Complaints

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

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  NorthWestern Energy

  3010 W 69th St Sioux Falls, SD 57108-5613

• 

  NorthWestern Energy

  400 Oxford St Butte, MT 59701-3070

• 

  NorthWestern Energy

  11 E Park Street Butte, MT 59701

• 

  NorthWestern Energy

  1313 N Last Chance Gulch Helena, MT 59601-2909

• 

  NorthWestern Energy

  121 E Griffin Dr Bozeman, MT 59715-2223

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:03/20/2025

  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.

  After complaining about there website 2 weeks ago I was charged 4x for the same bill this week. I called and they "said" they would refund the money but haven't and now I have bills and fees pilings up.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/26/2025

  Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. We understand that this situation can be frustrating, and we appreciate your feedback. We would like to clarify that all payments were initiated by the customer using our self-service options, and confirmation emails were sent for each transaction to maintain transparency. Our company did not automatically withdraw payments from the customer's account. Regarding our refund policy, the processing period is necessary to allow adequate processing time to ensure all transactions are handled accurately. 
  

  We appreciate your understanding and are here to assist you with any further questions you may have.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/26/2025

   
  Complaint: 23091918
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2025

  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.

  This company keeps raising rates that make paying the bill difficult already. Now my power is off and winter hasnt left yet. It super bad weather and is supposed to snow. The law in this state does not allow them to turn off before winter is over. They violate our laws, charge too much and I would honestly say they have probably killed residents doing this before.I have had to take a loan out just to pay them off. yet when the company gets their money they wont come out immediately to restore service. They advised me the next day. This is a horrible company and they should be footing the bill on their own investment instead pushing all those rates to us and our bill could be affordable. Instead theyre okay stealing from the state of *******, and they even monopolized our state so I have no one else to use. I have called many utilities company and Northwestern will not allow them to provide energy. This company bleeds us out and makes record profits for investors. Why take they money if you will not restore service right away?

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  We sincerely apologize for the experience youve had. If you would like to discuss this matter further or if there's anything else we can assist you with, please contact us directly at ************. We value your feedback and continuously review our practices to align with our commitment to our customers and community.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/21/2025

  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.

  I think it was sept.2024 Northwestern energy hired a contractor to replace our electric meter.When the contractor came and replaced the meter he came into the yard walked up and pulled the meter out and put the new one in. I was currently printing out some photos and when he left my printer had quit working and all it would print was a bunch of random letters. No matter what I did the printer hasn't worked since. The printer was a epson wf ****************** $494. It also ruined my programable coffee pot which cost $79.99. When I call both northwestern energy and the contractor Tru Check all I get is a run around. Just want my stuff replaced.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2025

  Thank you for reaching out! Please call our **************** number at ************, and one of our agents will be happy to connect you with a claims specialist who can assist you further.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/12/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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 have been a customer of ********************** for over 15 years or longer and until recently I have never had a problem getting into my account, recently I was unable to log into my account and I called customer service at ********************** and told them that I was not able to log into my account, I was asked if I was typing in the address into the search barOr if I was going to my favorites, and I explained to the ladies that I am a disabled veteran and I am unable to type into the search bar this is why I have special programs on my computer, she told me that they recently did a security update on their webpage to where you cannot use my favorites and your bookmarks or any sign in software such as ****** and others, I tried to explain to her again that this is why I have them in my favorites on my bookmarks, and she started to tell me that I needed to get rid of Firefox and download ****** Chrome, and that I could not use any of my security hardware or any my assistance software to log into my account, well to make a long story short I have a Masters degree in criminal justice as well as I have dealt with this many years being a disabled veteran, it is against federal law to put any hardware on your website that restricts disabled people from being able to log into their account, this is federal law regulated by the **** (Americans disability act) , and again I try to explain this to the lady but she was very rude, arrogant and hateful and told me that that was not her problem! I will be filing a complaint with the Americans disability act against Northwestern energy and filing a complaint with federal law and even a possible lawsuit, if they have such security on their website as to no one that is disabled is allowed to get on without being able to do certain things that sighted people can do then they need to change their hardware immediately!

