Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Pennsylvania American Water Company's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Pennsylvania American Water Company

  852 Wesley Dr Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-4436

• 

  Pennsylvania American Water Company

  PO Box 578 Alton, IL 62002-0578

• 

  Pennsylvania American Water Company

  20 E Union St Wilkes Barre, PA 18701-2715

• 

  Pennsylvania American Water Company

  100 N Pennsylvania Ave Wilkes Barre, PA 18701-3507

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:11/01/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Attempting to resolve several payment issues with no cooperation from this company. I sent them a check for $317 for past due account. The check was sent and deposited. Then I was charged single amounts that were already paid through the $371 check.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/10/2023

  Attached are documents that will verify just what my complaint is about. I mailed a check for $371 that paid all charges from American water. They then charged me three times for what the check already paid for.     

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/20/2023

  I have enclosed a copy of the most current bill. As you can see, I've been charged for fees and services. Since this billing  mistake was on  Waters side, I do not feel these charges should be my responsibility.  The fees and services charged is 
  
  $106.19
  
  Thank you for you time on this matter
  
  Statement
  
  Account No. *****************
  
  Total Amount Due
  
  $-168.59
  
  December 1, 2023
  
  Payment Due By:
  
  A credit balance exists on the account. No payment is required at this time.
  
  November 09, 2023
  
  Billing Date:
  
  Oct 04 to Nov 03 (31 Days)
  
  Service Period:
  
  2,000
  
  Total Gallons:
  
  Account Summary - See page 3 for Account Detail
  
  Prior Billing:
  
  Payments - Thank You!
  
  Balance Forward:
  
  Fees and Adjustments:
  
  Service Related Charges:
  
  rotection Programs:
  
  tal Amount Due:
  
  +
  
  +
  
  $85.29
  
  $456.86
  
  -$371.57
  
  $106.19
  
  $71.80
  
  $24.99
  
  -$168.59
  
  Sent from ***** Mail for ******

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2023

   Pennsylvania American Water received a complaint from the customer. The customer advised they were attempting to resolve several payment issues. The customer stated that they sent the company a check for $317.00 for a past due balance on their account and that the check was deposited by the company. The customer states they were then charge single amount that were already paid with the $371.00 check meaning they were double billed. The customer is seeking reimbursement for the issue. 

  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) has reviewed the account and found the following:
  
  On August 19, 2023, the customer contacted the company  to place their banking information on their account to set up monthly electronic payments. The customer advised during this call that they had contacted the company on 7/13/23 and provided the same information but it was not on the account. The agent gave the customer a courtesy adjustment of $2.62 to remove the late fee on the bill for the month previous and added the customers banking information. 
  
  On September 25, 2023, the customer contacted the company regarding a balance inquiry. At this time, the customer was advised advised their current balance was $96.79 and was due on 9/28/23 and confirmed their account was set up on electronic payments. The customer advised that they had mailed a check for $371.57 but the agent advised it had not been received as of that time. The customer stated they would research and callback as needed. They advised they were satisfied at this time. 
  
  On September 29, 2023, the custoemr contacted the company regarding a check they had mailed in. The company advised that at this time, it has not been received. The agent gave the customer the company fax number and email address to send proof of payment. On this same date, the customer again contacted the company and updated their billing information. They advised they were satisfied at this time. 
  
  On October 18, 2023, the customer contaced the the company regarding a check payment they had mailed in for $371.57. At this time, the check had not been received. The agent went over the billing with the customer due to the customers concerns they were overbilled. The agent reveiwed the account bill history and the payments applied and advised no double billing had taken place. The agent created a case to the collections team for further review due to the customers concerns. 
  
  On November 1, 2023, a payment received by the company was returned due to the check including an invalid account number. Due to this, the check was returned, and a letter was sent to the customer on November 2, 2023, advising of this and asking for new payment.
  
  On November 7, 2023, the collections team reviewed information submitted by the customer during the call October 18, 2023, and located the check the customer sent and was able to apply it to the account. Previous to this, no information was submitted by the customer with this information. The check sent by the customer, which they have attached, did not include the customers name nor account number, so the company did not know which account it went to and why it was requested originally for the customer to mail in proof. Once the payment was applied to the account, it created a credit balance of -$266.28.
  
