Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Duke Energy's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Duke Energy

  EA 025 149 E 4th St PO Box 960 Cincinnati, OH 45201-0960

• 

  Duke Energy

  PO Box 960 Cincinnati, OH 45201-0960

• 

  Duke Energy

  1000 E Main St Plainfield, IN 46168-1765

• 

  Duke Energy

  EA 025 149 E 4th St PO Box 960 Cincinnati, OH 45201

• 

  Duke Energy

  424 Gest St Cincinnati, OH 45203

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:12/05/2022

  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.

  duke energy is refusing to fix **** credits which was applied to adjusted bills in may-june and june july 2022 bills totaling 1400.00 my credits were 1500.00 that were applied wrongly when my original bills for these months were removed from there online site they continue to double bill me in every month do not update the correct month and charge me for amounts not owed in the previous amount due while taking these amounts from my credits and applying to next bill i have all copies of these charges kwh on bill are wrong they continue to say im residential billing there rate changed with the account number change 0.144545 this was also in june 2022 the new account number was falsely in the wrong billing class not **** billing which is **** ******** i live in section eight low income housing in march april 2022 bill format changed and now these charges that i should not have on my bill are ridiculous payment received was removed from the actual bill this was used to show this amount was taken from previous bill not with it removed they continue to take this twice and this company duke energy i have been fighting sine may-june 2022 to get them to fix this along with **** refused ***** *******,**** **** and **** ****** all received letters and emails and ***** county ***** and dept of development refused to fix the rate with re retail rider which was wrongfully changed also making mu utility bill skyrocket and also my credits were affected 1500.00 and overbilling since then I have amounts on every bill and every copy of this and emails from duke energy stating the correction which they did not attempt once and **** never investigated duke energy decided to sign a waiver on all these over charges i have that letter also i am asking for all the overcharges and credits be refunded the cash amount is overages due to overbilling in the wrong billing class these amounts are previous amount due this is double charges may-june amount 2022 118.15,253.00 original bills was removed

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2022

  Duke Energy previously worked with the **** regarding this customer’s account.
  
  Since receiving this new complaint, the Company forwarded this customer’s concerns to our internal **** team to investigate further. 
  
  The customer is being billed one **** installment each month.  It was also determined that this customer was impacted by the cancel/rebill issue that previously happened, but after reviewing the billing period windows, the customer has only been billed once per month.  The monthly installment was reverified by the State to 42/42 on 8/8/2022 from 40/40. 
  
  The credit amount due is from Payments, and the remaining $133 Gas Tax Credit received.  It does look like the customer received $784 in HEAP dollars, but those dollars apply to the arrears.
  
  After reviewing this account, it does appear the customer is being billed accurately.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/16/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

  I am rejecting your letter on the grounds of you did not pay attention to my copies I provided in this complaint there is a problem with everything on these utility bills since June 2022 including no current month or current bill, double billing posting payments to my account which you sent letters saying I was not current I am paying my bill  theres no current months bill has your company received phone calls on these matters which they cant answer or provide any current or revelant information for anything on the utility bill or reslove it I filed a case with hillary duke energy on this nothing was done **** i filed a complaint on July 27/2022 **** closed this case i had to call them back on the july29/2022 to reopen it i have the copy for july27/2022 showing filed the complaint no one between your company and **** has done nothing to follow state guideline in anything customer utility rights ,process of complaint process, billing payment guidelines **** guidelines your bill format change in march april 2022 started the whole overbilling process i have all copies of these charges monthly on time credits never applied rate difference re retail rider never fixed my rate i was over charged since june 2022 your rate 0.144545 was the only one changed in my whole apt complex i have paperwork on this stating from the state that rate should of never been changed I have stage 4 cancer and on disability can you state why i was singled out for this rate change out of all these other people i have copies of the refund i am asking for and the amount and where the charged are on these bills it totals 7625.15 these refunds come from double billing from previous amount due being taken off the credits and being brought

  forward to the following bill rate change refund 403.28, payment received removed causing overcharges 2147.00 refund, adjusted bill overcharge refund 3671.45, on time payment monthly refund 1402.87, this total is 7625.15 these copies you have on your online site i have everyone also including state guidelines your company and **** did not follow in this process of complaint procedure and alternate offices i had to contact because this process were not followed including now better business bureau so have your company addressed my dispute no not one time or this complaint either duke energy has not addressed my dispute because they require the help of *** that handles there billing process when duke energy just handles the meter read data and usage which is stated and your court case which is ongoing just named you the utility in court case ************** I have that copy also so how can you provide the copies to fix my utility bill? and now I understand your response can you provide information on my errors or even acknowledge now what they are because in my copies the amounts are correct with your response 133.00 and 759.00 are incorrect offers for the amount of errors overbilling, overcharges, and the refund you owe to me for these wrongful billings are 7625.15 is correct I am asking for this refund and restitution be owed to me considering house bill 260 has approved utility customers receive refunds for these reasons with interest and how to apply interest to refunds I have all copies in the right order of refunds where the charges have come from and the accurate bill to prove this evidence in this complaint also state letter which shows the evidence to prove there was no rate change for where I live project based section eight housing this rate change did not affect us i June 2022 as kristina c****** stated in a recorded phone call 54 minutes and also kristy from duke energy I have her information as well and recorded for the reasoning **** stated by mike with **** she was a part of this investigation she was not stated on recording i have emails also to correspond with this complaint where they are false and made up to look like a investigation went on with dates that are wrong on **** side I have originals of these also my gas bill and rate are wrong also considering with the bill format change re retail rider also makes customers pay for usage and amounts they do not use which is false kwh being used the tarriffs label rs and also rs3p as **** customer rate and what they use for the rate and this is the only place this is used in **** tarriffs and in the court case ************** on duke energy website reading my bill and calculators **** customers rate is **** which means residential **** service this is not in **** tarriffs  labeling **** customers under the true rate which is 0.034375 from month 1-5 in month six this rate change only should affected rs,rs3p the rate as of june 2022 was 0.144545 but the residential **** service (RSPP) was removed from duke energy bill in march-april 2022 bill format change and changed to residential service just (RS)  for the court case ************** so everyone was affected and added **** making it look ok because (RS) WAS ALREADY CHANGED OVER so there was no way to catch this but i have copies of this  why doesn't **** have a rate in the **** tarriffs? residential **** service how was this a approved change for **** customers and in the court case ************** it was residential sso not **** sso I am asking you this because the bill format change march-april 2022 gave me and many others 2 account numbers and this has affected my bill because my criteria and information was not added to the new account number all customers believed there was no change within the two account numbers including me this is alot of misinformation given on your companys part and this is also the reasoning behind the charges no answers no resolutions and no help throughout my process of this journey since June 2022 with the rate change there was a D.A.S.R was done which is a direct access service request form of communication that is exchanged between the company and a certified supplier in certain circumstances like a rate change so that means duke energy/*** *************** did not update the other account number when they gave all the customers two accounts making me singled out being charged as a residential customer instead of a **** which is a residential **** service and applying the rate to someone that is on **** and also that lives in project based section eight housing who also has stage 4 cancer and is on disability and has fixed income and that was overcharged and also received 7 bills in two months and continues to receive double bills every month because my information was not entered correctly into a entity *** that handles invoices through your company but is not labeled on your invoice like the utility laws state so as I said the 7625.15 your company needs to know this is the actual total due as a refund to myself in error of your company and *** the invoice and record holder of these errors I am owed a refund to myself not my utility bill  due to the house bill 260 in a resolution filed and the bill 2021-2022 for utility customers to receive a refund to them with interest I am asking for this in this complaint state law says you have to put what you want or the outcome of a complaint this is mine and what I have listed up above in the form of a refund owed to me as stated above in the amount of 7625.15

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 12/27/2022

  After a complete investigation, it was determined this customer's account is accurate, and there will not be any credits given in the amount requested by the customer.  The current credit of $314.08 will be applied to the next month's bill.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/31/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