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us. We deeply value your feedback and appreciate your service. I sincerely apologize for the frustration you experienced during your recent interaction with our customer service team.
  

  Recently, we made changes to our websites login process to enhance security and improve user experience. We sent out a notification advising customers of the *** change for accessing the My Energy Account, which took effect on Saturday, October 26. For customers who had previously saved the old ***, we provided a link to redirect them to the new login page. You can also access the new login page by visiting our website and clicking on "Login to Your Account."
  

  We understand that these updates may present challenges. We are actively working on transitioning our notification options to a more robust platform within the My Energy Account portal, which will ultimately allow for better customization and control over how we communicate important updates in the future.
  

  Your experience is important to us, and we're committed to ongoing improvements. If you would like to discuss your experiences further or require assistance with your account, please let me know, and I will be happy to contact you directly.
  

  Thank you once again for your feedback and understanding as we strive to enhance our service for all customers.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2024

  
  do not accept the response from this business because they had not updated their security policies, people with disabilities and that are unable to type cannot access their account! This is a violation of federal law
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Im not liable for this debt with Northwestern energy. I do not have a contract with Northwestern energy

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2024

  Thank you for contacting NorthWestern Energy.

  We attempted to reach you at the number provided; however, we were unable to leave a message. To ensure your request is processed in a timely manner and to protect the security of your account information, please call us Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time): ******* and *******: ************ / ************ and ********: ************. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/05/2024

  Type:Customer Service 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 have been renting a 600sqft house for over a year and have never received a power bill for more than $60 dollars. The house does not have A/C and only has a couple of lights and a new fridge to draw electricity. I lived in the house for 16 days of my final month of service and my bill came to $430. I am not on balance billing. I went from never consuming more than 100kwh in a month to over *****kwh in the 16 days. Despite numerous calls and little help they said the bill was consistent with my usage without any check to see if their meter had malfunctioned. It is practically impossible for a half vacant 600sqft house to consume ***** kwh in a 16 day time frame.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/06/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We would be happy to review your account in detail. Unfortunately, we are unable to locate your account with the information provided. Could you please provide us with your address or account number? Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Northwestern Energy tore up my yard and never paid me to fix it because I wont sign their release. I did nothing wrong so I shouldnt have to sign their internally created form. They need to pay me regardless.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/19/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us with your concerns. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Regarding the payment, a signature is standard with our claims process.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2024

  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.

  This Spring, Northwestern Energy had numerous trucks for several days in my neighborhood and directly next to the alley of my mother's home. My neighbors witnessed one of their trucks backing into the fence that is on her yard and borders the alley. The truck caused severe damage. I immediately contacted the corporate office and *********************************, VP of ***************** I received no follow up. So a week later I called again, then I got an unprofessional, unethical, and rude reply from one of her direct report underlings denying that the trucks were in proximity to our fence and that they did any damage. This despite my neighbors witnessing the incident. No wonder the company has a D+ rating...what it really deserves is an F-. A despicable act, followed by corporate lying and dismissal of a legitimate claim. I had to pay to have the fence fixed. Hoping Karma is at play with ************************ and one day she gets the same treatment.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/19/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. Our investigation revealed that we did not respond to any service calls or have any projects that we were working on in the area during the reported time frame. If you have any additional information that we have not taken into account, please share it with us, and we will review it thoroughly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

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

  Answered:

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

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  05/01/2024 I came to work at 7 Am as normal, and i noticed i had no power or electricity, it put my laundry duties in jeopardy, it put my staff and my guests at our motel in jeopardy. I had no warning. None. It was humiliating to be treated in such a poor way after how much money in pAst 4 years of working here. the NORTHWESTERN ENERGY IN ********* mt came here turned the power boxes off, and put the locks on them. I never recieved the bill in the mail stating this, and as a matter of fact the last bill i recieved stated that we had until mayh 10 th 2024 to pay. This is a business in which i couldve been treated better than this and no door tag no warning no bill provided just a shut off immediately. No that isnt ok and there is not one room that that was occupied in this motel for a whole **** month and your telling me that my bill should be that high with everyhting shut off? *** had enough and this lewistown mt is a scam and *** tired of how our business is treated here . One day i can see lewistown getting sued for the behaviors they have. we have a right to be upset and complain! Need i mention i took a photo of the mans license plate from north western and i plasn to turn that in to law enforcement as he tried to run me over in my parking lot! and he yelled at me in a upmost unproffesssional manner!!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2024

  We're sorry to hear that you may have experienced unprofessional behavior. We're taking the alleged incident involving a Northwestern Energy representative very seriously and will investigate further. We've reviewed your account to ensure that our procedures were followed correctly, and we've sent the required notices to the address on file. So far, we haven't received any response from the ***** Please know that we take all complaints seriously and will work hard to resolve this matter. If you'd like to discuss this further, please contact the ************* Advocate at **********************.

  Thank you bringing this to our attention. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/17/2024

  I havent had this issue resolved and I am still very unhappy about all of this. Hopefully you can help me in this because my bill is outrageous and more than a mortgage payment is. That is not ok!!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2024

  I want to start by apologizing again for the issues you've experienced with your bill and for the frustration it has caused. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me over the phone. I'm pleased to report that after reviewing your usage information together, we were able to identify a decrease in your usage over the past 12 months. This is a positive step! Your account will be added to Budget Billing as soon as your new billing is generated. After that, we'll get in touch with you to go over your charges in greater detail and address any additional questions you might have.

  In the meantime, please know that we're committed to finding a solution that works for you. Thank you for your patience and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  Price gouging and a monopoly business for *******.Northwest energy has hiked its prices up 28% this year. Im not sure or understand why we do not have another energy company in this ************** is the smallest poplatikn in the country and they have co-ops, they have two different electrical companies. Northwest energy being one and the other being Dakota utilites. The rates for my electric fluctuate $350 for the month of January and February. My regular bill for October November were $180. We had a cold snap in October and my bill was still around $180. we go into January and February and they price gouges to the point where you can barely pay the bill. As a person thats living with brain cancer they will not even work with me. I called the hotline to get assistance for energy sharing they said they are not taking further applications because theyre three months behind. So what exactly does Northwest energy expect us to do when we need assistance with the bill. They offer no assistance they offer no solution, and they can simply price ***** every single bit of money that they can possibly get , once again, Im not sure why ******* only has one electrical company. Theyre allowed to raise and lower rates as they feel and they have no justification for any of it.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Thank you for reaching out. We are prepared to help with any concerns you may have.

  Upon speaking with the EnergyShare Department directly, we were able to confirm that the LIHEAP program and EnergyShare are currently accepting applications. They also expressed apologies for your negative experience. Please see the application attached. We also encourage you to get in touch with us at  as soon as possible so we can help provide you with the details you need to help elevate your application.

  NorthWestern Energy also offers other various programs to help you save energy and money. We have energy efficiency tips, Home EnergyChecks, energy-saving rebates and more. For more information visit NorthWesternEnergy.com/waystosave or give us a call at **************. 
  
  Colder winter weather can lead to increased electric and/or gas usage to keep your home warm, which has an impact on monthly bills. NorthWestern Energy is a regulated energy service company; thus, our price increases must be approved by the ******* ************************** We understand rising prices are a hardship. We know that our customers are facing other cost increases too. We invest heavily in our electric grid and natural gas system. Without that investment, we would not be able to consistently deliver reliable energy. We are committed to providing safe, reliable service to meet our customers needs.