  Per final review done by Pennsylvania American Water, the customer was not double billed. The customer was charged their monthly invoices and beginning August 19, 2023, the customers bills were automatically paid via their bank account after signing up for electronic payments. Once the customers check for $371.57 was located, it created a credit balance on the account. Every month since, the customers current invoice has deducted from this credit balance leaving a current credit balance of -$63.17. An account statement has been included to show the monthly billing and payment deductions. No refund is warranted to the customer. 
  

  Thank you,

  ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2023

  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.

  During the summer we had a small leak that was discovered after sometime which cause a huge (almost 800) spike in our water bill. We got no indication from amwater that our usaged skyrocketed. Our usually 60 dollar bill was now almost 800. I have been paying away at this huge lump sum and trying to catch up from it. I have a medical disability and my husband is a disabled vet, we were given no heads up they were going to shut our water off and refused to help even after I paid in full. No contact was ever attempted before shutting off the water and costumer service didn't care and didn't want to help. They even lied to me. My husband and I were both on the phone with separate people and each individual was giving us a different story, the lady "*****" that I spoke with refused to escalate me to a supervisor yet the man my husband was on the phone with was able to reach a supervisor. These people have 0 empathy 0 compassion.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water received a complaint from the customer. The customer stated they had a small leak that caused a large spike in their water bill. The customer states they received no indication from the company that their usage increased. The customer states they have a medical disability,and their spouse is a disabled veteran and were given no notice of the pending service termination and were refused assistance even after the balance was paid in full.The customer disputes that they were not contacted prior to the termination.

  On 9/6/23, PAWC sent the customer a letter regarding higher-than-normal usage. In this letter, the company advised of the higher usage and offered a leak detection kit should the customer need one and contact information for the customer to contact us. This letter has been attached.

  On 9/7/23, a bill for $745.08 was sent to the customer. This bill was for $603.83 which represented 36,400 gallons of usage for the time frame of August 1, 2023, through August 31, 2023. An additional amount of $139.16 plus a $2.09 late fee was included due to no payment being received for the previous months billing.
  
  On 10/7/23, the customer was sent a 10-day shut off notice. This notice advised that a payment of $495.08 was needed prior to 10/17/23 or services may be disconnected. The customer was given medical and financial assistance options in this letter. This notice has been attached.
  
  On 10/11/23, two collections calls were made to the customer regarding their pending termination. The customer did not answer but a voice message was left. On 10/12/23, a two additional collections call were made regarding the pending termination and another voice message was left.
  
  On 10/16/23, a payment of $150.99 was received. Per the shut off notice, this was less than was needed to prevent the pending termination.
  
  On 10/25/23, services were disconnected at the customers premise due to non-payment.
  
  After the shut off, the customer contacted the company regarding reconnection. The customer was offered an installment plan of current balance + $10 a month. For turn on, the customer was advised that a payment of $10.00 plus the $30.00 turn on fee would be needed. The customer advised they would call back. On the same day, the customer called back and advised that they had a medical condition and needed service reconnected as soon as possible. The representative advised of the medical certificate form that would need to be filled out by the customer doctor for the company to restore service due to a medical condition. The customer advised that the company did not make contact before turn off as well. During this call, the customer advised that their husband had taken care of the situation and did not require a supervisor call back and disconnected the call. During the initial call, a second call was taking place for the same address. A supervisor call back request was made to see if an expedited turn on could be done for the address due to the medical condition. A call back request was made and advised that it could take 24-48 hours to be returned and is still open. The customer was also advised that the soonest turn on would be 10/26/23.
  
  On the same day,10/25/23, an expedited order was performed by the customer and the service was restored after payment was received.
  
  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the customers dispute and found that appropriate notice was given to the customer regarding the higher-than-normal billing and the pending disconnection. A high usage letter was sent to the customer to advise of abnormal usage at the premise and a shut off notice and 4 collections were made prior to the service disconnection. The company followed the turn off process set forth by the PA Code § 56.91 General notice provisions and contents of termination notice which states:
  Prior to terminating service for grounds authorized by §  56.81 (relating to authorized termination of service), a public utility shall provide written notice of the termination to the customer at least 10 days prior to the date of the proposed termination. The termination notice shall remain effective for 60 days. In the event of a user without contract as defined in §  56.2 (relating to definitions), the public utility shall comply with § §  56.93—56.97, but need not provide notice 10 days prior to termination.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2023

  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.

  On January 30th of this year, I sold a property located at ******************************** in Norristown pa. a few days before settlement I called Pennsylvania American water to have the water taken out of my name as of the 31st of January. Pennsylvania American water then sent me a final bill charging me from 10 Jan 2023 through 08 Feb 2023. I called the company and informed them that I did not own the property for 8 of the days included on this bill. They, in turn, informed me that Pennsylvania American water has a 7 day in advance policy to notify them of a name change on an account. I proceeded to inform them that I have an I don't pay other peoples bills policy. I also told them I wanted to wait to have the name changed on the account because I was not sure if settlement on the property was going to happen on the 30th of January because the whole deal on the house was rather shaky and there was a tenant living in the property. I did not want the water turned off on the tenant if the settlement did not go through. He was a great tenant who always paid his rent and he deserved better than that. This is the reason I wanted till a few days before the settlement to notify them. I have reached out to Pennsylvania American water many many times trying to rectify this bill. Many of these times I was told I would get a call back and never did. I was waiting for a call back one of the last times I called and found out they had sent the bill to a collection agency. I guess this is why I didnt get a call back. Someone from the collection agency or Pennsylvania American water somehow got my mother phone number. Last time I called the company, I informed them that her phone number was not my phone number. They have my number on file. They have now started calling and leaving messages on her phone. My mom has nothing to do with this bill or the property and never did. At this point it is harassment to her. I have tried to work this issue out with the company numerous times. Coming to the better business beau is a last attempt before legal action is taken against Pennsylvania American water. If they can produce documentation, were I signed stating I would pay someone elses bill, I will pay the whole bill. I am and have been willing to pay my portion of the bill which would cover 21 days of use. The rest of the bill would belong to the new owner. I cant believe this company conducts business like this. After looking at all the complains on the BBB website, this must be standard operating procedure for them. I guess this is what you get when a private business provides a utility where there is no other options for service. Do what we say or else situation.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water Company ( PAWC ) received a dispute from the customer. The customer states that they sold their property at ***************************************, Norristown PA. The customer stated they contacted PAWC a few days before the settlement to have the water taken out of their name on January 31st. The customer states they then were sent a final bill for the time period of January 10, 2023, through February 8, 2023. The customer states they called the company to advise that they did not own the property for 8 days of the included bill and they in turn informed them that PAWC has to be notified 7 days in advance of any account closure. The customer states at this time they advised the company that they do not pay for bills of others and also did not call in sooner as they did not know the final date of settlement. The customer states they have reached out to PAWC multiple times in an attempt to rectify the bill, but they have not gotten a call back. The customer further states that the bill has been sent to collections and the number they are using is the customers mothers number. The customer is seeking an adjustment on their billing.
  Pennsylvania American Water Company has reviewed the customers complaint and found the following:
  The customer established ********************** service at **************************************************************************************** on 7/16/18.
  On 1/30/23, the customer called into PAWC to request disconnection of service. A move out order was created on this day and the final read and order were obtained on 2/6/23.
  On 3/1/23, the customer called into PAWC in regards to the final bill they received and wanted to initiate a dispute for the 7 days of the bill they do not feel theyre responsible for. A billing case was created. On 3/15/23, the customer called in for a second time regarding their initial request and was advised that the dispute was still under investigation. For more information, companys are given a 30-day review timeframe by the ************************** On 3/29/23, the companys billing department completed their investigation and denied the adjustment request.A letter was sent to the customer with this decision and will be attached to this complaint. On 3/31/23, a second letter was sent to the customer regarding the denial. This will also be attached.
  On 4/28/23, the customer contacted PAWC regarding the second letter sent to them. The customer stated they were continuing to dispute the charges for the 7 days as they had sold the property. The customer service agent advised that per account records, they did not call 7 days prior to advise PAWC of the move as is stated in the ************************* regulation and the letters state reason for the companys denial adjustment. The customer advised the agent that they would pay their portion of the bill but refused to pay for the remainder. The customer stated that the bill would not be paid, and it can go to collections.
  On 9/22/23, the customer contacted PAWC regarding their continued dispute. The customer further stated that they were refusing to pay for the 7 days they did not feel they were responsible for. The customer service agent advised the customer of the company’s move out policy. The customer did not agree with this response and a supervisor call back request was made. On 9/25/23, a supervisor attempted to reach out to the customer and was unable to get in contact. A voice message was left with return contact information. At this time, no return call has been made.
  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the customer dispute and found that per the Public Utility Commission, customers are to contact the company within 7-days of moving. Per PA Code 56.16:
   56.16. Transfer of accounts.
   (a)  A customer who is about to vacate premises supplied with public utility service or who wishes to have service discontinued shall give at least 7 days notice to the public utility and a noncustomer occupant, specifying the date on which it is desired that service be discontinued. In the absence of a notice, the customer shall be responsible for services rendered. After a reasonable attempt to obtain meter access, if the public utility is not able to access the meter for discontinuance, service shall be discontinued with an estimated meter reading upon which the final bill will be based. The resulting final bill is subject to adjustment once the public utility has obtained an actual meter reading.
  