  I am rejecting your findings and also your company neglecting to see the overcharges and errors since march-april 2022 with the bill format change you have not took the time to figure out I have sent more copies to the BBB on December 29,2022 by mail explaining all the refunds owed to me not my electric bill according to house bill 260 and 351 as explained I have recordings also phone conversations I will be sending also to the BBB for evidence Kristy, Jessica Duke Energy and also **** Kristina c****** in this complaint process all your replies are false I am still getting double billed and also overcharges there has nothing been fixed or corrected on any bills including in my November 2022 bill there are two and only giving me three to four days to pay my utility bill I have to label my money orders for which months so it does not effect my credits for **** i only owe one bill a month not multiples which I receive still in the present date  which your company and *** refuse to fix which *** is your invoice holder and where the invoices are corrected which also your company has been misinformative about this also to me and other customers  the copies I have sent BBB show proof of mistakes and also monies owed to me as stated in the last letter as refunds owed to me in the amount of 7625.51 is the correct total these copies BBB has to the penny and what refunds are owed to me and why they are owed  I have asked your company multiple times and also all state offices listed in my copies given to BBB under contacts to help me on these issues and nothing has been done also your company labeling Duke energy having **** personnel nothing has been done with that either stated on phone conversations I live in low income housing section eight project based housing this rate change in June 2022 did not effect this apartment complex 47 units it affected me only I have this copy also provided to BBB showing there was a utility allowance increase of 5.00 not a rate change from the contract administrator and from hud housing which your company also ignored and failed to fix or correct as stated on the copies given to BBB I am on disability I am 100 percent disabled and have stage 4 cancer and I have been singled out and I do believe this is discrimination on all forms at this point considering no one else was effected by your bill format change in March-April 2022 my original OR old account number and also stated on my money orders sent to your company  was not added to my online account as stated by your companany on the utility bill was never done correctly only the new account number showing this error copy provided to BBB which labeled me low income project based that takes this complex out of the whole rate change and i am not a residential customer as labeled by your company from this change in March-April 2022 I am low income **** your company changed this

   

   

  information on my utility bill which if you told the truth the right information would of been added with the correct information and billing criteria and billing class which your company also failed to do and still fails to do as of present day I asked your company for an explanation of charges meaning all of what you have done to my utility bill and also why I was changed to the wrong billing class as of this date December 31, 2022 without any correction to anything I have asked for multiple times from your company I have had my usage, Kwh, rate that I have not used on average i RUN A 433 KWH at a rate of 0.034375 for my apartment complex which is project based low income housing which has not been identified by your company or your **** personnel since August 2022 recorded phone conversation the rate change is 0.144545 which labels **** customers on your Duke energy site **** residential **** service on **** tarriffs **** customers are labeled RS residential and RS3P residential 3 phase at this rate 0.144545 now why isnt **** labeled in **** Tarriffs???? this is the major error your company has used the bill format change in March-April 2022 and my bill since there wasn't the right billing criteria added to my account your company used a **** which is from the rate change to use my information which I did not agree to or write a letter for this to be done and you picked my utility bill at random which also BBB has these copies I am requesting your company one more time to fix the errors and also to refund me the overcharges and errors labeled in the copies given to BBB and also explains what the refunds are from on my utility bill and the amount which is the correct amount stated to BBB your company AND ***, stated 314.00 YOUR COMPANY NEEDS TO also apply my old account 

  number to my online account and also apply the correct information from the old account and then your company and *** can see the errors and where they came from this might be a long letter but to get the point across to you and *** and to get the correct information on my utility bill why isn't *** correcting these errors when court cases has labeled you as a meter reader management and *** handled the invoice and billing why was this not labeled on the utility bill??? the  phone conversation I have stating this also by your customer service reps stating that your customer service personnel and **** personnel you stated for Duke Energy and the supervisors at Duke Energy cannot correct the utility bills no one can at Duke ENERGY so what kind of investigation do you have on this complaint and what evidence do you have I have all evidence of what I have stated and it is the truth on all parts and refunds owed to me and why  and this information on recorded phone conversation August 2022 I have three which state all of what I have stated this will also be given to BBB PER THIS COMPLAINT attachments and copies have been sent to my investigator for BBB and these copies were sent with insurance from post office and these copies were received by BBB on December 29,2022 priority mail 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/02/2022

  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.

  On October 14 2022 I sent check #*** for the amount of $101.51. It was cashed October the 17th by Duke energy. They are saying they don't have it and keep putting $101.51 on every payment due. I'm fed up

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2022

  Duke Energy left a voicemail for the customer on 12/13 asking for a full copy of the back side of the canceled check or a detailed transaction sheet from the bank. To date, no further information has been provided and we are not able to locate the payment based on the provided information. Once the customer submits the additional information, we can locate the missing payment. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/01/2022

  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 complaint goes back to May 18, 2022. I called Duke to get information about our account. No information could be given because I couldn't satisfy them on our SS numbers. As it turned out they had our numbers switched and said they couldn't change the computer to fix our numbers...said it 5 times. They repeat each time that they could delete my husbands account and put one in my name. Finally I said yes. This caused me to loose my *** rates of which with lots of effort I got reinstated. From that period on my bills have been a mess. As of June they quit sending me bills because I had a credit and was letting it expire while working to fix my account. I paid three payments and realized I had a credit of $677.00 and stopped payments. Now I owe $1341.00. They sent reprinted bills but I still don't understand how I owe this much. I can't figure out their methods. I can't talk on the phone as I can't see what they are looking at. I need a thorough explaination.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2022

  Good morning,

   

  Our records indicate the customer originally filed a complaint through the ****** ******* ********** ** ****, and the Company has been in contact with the customer regarding their concerns for their billing. A defect was identified with the integration of the new billing system, where the legacy system allowed for multiple customers of record and Social Security numbers, but the new system does not. This resulted in information being transposed and associated with the incorrect business partners. That defect has since been fixed, and the customer's information is now correct on their account.

   

  As for the $677 credit that the customer had on their account, this was due to another identified defect where the customer did not have invoices processed toward their account due to the third-party Ohio Choice billing not processing correct. The $677 credit was due to two full payments, and one additional partial payment that were made in excess to the requested balance due at the time of no invoices occurring. The payment due for July was only $139; however, the customer made a payment of $272 toward that statement, as well as the following 2 that had not reflected toward the account at that time.

   

  Once the defect was identified with the invoicing not reflecting toward the account, the Company was able to successfully obtain the actual billing information for the missing invoices. The customer requested detailed statements through the ****** ******* ********** ** **** case; therefore, detailed statements were sent for both gas and electric. Through conversations with the customer directly on the phone, and according to phone records, the customer advised that she processed a future payment for December without looking at the billing statement dates on the account.

   

  The current balance of $1,341 due is for the missing Budget Billing installments that had not been paid for, as no payment has been received since 8/24/2022. All payments prior to that date, went toward the previous installments due with the increase in the customer's Quarterly Budget Billing installment.

   

  I have been able to speak with the customer regarding her account; however, have been advised to call her back at a later date and time to allow her the opportunity to review the statements and determine if she is obtaining the same amounts due that are reflected on her statements. The customer has been advised that even though her Budget Biling installments reflect a current balance of $1,341 due, there is actually an overage of $827.20 due to the decrease in services used versus what's already been paid for while on Budget Billing. The Company did offer to cancel the current invoice of $1,341 due to allow the credit balance to reflect on the account, and either remain there to be used for future billing or have a refund check issued for the credit balance. The customer again just requested that the Company contact he 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ** ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  I still need the said phone call to me at 9:00 a.m. Friday 12/9/22 to happen.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  Duke called me back and located Amber K******.  She reported that she is with the billing department working on it and would send me an email as soon as it is resolved.  I told them I prefer a phone call but if email was all they could do, then send it by 12:00.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2023

  Good morning,

  
  I have completed my review of the customer’s concerns regarding her account, and billing successfully completed their audit of the charges. *** ***** was contacted via phone after she spoke with Customer Service to advise we were still working on the case at that time.

  
  It has since been brought to my attention that the credit that was noted on the previous billing statement of $827.20 was a fictitious credit. The credit would have been a true credit had the payments been up to date at that time. The newest billing statement is a true reflection of the actual account and billing. As there have been no payments made since August, the account now has an accrued balance of $794.03. The newest statement provided from 1/3/2023 does have a breakdown of charges from 4/19/2022 through 12/19/2022. There are no additional corrections to be processed.

  
  All information was presented to *** ***** via email to provide her additional documentation with the breakdown of her Budget Billing History. She was provided the opportunity and information to set the balance on an Installment Plan for the balance owed to start on next month’s billing statement. The next meter read is scheduled for 1/19/2023, and the next billing statement will generate after that date.

  
  Please let me know if you have any further questions.

  
  Thank you,

  
  Amber
  Midwest Consumer Affairs

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2022

  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 a notice the other day that Duke Energy is nearly doubling my monthly energy bill, citing 'usage habits'. When you review usage year over year, it has not changed at all - in some cases it is even decreasing. I posted to a community page and a number of people are reporting the same frustrations, with some calling Duke for an explanation - their customer service team cannot or will not explain. Obviously this is concerning in uncertain times where everything is more expensive. I would guess this is another company taking an opportunity to price gouge its customers.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/02/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  Upon review of the customer’s account, the Budget Billing Plan installment did increase to $209 per month from $94. Our records indicate; however, that the customer was using anywhere rom $130-$250 per month in actual services. The adjustment from $94 to $209 is to account for the adjustment difference of what was used and what was paid for. A lower installment could be issued; however, this may result in a very large increase in the next Quarterly review and adjustment, which would further result in the customer receiving a large closeout balance on their Budget Billing account.
  
  Please let me know if you have any further questions.

  
  Thank you,

  
  Amber
  Midwest Consumer Affairs

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/05/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.

  
  the figures cited by Duke do not match what I am being billed for.  My monthly amount increased from $156 to $271, vs. what was quoted at $90 and $150 respectively? 
  

  I am having a hard time reconciling anything provided by the company.

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  From October to November I have used less kilowatts than any of the previous months. Nothing has changed in my house hold. Even the temperatures outside have been cooler than the summer months. My energy bill has gone astronomically high. It has gone from $234 to $402 dollars in a month that I have used less kilowatt. I have tried to call and have them explain to me and they can’t get me any answers. I need help this has to stop. Thank you for your time.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2022

  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.

  Currently having a issue with Duke Energy, gas meter was upgraded upon Dukes request in early October, the next bill I received was not the usual 30 day cycle but revised billing for 185 days with a current due of over $2000 . When speaking to the CS agents at Duke they blame ** ********* gas provider, and the City of ** ******* and will not admit they are trying to charge me for 185 days of service that I've been paying monthly in full for 6 months. I've had 2 cases made to investigate the obvious over billing the first case was closed without my knowledge with no contact from Duke. I currently have a new case but no timeframe or idea what my next bill total or due date will be. Duke will not let you call directly to supervisors familiar with your case so you have to call weekly and explain the issue to several different agents often they just tell you this is what you owe and there's nothing they can do.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2022

  Good afternoon,

  
  We have completed our investigation of the customer’s concerns regarding their billing.

  
  Our records indicate that the incorrect meter read was submitted for the customer’s move-in read with the migration of our new billing system that occurred 4/6/2022. This incorrect read resulted in the customer’s usage being estimated since that point. Billing was able to successfully obtain a meter read for the services, cancel the incorrect billing statements, and correct the bill for each month of service. The customer now has a balance of $225.30 due for both gas and electric service through 10/10/2022. A new statement has been issued to the customer.

  
  Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

  
  Thank you,

  
  Amber
  Midwest Consumer Affairs

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/04/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  I have been a Duke Energy customer for over a year. About a year ago I enrolled in their quarterly budget billing program. The program states that my bill will adjust quarterly to my electricity usage. I noticed my bill was not adjusting to my usage so I spoke to a phone representative and she also noticed that my bill was not adjusting and I had a money credit that I over paid so she said my next bill would adjust and I would receive the money credit toward my bill. When my next bill came It didn't adjust and I didn't receive my credit toward the bill. Also my credit has grown to $416.32, I spoke to a person at Duke Energy on the phone about this and she said I would receive my credit within 2 days and she took me off budget billing because my bill was not adjusting. Well I still never received my credit of $416.32 so I called again and they were rude and didn't want to refund me for the money I overpaid. They are stealing money from me. Can the Better Business Bureau please help me get my refund of $416.32 that I overpaid on the budget billing program. The credit appears in the upper right hand side of my bill uploaded in the second paragraph. You will see a -$416.32 thank you and I hope you can resolve this for me.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  I have reviewed the account information and concerns for the customer regarding his service.
  
