a subcontractor crew was again dispatched to the location for assessment. The crew reported “no visible damages or alterations to any/all existing communications plant [i.e., attached lines] or drop wires. During initial construction it was noticed that existing CATV [cable television] and TEL [telephone] drop wires were not properly secured vertically on said pole.” The loose wires did not interfere with the delivery of telephone or cable-TV service to the area residents. The assessment crew’s recommendation was that any return crew should be accompanied by supervisory personnel, and that all residents would be notified of any onsite survey and construction work.
  
  On March 5, 2024, the subcontractor crew was again notified of the member’s existing complaint regarding loose wires. The subcontractor requested that residents be notified of their return to the location the following day.
  
  On March 6, 2024, the crew returned to the location accompanied by supervisory personnel and were not met with any form of hostility from area residents. The crew installed three (3) “screw clips” and three (3) zip ties to securely mount the CATV and TEL vertical drop wires properly to the utility pole.
  
  The maintenance work needed to resolve the member’s complaint has now been completed. The BBB’s initial reports of this complaint were directed to the inactive email account of a senior manager who is no longer employed at NHEC and did not come to management’s attention in a timely manner. NHEC has now adjusted the inactive email account to provide timely alerts of new messages.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/08/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  ******* ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2023

  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.

  The power company has been paid to change a transformer at my duplex and won't call back or come do the job since being paid. Plus I need the meters changed at my duplex and also won't schedule that till they do my transformer replacement which they won't do. I have called and they won't schedule both things to do or call back since I'm going solar I feel they won't help since they are losing customers.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2023

  New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NHEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned, rural electric cooperative. NHEC frequently performs service upgrades for its members to facilitate electrical improvements on their property.  The service order in question is for an upgrade to a geosolar system owned by the complainant, *** *****.
  
  *** ***** first initiated his service order on August 23, 2023.  The service order required, among other elements, the installation of a larger transformer and a new electric meter.  NHEC communicated to *** ***** that he would need to pay the estimated charges for NHEC’s services before the work could commence, as required by NHEC’s tariffs.  NHEC was awaiting payment from *** ***** when he called back on August 30, 2023, looking to schedule the required work.  *** ***** was reminded that he needed to pay the estimated charges before work could proceed.  The complainant said he would pay the estimate right away.
  
  The Cooperative received payment for the work on September 5, 2023, and the job was released for scheduling the very next day on September 6, 2023.  NHEC’s standard practice is to complete the work within two weeks of receiving payment.  *** ***** called again on September 11, 2023, and NHEC advised him of the scheduled completion date of September 14, 2023.
  
  Construction has now been completed for *** *****’s requested upgrade.  Work was performed within 10 days of payment, which is within the two-week window originally communicated to *** *****.  However, the required labeling and disconnects were not properly installed by *** *****’s electrician.  NHEC heard back from the electrician on September 21, 2023, confirming the proper disconnects and labeling were installed.  NHEC installed the meter to fully connect the system the next day on September 22, 2023.
  
  In conclusion, NHEC has followed all its terms and conditions, regulatory requirements, and industry standards for the member’s project. NHEC has fully resolved the complainant’s concerns in an expedited manner. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  Scott M***** at New Hampshire Electric Co-Op has refused to do his job. We have 5 outstanding applications for solar projects that have been submitted and properly documented, and he has directly refused to follow his own rules in processing these applications despite repeated follow ups and attempts to resolve. This is unacceptable and shows a blatant disregard for the well being of his "members" who he is preventing from their right to pursue a solar project on their home.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2023

  Via Email to ****************

  February 15, 2023

  Mr. ****** ****, Trade Practice Specialist Better Business Bureau

  ** ******** ****** ******** *** *****

  Re:                 BBB Complaint ID #******** (NH)

  Dear Mr. ****:

  New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“NHEC”), a non-profit, member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Plymouth, New Hampshire, provides this response to the above-referenced complaint, which was filed with the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) on February 7, 2023.

  As an initial matter, please note for purposes of this response:

  1.            Customer is defined by the BBB as the individual or organization filing the Complaint against NHEC. In this case, the Customer is a Solar PV installation contractor hired by NHEC’s Member to provide residential solar PV services at the Member’s property.

  2.            Member is defined by NHEC as an end user who is connected to the NHEC electrical distribution system and who purchases electric service from NHEC.

  NHEC strongly objects to the basis of the Complaint, in which the Customer alleges that NHEC has not processed the Customer’s outstanding applications for solar PV installations. The reason NHEC has been unable to process the Customer’s subsequent solar PV applications is that the Customer has not successfully completed the initial application process for the very first project that Customer submitted to NHEC in August 2022, and the Customer’s initial application remains incomplete as of today. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Customer has tried to circumvent NHEC’s application process, as discussed further in NHEC’s response below. NHEC has successfully worked with our Members to install over 1,300 residential solar systems.

  A review of NHEC’s communications the Customer highlights the Customer’s repeated failures to follow NHEC’s rules and requirements for processing solar PV applications:

  1.            The Member (the owner of the home where the solar PV was installed) contacted NHEC during the last week of November 2022 to let NHEC know that the solar project was complete. However, the Customer, not the Member, is required to do this as part of NHEC’s rules and application process. This is Failure #1 on the part of the Customer.

  2.            On December 5, 2022, NHEC made a site visit and inspected the solar project. NHEC’s inspector reported that NHEC’s solar production meter was missing and that, in fact, the Customer had installed an unauthorized meter of its own. The NHEC meter, which is a required component of NHEC’s solar program, remains missing as of today. This is a very serious problem and a concern for NHEC. This is Failure #2 on the part of the Customer.

  3.      Also on December 5, 2022, NHEC contacted the Customer by phone from the Member site and asked that all application/paperwork be submitted to NHEC along with an explanation of where the missing NHEC meter was. Customer indicated they would submit the application and information.

  4.      Between December 5, 2022, and January 23, 2023, NHEC made numerous attempts to contact the Customer to determine the status of the promised application/paperwork as well as the location of the NHEC meter. NHEC’s efforts were unsuccessful. This is Failure #3 on the part of the Customer.

  5.      On January 23, 2023—exactly 50 days after the start of numerous attempts to communicate with the Customer—the Customer finally reached out via email to NHEC and indicated that they were still finalizing the application/paperwork as required by NHEC and further indicated that it could not locate the missing NHEC meter. This is Failure #4 on the part of the Customer.

  6.      On February 2, 2023, NHEC received an email from the Customer with all completed application/paperwork, which NHEC determined to be all in order, less the still-missing NHEC meter.

  7.      The Customer should never remove NHEC equipment. This is Failure #5 on the part of the Customer.

  Resolution to the Customer Complaint is as follows:

  1.      Customer will reimburse NHEC for the cost of a new meter for the solar project, as this is equipment owned and operated by NHEC. The Customer should continue to make every effort to recover the NHEC missing meter. The Customer hopefully understands not to continue its unauthorized practices going forward.

  2.      NHEC will process the outstanding solar projects for the Customer as requested and, if all necessary application/paperwork is in order, then the projects will be authorized for the Customer.

  3.     Going forward, Customer will adhere to all applicable NHEC application processes and requirements with no exceptions.

  NHEC believes the proposed resolution fully addresses the BBB Complaint and thanks the BBB for the opportunity to provide a full and fair response.

  Respectfully,

  James T. B****

  COO - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc.