ComplaintsforUpshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Power outages constantly. Puts strain on young children and the elderly in our area. I mean upshur rurals area. There is no other options for anyone here. They don't maintain lines or ****** of ways and we are constantly having outages

  

  Business response

  06/18/2024

  We recognize there has been a number of outages in the area, especially this past Spring. Upshur Rural Electric has reviewed your records and has found that a number of outages in the area have been caused by either recent storms or tree related. Upshur Rural Electric maintains its right of way on less than a seven-year rotation that also includes herbicide.  We will continue to review potential options to improve your line.  

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For the past 18 month I have been living like a homeless person in my own home. A home I own not a bank not a lender I own this property 100%. An electrical surge originating from Upshur Rule Electric Co ops transform located in my backyard that connects to my meter on my house. The transformer shook and sparked and a massive wave of electricity surged throughout my home at such force it fried every appliance in my home. RENDERING THEM USELESS Causing approx tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. I have emailed the *** *************************. ************************* did nothing he literally sent me a form email. ************************* couldn't be bothered. Being digital has its drawbacks the surge would have been recorded and recognized in wattage in data. I Have had to *************** and reddit I am very much filingva lawsuit if not a class action lawsuit thinking I'm not alone. Other unethical practices include running a persons social and using the lowest number in order to get a larger deposit. Upshur Rural Electric charges their customer a $25.00 reconnection fee and makes said customer reactivate their own service. Another unethical practice of Upshur Rural Electric is remote deactivating service on a Tuesday at noon. Knowing the majority of people get paid on Fridays. UPSHUR RURAL interrupts service directly before payday penalize customers. During my struggle to replace every appliance that was effected I have called, emailed, communicated all these issues with Upshur rural and no one from the Electric company has even serviced or looked at the transformer. I have cameras and photos

  

  Business response

  11/30/2023

  Claims for damages sometimes do take time for investigations and proper contacts out to insurers to get processed.  In many instances there are forms and contacts to homeowners insurance that must be formalized as well.
  Any inconvenience or delay to a potential claim is unfortunate and ***** will work to remedy any outstanding issues.  The first and best step is to respond to any inquiries from ***** staff, including Loss Control and ****** Services which are typically made by mail, or by phone and/or email if there is one on file.  Failure to respond will only add delay.
  ***** will again reach out by all available contacts provided, a couple have been attempted in the last 12 months, to allow any claims process to start.

• Initial Complaint

  09/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ok, I am a disabled veteran, and my fiance and I recently bought a new home. I am now paying a mortgage for a house I can't move into because the utility company says it will take 4 to 6 weeks to hook up our electricity. We have a transformer on the property, and the meter and service line are hooked up. All they need to do is run a line to the service so we can move in. No one wants to help us or do anything to speed this up. My fiance and I live in one bedroom with our dog and kitten, cramped and stressed out. All I want is for them to at least come and look at the transformer to see they don't have to do any infrastructure work. Everyone we call says they can't help us. This is unacceptable, wearing on my fiance and causing issues. I want to move into my home and not have to wait till November to move in. Please help me.

  

  Business response

  09/25/2023

  ***** staking team reached out to ********************************* to discuss what he needed for his electric service.  ****************** decided moving his meter pole closer to the transformer pole was going to be too far for him to run wire. Staking has ****************** on schedule to stake out a service pole as discussed.  

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called URECC on 1 September 2023 to try to find out why they did not apply payment after URECC cashed the $144.60 check my bank sent them. My bank shows the check was indeed cashed on 30 August 2023. Irma ******** at URECC swore they did not have the check and did not cash the check on 30 August 2023 when I spoke with her on the phone on 1 September 2023 on despite my bank showing the check had been cashed on 30 August 2023. I followed up with Irma by Email on 1 September 2023 to tell her that I paid the balance in full by credit card on 1 September 2023 (plus a $2.50) fee and that I had to issue a stop payment on the $144.60 check since Irma insisted that URECC did not have the check by the due date of 1 September 2023 and URECC did not cash it on 30 August 2023. URECC did if fact try to cash the check after I notified Irma of the stop payment and URECC is now trying to charge me $30 for a stop payment on the check AFTER I told them I had no choice to stop payment on the check because URECC said they did not have it and did not cash it. This is actually illegal for URECC to do after I told them I had to issue a stop payment on the check as they insisted they did not have the check and never cashed it when...in fact they had it AND cashed it. URECC needs to remove the $30 fee they are charging me for a "NSF" check. I had to stop payment on a check URECC said it never had or cashed and they were notified of that in an email. URECC in fact cashed the check they said they did not have.

  

  Business response

  09/25/2023

  The returned check fee of $30.00 was removed as a courtesy for our member.  When the member contacted our office on 9/1/2023 at 9:12am we did not have record of her payments at the time of her call.  Later that same day, at 11:42am, we received her payment and it was immediately posted.  At the time of her call on 9/1/23, we had not received her payment.  Member placed a stop payment on her payment, not knowing we would receive her payment about 3 hours after her phone call.  When a member pays thru their bill pay system at their bank, it is not unusual for some banks to print and mail a paper check which can take a long time to reach us.  This is not our recommended method of payment due to delays like this situation.  In the future, we recommend bank draft or our free Power Pay electronic check payment option which is free to all members, secure and much faster.

  Customer response

  09/26/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:
  URECC was told in an email that a stop payment was put on the check after the said they never got it. They should have taken action and not processed the check but decided to process it anyways.
  