  Our records indicate the customer contacted Customer Service on several occasions regarding his Budget Billing concerns. When a customer is on Quarterly Budget Billing, the system automatically adjusts the installment every 3 months dependent on the customer’s prior 12 months of usage. This continual adjustment cycle prevents the customer from having a settle-up month, where they may owe a difference for the prior months services if they had underpaid.
  
  Currently, the customer’s Budget Billing installment was $234, and while he does have an overage right now of $416.32, his winter months usage typically increases, and he pays for less service than what he uses. This balances out to overages that are paid for during the summer months, when the customer is using less electricity. Based off the prior year’s usage, the customer uses almost twice the energy he does in the summer, which results in the higher installments during the summer months, and lower installments during the winter. As the customer has only had service since 11/22/2021, all prior Budget Billing was based off the previous account holder’s usage.
  
  I was able to speak with the customer regarding his concerns and confirmed that he wished to be removed from Budget Billing. With the removal of Budget Billing, he was advised that the current month’s bill was paid for out of the $416.32 credit, and he has a credit balance remaining of $182.32. The customer requested the credit remain on the account to pay for future billing until depleted. He is aware that he will now be charged for his month usage as it accumulates and has the option to reset his Budget Billing plan based off his actual usage at any time if he wishes.
  
  Please let me know if you have any further questions.
  
  Thank you,
  Amber

  Midwest Consumer Affairs

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/09/2022

  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  I moved from 111 S 7th St, *** *** **********, IN 47567, to *** * ****** **** the 15th of Sept, had the electric service shut off on Sept 30, 2022.I have a bal of $417. still on my account at Duke, my final bill was paid on October 4, 2022 out of the pror bal of $500. I asked for Duke to put thiis into my new account at my new address, they refused and advised the would send me a check for the bal. Never arrived, I have called demanding my money, no response, customer service was argumentative. I have sent 5 emails to customer service to no avail, they have not contacted me in any form, they are still holding my money on a closed account where the final bill has been paid, I need that money to pay upcoming utilities. Is it legal for them to refuse to send my or deposit it into my banking account (checking as that is how I pay my bills

  Business Response

  Date: 10/25/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  Our records do confirm that the customer transferred services from one location to the next, leaving a large credit balance on the closed account. Our billing department was able to successfully transfer the credit from the closed account to the active, leaving a credit remaining of $332.97 to be applied toward future billing.
  
  Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
  
  Best Regards,

  
  *****
  Midwest Consumer Affairs

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/26/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2022

  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 August 25, 2022, I received a bill from Duke Energy in the amount of $509.54 called a "156 day bill from Mar 21-Augu23". I consistently paid my Duke bill during these months and have automatic withdrawal. I called Duke after receipt of bill and was told that it was a mistake and I would not be billed - there was supposedly a glitch in the system that affected thousands of **** customers. On September 15, $509.54 was auto withdrawn from my account. I called on September 15 and was initially told that the customer rep couldnt understand my bill. I was then forwarded to a supervisor. The supervisor told me that it was indeed a mistake and she would send me to billing for a correction. Billing (agent was Autumn) then told me that they had no note on the file of any mistake, and it was not a mistake, but i underpaid from March to August and this was a reconciled bill. I asked Autumn multiple times to explain how they came up with the $509.54 and she couldnt give me a straight answer. She said she would have to open a ticket to look into this more. I was about to leave out of the country for 2 weeks so she committed to calling me back October 6 when I returned with the information. I received no call on October 6. On October 10, I called again. I first talked to an agent who again could not figure out if the bill was correct, she forwarded me to her supervisor who explained that she thought it was a mistake. Then, I was suddenly disconnected. I called back, and spoke to another agent who forwarded me to billing. I spoke to Tonya and she opened yet another case number (********** Case #) to look into this bill because she again had no explanation. I cannot explain to you the frustration and anger that not a single person I have called at Duke can either explain the bill or promptly follow-up with me after investigation. This is nothing but fraudulent billing practices and pathetic that consumers have no recourse and just get passed around with no resolution.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  After reviewing the account, the gas meter was being estimated which resulted in the customer being undercharged for her gas usage from March to July.
  