  The customers final bill was for the tome period of January 10, 2023, through February 6, 2023 (28 days).The customer was charged for 3,400 gallons of usage which resulted in a bill of $64.83 plus a late fee of $1.06 as the previous bill of $70.87 had not been paid prior to the final bill being sent. The customer made a payment of $70.87 on 3/20/23 leaving the current balance of $65.89.

  As a one-time courtesy, the company the company can grant the customer a credit of $16.17 credit. This has been calculated from the per day average during this time which is $2.31, times 7 days. This will bring the bill down to $49.72. If this is satisfactory to the customer after reviewing this response. Please let us know in the BBB portal and it will be applied.
  
  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2023

  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.

  A main water line broke in Midway, PA on 9/9/2023. The water was flowing across the street into the basement of my property. Many items are now destroyed, and water went into the furnaces and the hot water tank. Neighbors had restoration company come out and put in fans and clean-up. No one has come to my property to help mitigate the water. Since I never heard from anyone, I called PA American Water on 9/13/2023 to start a claim. Since it is a duplex, I have two claim numbers:1067561582 - ********************* ********** - ********************* They told me an adjuster would contact me in 3 days. No one contacted me so I called PA American Water again on 9/18/2023. They said they couldn't help me, and adjuster should be calling me by the end of day. I still haven't received a call, so I posted to their ******** on 9/21/2023 with no response. I called again on 9/22/2023 (third time). She said she would let the local office know. It has now been 2 weeks since the water has been in my basement and no one from ** American Water has tried to help me. Mold could start to grow at this point for damage caused by their water lines. This is very disappointing. I would very much appreciate the restoration company to come and clean-up and the adjuster to call me ASAP. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Pennsylvania Water has reviewed the customers loss control claim.

  Per company records given from the department that reviews these cases, the insurance provider has been in contact with the customer as of 9/28/23 and is investigating the claim. Since this is completed by the company's insurance provide, *********** Insurance, ********* will need to investigate and determine the claim results. The customer can follow-up with their assigned ********* insurance agent. Please let us know if we may provide any further assistance.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  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.

  Our water service as shut off coming back from vacation. We got zero notice even though this company claimed they sent letters - none of which was certified. No notice. We have young children and an elderly parent living with us and they refuse to tell us when we can turn our water back on. Account was paid in full. Worst company to deal with.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/14/2023

  Better Business - the customer did not give account information such as an account number or address. Please advise the customer to provide this information as without it we cannot access an account. 

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/10/2023

  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.

  Over the past few years Pennsylvania American Water Company has continued to increase our rates, I have an example of of bills a year apart using less water and costing me more money. It seems they can continue to raise our rates with no explanation. In my area it seem we pay the most in our county. I would appreciate someone helping us as everything is rising in cost an explanation of when this will stop. This has to be a monopoly is there anything we can do to stop this and have the company answer to the community.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) has reviewed the customers complaint and found the following. Per review of the customer's account, the company found that effective January 28, 2023, new rates approved by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) were made effective. The customers rates for Wastewater went from $1.9494 per unit and an $11.00 monthly wastewater service charge to $2.875 per unit and a $14.30 wastewater service charge. For Water, the customers rates went from $1.31 per unit and a water service charge of $17.50 to $1.6108 per unit and a service fee of $17.50. All rates are monitored and approved by the PUC previous to being placed into effect. Additionally, the rate change was advised on the customer's bill the time period of January 4, 2023, to February 2, 2023, on the first page under the important account messages section. A copy of this invoice has been included. 
  
  PAWC offers assistance options such as grants and discounts on monthly billing based on customers income range. If you may like more information regarding these grants and discounts, please contact the dollar energy program at ###-###-#### to discuss directly. Per further review of the customers account, the customer has not contacted the company regarding their billing complaint. If you may need any assistance, please contact customer service at ###-###-#### so we may assist you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2023

  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.

  Living in York City, PA this company makes it difficult to impossible to end sewer service. You need to prove to them that the water is turned off by **** Water. 8/8 they billed me $14. When I finally was able to call and recieve an email address on 8/10, they increased my charge to $18. They changed the billing dates on my bills. When I complained to PA Public Utilities, the cost became $23 as they state they missed a few days in the last billing. I should owe nothing as the water was turned off in June 22 and no one was living there. They are not 3 months behind in billing. They refuse to tell me why the price rose $4 upon disconnection.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/07/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water received a complaint from the customer. The customer states that it is impossible to end sewer service as you need to provide proof that the water was turned off by their water authority. The customer claims they were charged bills after their water services were turned off, and that the company cannot provide a reason. The customer also claims they have contacted the PUC  regarding this matter.

  On August 11, 2023, Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) received a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Complaint under BCS # ******* filed by ****************************; referencing the same issues detailed in BBB complaint received. The customers complaint is within the jurisdiction of the *** and PAWC will address *********************** concerns in the response submitted to the PA PUC.
  

  Thank you,

  ******

  Pennsylvania American Water

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/08/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  the PUC is doing nothing to address this matter and the company just continues to add fees to each complaint.  American Water is ignoring me and will not tell me what the $14 charge was for or admit that they are over billing.  I have also contacted the Commonwealth representative and the York City Council Members because this issue affects more than me.  **** Water does the water, American Water does the sewer.  The house owners have to pay the sewer in PA, but the tenant can pay the water.  American Water is taking advantage of this and over billing homeowners.  Please help hold them accountable.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  This customer is billed for wastewater only.  Pennsylvania American Water receives all billing information from **** Water Company.  The company has only billed the
   customer for waste water based off of water usage reported through the customers water company through 6/23/2023.  The company’s position is that the customer has been properly billed for usage through 6/23/2023.  The bills are correct as rendered. The customer
   made final account payment on 9/15/23 and the final account balance is $0.00. The account is closed. All information has been submitted to the Public Utility Commission for final review per the customers PUC complaint  #*******.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  This company is charging me for waste water, changing the amounts, changing the dates on the bills, and making it difficult to change or remove service.  I should be reimbursed for the amount paid on 9/15/2023, I paid it because I did not want a lien on my property by this company.  The company still has not told me what the original bill on 8/8/2023 for $14 was and why it was increased to $18 on 8/10/2023 on an empty house.  This company is using the confusion of one company, York Water, billing for water and their company billing for sewer to their advantage.  The company is changing it's billing charges and dates over billing the home owners in York City, PA.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/18/2023

  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.

  Harrassment. I own a vacation home. I’ve been receiving letter after letter threatening to turn my water off. They claim my meter must be broken or tampered with. I have offered them hotel bills, plane tickets and restaurant receipts showing that I was out of the country. I have my water bills in Philadelphia showing water usage in my primary home. I told them I’d be at the vacation home for a week in June. I was, and my water bill showed a week’s worth of usage. I was out of the country for the month of July. In August, they sent someone to my home to check the meter. He said that he could see the meter was working fine, he could pull up my usage for June and August. He also said that he worked in my area, and that he knew my house was almost always empty. A neighbor came over, and assured him that I was rarely there. I still just got yet another threatening letter. I’ve spent hours snd hours on the phone. I’ve been put my house up for sale, since I can’t use it for vacations if they turn off my water. I want the constant threats to end.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water reviewed the customers dispute regarding non-access letters being sent to the customers property.

  A PAWC representative called and spoke to the customer 8/18/23 and was able to resolve the customers letter issue. The customer has called in previous to the employees call, 8/15/23 and updated their premise to show this was a vacation home. The company representative reached out to the appropriate department to ensure no further letters are sent. The customer advised they were satisfied with this action and this also satisfied their BBB complaint.

  Thank you,

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

  Pennsylvania American Water

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2023

  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 an account with PA American Water for my home (that I just sold on 8/14/2023). For the 1.5 years that I owned the home, they only provided water estimates and never made an attempt until June 2023 to make an actual reading of my meter when I got a bill for $858.34 for back billing of under estimate of water usage. From my own research I found that in 52 Pa. Code § 56.262 - Meter reading; estimated billing; customer readings, that they should "render bills based on actual meter readings by public utility company personnel." But in section 2 it says that, for Estimates for bills rendered on a monthly basis, they should have provided me (the customer) with the opportunity to read the meter and report the quantity of usage in lieu of the estimated bill - which they never did... or in section 7, it states that (7) If a water utility has estimated bills and if the customer or occupant during that period has consumed an amount of water in excess of normal seasonal usage because of a verified leak that could not reasonably have been detected or other unknown loss of water, the customer is not liable for more than 150% of the average amount of water consumed for the corresponding period during the previous year. So I do not believe that I should have pay this bill because of their lack of doing their job for their company...

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water ( PAWC ) received a complaint from the customer. The customer states that they were a customer with the company for 1.5 years and sold the home on 08/14/23. The customer states that during the 1.5 years of service, the company only provided estimated water readings and never made and attempt until June 2023 to get an actual reading. Once this reading was obtained, a back bill of $858.34 was sent to the customer for underestimated billing. The customer does not believe they should have to pay the bill because they feel the company did not do their due diligence.
  
  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the customers dispute and found the following:
  
  Customer **** ***** established water service at ** ******** *** , Camp Hill , PA as of 2/16/22.
  
  On 6/13/22, the company sent the customer a letter regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 8/18/22, the company sent a second letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 9/1/22, the company sent the customer a third letter regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter. The company requested the customer to follow-up within 5 business days or advised services may be terminated due to non-access of the meter.
  
  On 6/8/23, the company sent a fourth letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 6/19/23, the company sent a fifth letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter. The company requested the customer to follow-up within 5 business days or advised services may be terminated due to non-access of the meter. The letter advised this would be the final notice. 
  
  On 7/4/23, a company field representative went to the home to post a shut off notice due to the non-access of the meter. At this time, the company was able to get in contact with the customer and make needed repairs. Repairs were complete and a reading was able to be taken and sent to the billing department for review of the billing to this point on the account. 
  
  On 7/20/23, a make-up bill was sent to the customer totaling $858.34 due to the customer being under billed due to the estimated readings. 
  
  On 8/1/23, the customer called into the company and requested a check for leak inspection at the property. On 8/11/23, the service order at the property was complete and no continuous leak was found. A small amount of movement was found on the meter at the time of the visit. The field service representative checked the bathrooms of the home and found one toilet that was over filling when flushed. 
  
  On 8/16/23, the customer filed the BBB complaint due to the back billing.
  
  On 8/17/23, a company representative contacted the customer directly regarding the complaint. After hearing the customer dispute regarding the back bill as well as the toilet leak in which the customer did not know it was ongoing since the usage was estimated. It was confirmed that the customers leak was addressed by the field service representative at the time of the visit on 8/11/23. The company representative advised the customer that they would apply an adjustment for a high bill after estimates due to the leak. This adjustment amount would be approximately $700.00 and the customer was satisfied with this. The representative advised once the billing department got the exact adjustment amount, they would follow-up by sending a utility company report letter and also advised that any balance after the adjustment could be transferred to the customer new open account and a monthly installment plan could be set. The customer stated they were satisfied with this resolution. 

  Thank you,

  Lauren C

  Pennsylvania American Water 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/22/2023

  That is fine - with the exception that all of the "communication" that was "sent" in 2022 was never actually sent - not by mail nor was it sent electronically... I am satisfied with the outcome, but they are just trying to cover their tracks...

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2023

  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.

  We have had numerous visits to our home due to water and sewer bills that are now more than double the past, even with decreased usage. American Water refuses to adjust bills or investigate the problem, even after hiring private plumbers and sewage companies to show a different and less usage amount.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) has received a dispute from the customer. The customer states they have had numerous visits to their home due to water and sewer bills that are more than double the past bills, even though their usage has decreased. The customer states PAWC refuses to adjust bills or investigate the problem even after they have hired private plumbers and sewage companies that show a different and less usage amount.

  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the dispute and found the following:

  Customer ******************** established ********************** and *************************** service at ********************************, Coatesville , PA on 07/08/22.

  Since the initial move in date, the customer has called in on a few occasions regarding the usage at the property. On 7/19/22, the customer called into the company to advise they had found a running hose at their premise. A company representative went over the usage with the customer and at that time they were satisfied. On 10/17/22, the customer went onto their online ************************ account and placed a request for a leak adjustment due to a running toilet at the property. The system declined this request due to the fact that the usage was not out of line and did not show it was affected by any increased usage. On 11/2/22, the customer called in to inquire about the approximate price to fill a pool and was given the information and was satisfied. 

  On 12/8/22, the customer called in to dispute the meter reading at that time. The customer informed the company representative that they had filled a pool on 10/25/22 and the usage was 6100 gallons. The customer's dispute was that the next bill for the following month was the same usage of 6100 gallons and the customer was not aware of any current leaks at the time. The customer requested a read be taken to confirm the usage. On 12/19/22, the customer called into the company after the requested service order was complete. The service order found that the usage was in line with what the customer was billed. The customer advised she was told that the meter was stuck. The representative advised that the case would be sent to billing for review. 

  On 1/11/23, the billing department completed their investigation and contacted the customer to inform them that they found that the meter readings were in line and that the usage had decreased by the following bill cycle after the disputed time frame of 11/9/22-12/6/22. The representative created a service order per request to update the meter at the property to a newer model to be able to show daily usage. A courtesy adjustment was given at this time for $25.00 due to the customers unexplained usage for the service period of 11/9/22-12/6/22. The customer advised they were satisfied at this time. On 1/13/23, the meter at the property was upgraded per the previous request. 

  On 7/24/23, the customer created a service order to inspect for leaks via their online mywater account. On 8/1/23, the service order was completed, and no leaks were found to present at the time of the site visit. On 8/9/23, a utility company report letter as well as account statement were sent to the customer to advise of the service order findings. on 8/10/23, the customer called in to request a data log of their usage. On 8/11/23, the customer submitted their dispute to the BBB.

  Per the information stated above, the company's final determination is stated below:

  Per review of the customer's account, the company found that effective January 28, 2023, new rates approved by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) were made effective. The customers rates for Wastewater went from $1.949 per unit to $2.875 per unit and for Water went from $1.31 per unit to $1.6108 per unit. All rates are monitored and approved by the PUC previous to being placed into effect. This may account for some of the customers heightened bills after the effective date.
  Pennsylvania American Water The Pennsylvania American Water tariff 4.9 states customers are responsible for installation, repair, replacement and maintenance of all lines in their home. See below:
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe 
  
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe The Customer shall have full responsibility for the installation, repair, replacement, and maintenance of all Service Pipes, including full responsibility for metered water usage attributable to a leak in the Service Pipe; The failure of a Customer to properly install and maintain a Service Pipe, including replacement, shall constitute grounds for the Company to initiate action to terminate service to the Customer and seek recovery for any damage to the Company’s facilities caused by an improperly functioning Service Pipe. Where an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak is found in a Customer's Service Pipe, the Company shall credit the Customer with a one-time bill adjustment equal to forty percent (40%) of that portion of one month's consumption that exceeds the average monthly usage, based on the prior twelve month period, upon proper verification that the leak has been repaired. The Company shall require documentation to establish, to the Company's satisfaction, the existence of such repaired leak at the Customer’s premises. Such bill adjustment will be provided only to the extent the Customer has not received a bill adjustment for an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak at the same premises in the past five (5) years 
  Also, according to the Pennsylvania American Water tariff, the Company is not liable for loss or damage to the Customer’s own internal plumbing or fixtures:
  15.1 Liability for Damages
  The Company shall not be liable in any action where the loss or damage involves an act of God or does not involve a duty of the Company, including breaks or leaks on facilities that are not owned by the Company, such as breaks, leaks, defects or condition in the Customer’s own service line, meter vault, pressure reducing valve, back flow prevention device, check valve, pressure relief valve, or any other control valve, internal plumbing or fixture, or due to the materials out of which those facilities are made. 
  Per a further investigation of the customers usage, it was found that the usage spiked on two occasions this year. The usage spiked 6/16/23 and was found to have all day consecutive usage and then again on 7/5/23 to 7/6/23 where again it was shown to have consecutive usage. This report has been attached to show the daily usage from 1/13/23 when the new meter was placed until current. Please see column J titled flow as this column shows the per day usage in gallons.
  According to the investigation completed on August 22, 2023, no adjustment is warranted as all bills are based on actual usage reported from the customer's meter. Thank you,

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

  Pennsylvania American Water

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  Please see the attached usage document. The original attempt to upload it stated the document was too large to upload.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  Please see attached