  Once we were able to obtain an actual read the customer’s bill was corrected. Here is the breakdown of the corrections made. From March to April the customer was billed $92.52 when it should have been $106.20 which is a difference of $13.68. From April to May the customer was billed $78.26 when it should have been $111.93 which is a difference of $33.67. From May to June the customer was billed $47.10 when it should have been $132.70 which is a difference of $85.60. From June to July the customer was billed $47.47 when it should have been $135.42 which is a difference of $87.95. If you add those difference together you get $220.90 plus you add the current charges for July to August which is $123.98 for gas usage and $164.66 for electric usage which totals $509.54 that was due September 15, 2022. As you can see the customer was only charged for the difference of what she originally paid compared to what she should have paid.
  
  If you have any further questions, please let us know!
  
  Thank you,
  Duke Energy

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, reasons for rejection are included below.
  

  The complaint references the amount I was billed from March to April for gas (i.e. March billed $92.52; April billed $78.26; May $47.10) however, there is no detailed bill in my account of what I was billed for gas that matches any of those amounts. Not only can I not make sense in my bill overview of these amounts being charged, rather, my bill overview is extremely confusing and does not add up to any of the explanation provided in Duke's response. I have attached a screen shot of my Billing and Payment Activity. None of the "Auto Pay Payment ACH" have any bills attached detailing the amount paid for gas. 

  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/27/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  I have attached copies of the bills we reversed which shows the incorrect amounts the customer was charged. The bill the customer provided dated August 25, 2022, for $509.54 due September 15 is the corrected bill showing the amounts the customer should have been charged.
  
  If you have any further questions, please let us know!
  
  Thank you,
  Duke Energy

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/01/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  

  I have reviewed the bills and understand the charges. I will say this was the FIRST time I had access to the bills, which is completely unprofessional to bill for something but then not produce the bills which substantiate the invoices. Since I filed fraud on my credit card until this was resolved, my credit card company pulled my payment back, and I see that Duke has now re-billed me for hte amoutn due PLUS a $20 late charge. Can you please remove the "returned" charge and I will pay the invoice of $509.54 plus the current gas/energy charges of $91.62 for a total bill of $601.16.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2022

  Good afternoon,
  
  We have removed the $20.00 return check fee and the balance on the account is $601.16 due 11/14/22.
  
  Thank you,
  Duke Energy
  Consumer Affairs Department

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/12/2022

  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 went to pay my bill on Duke Energy's website, the website said that I had a negative balance of $585. This is not the first time this has happened, as in the past, though in the past I just assumed I had somehow overpaid and just allowed the next few bills to be paid by this extra balance. So on September 19th, I see my account said -$585, assuming I overpaid this time by a LOT I called, they said they could not refund me, they transferred me to a manager who said that there had actually been an issue where the meters were misread and a bunch of people were over charged. I requested that the amount be refunded to my account on file and she told me that it would either be direct deposited to that account or a check would be sent to me in the mail. Now it is October 12th, I have not received a check and instead received 3 bills in the mail one totaling $816, another $900, and a third bill for $1200. I called and explained the situation, was put on hold for so long that I got reconnected to another customer service agent that knew nothing about the issue, then I was transferred again, sat on hold and then they dropped my call. No one called me back. I had to call back again, spent another half hour on the phone, was put on hold again and reconnected to yet another customer service agent who knew nothing about my situation. It is still not resolved and they said they are gonna call back later. I believe that they were dicking me around because they want me to just drop the issue. Most of the people in my neighborhood are low income and likely do not have the resources to sit on the phone for two hours with Duke. I feel like something purposeful and fraudulent is happening.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/21/2022

  Good morning,
  
  After reviewing the account, we had to reverse multiple bills from March to August due to the system saying the read was estimated.
  
  I have provided a breakdown of the reversed bills along with the corrected bills and any payments that were received. The most recent bill for $1,211.26 due October 25, 2022, is correct and the breakdown I have provided will explain in more detail.
  
  The customer has not made a payment since July 19, 2022, which is why she has such a large balance due. We set the account up on a 12-month agreement for the total balance of $1,211.26 which will start with the next bill. She will pay $100.93 plus the current monthly bill each month until that balance is paid in full. The customer agreed to these terms.
  
  If you have any further questions, please let us know!
  
  Thank you,
  Duke Energy
  Consumer Affairs Department