  URECC takes an ENTIRE week to process the bills from date of closing. Checks would be there on time if URECC posted the bill 24 hours after the billing cycle closes like other utility companies. Customers are left with a very short two weeks to try to get payment to URECC which is UNREASONABLE.
  
  URECC also charges fees to pay by credit card which given the URECC rate increases...is MORE of a needless burden on paying customers.
  
  If URECC thinks I would trust them with my bank details to make a payment on line they are in for a reality check. They cannot even keep the power on how do I think they keep my bank details safe? When my bank details are stolen and my bank account is breeched, is URECC gonna fix all that? No.
  
  URECC issuing a "one time courtesy" of a $30 credit for charging me in the first place for a check they were told in an email had to be stopped because URECC said they did not have it is a joke.
  
  Your employee Irma ******** never even read the read mail where I advised my bank stopped payment on the check. If she did, she would have pulled the check that day and reversed the payment to prevent the $30 "fee" . The LEAST she should have done was put a note on the account. 
  
  URECC continues to treat is "members" with distain and rudeness. Stop insulting your customers.
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** *********

  

  Business response

  09/28/2023

  The payment in question is in the amount of $145.72.  The payment for $145.72 was initiated thru the members bill pay service with her bank on 8/30/2023.  This payment was initiated 2 days before the bill due date of 9/1/23.  The bank deducted the $145.72 funds from her bank account and then printed and mailed a paper check to URECC.  The member contacted our office to inquire about her $145.72 payment on 9/1/2023 at 9:12am.  Our member service representative reviewed the account and records and explained that we had not received the $145.72 payment in question and asked the member to submit proof to our office showing that we had cashed the check.  We did not receive proof from the member that the check had been cashed.  We received proof that the member had initiated the payment thru her bank's bill pay service, which is not the same.  The member made a payment of $144.60 on her account at 9:33am on 9/1/23 and according to what the member has stated, she then contacted her bank to place a stop payment on the original payment of $145.72. On 9/1/23 at 11:42am, we processed the payment file from our lockbox processor.  The payment originally in question for $145.72 was contained in the lockbox payment file.  Those payments were already in transit to the bank and the member had notified us by email that she had stopped payment on the original payment for $145.72  Ten days later, on 9/12/23, URECC received a returned item for the original payment of $145.72 due to stop payment.  We posted this returned item to the member's account and sent a letter to the member letting her know that we received a returned payment, with a due date of 9/22/23.  The member's account was never considered late or penalized for a late payment or disconnected.  The member had paid the account on time (with her second payment of $144.60 made on 9/1/23 at 9:33am).  When the member contacted us about the returned item letter and $30.00 returned item fee, we reviewed the account and agreed to refund the $30.00 returned item fee due to the timing and circumstances surrounding the payment in question. 

  Upon further examination of the payment initiated by the member for $145.72 on 8/30/23, we found out that the reason the member's bank printed and mailed a check, instead of sending the payment electronically, is because the account number was not entered correctly in the account number field for the member's bill pay service with her bank.  Our account numbers are 4 to 9 digits in length and contains no alpha characters.  The account number entered by the member was 18 digits long and contained alpha characters.  Therefore, the bank had to print and mail a check, which takes longer to process via mail.  We recommend that if the member is going to continue to pay thru her bill pay service at her bank, to please make sure the account number is entered correctly OR allow 7 to 10 days for processing if the payment is going to be printed and mailed.  We apologize for any inconvenience our member experienced and are here to help in any way that we can if there are any more questions about these payments.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  09/30/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  The check contains account numbers for two accounts with URECC: The House and the Garage. It clearly says account numbers ********* and ********* on the checks.
  
  The checks have been sent from my bank with the SAME two account numbers on the check every month for these two accounts  on it since March 2021 and it was never a problem before.
  
  In fact, the most recent checks were sent for the latest bill  with the same two account numbers on the checks and they were cashed last week for this months bill by URECC as well without the problems encountered on 1 September 2023. I can provide a copy of every single check I sent previously to URECC with these two account numbers on the check if needed. None of these checks ever had a problem.
  
  Stop changing the story. It appears that URECC has no idea what is going on with its own business and it is very clear that there is something very wrong in the billing department as to how they bill and process payments.
  
  The time that URECC takes out of my day to day is like nothing I have ever experienced.
  Sincerely,
  ****** *********

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The power provided by ***** has gone out SIX times in the last three years.Every time the power goes out, I have to pay over $300 to have someone come out to reprime my water well. I have spent over $1,800 thus far because ***** can't keep the power on.I have NEVER lived anywhere where the power goes out like this...even **** and ********************* outages are excessive and it is time ***** start cover the costs. They can give me crdit on my bill if they like. But this has gone too far.

  

  Business response

  07/03/2023

  ***** is aware of your outage complaint and are looking into the cause to make any changes to the system for improvement. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Extremely high light bills. Ive enclosed some bills so you can see what am talking about. I don't have C/H and air haven't had that in over 7yrs, but I do use heaters, my wood burning fireplace in the winter and window units in the summer and my bills have NOT EVER gotten this large and I'm paying monthly I've never received a $1,000 light bills until now and something is majorly wrong so I need y'all to investigate the *** cause I'm not the only customer complaining that stays in my neighborhood.

  

  Business response

  03/24/2023

  Our Supervisor for ****** Services called and spoke with member and she understands usage and billing.  We are sending her a printout with her correct current balance.  The main issue is she sees the past due along with her current, giving her a large amount owed. We also discussed usage and the higher cost in power.  Also explained to her that her history indicates she has about 3 very high bills each winter, but they are beginning to go down and she understands.

• Initial Complaint

  01/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  They destroyed my ***/porch area on 12/5/2022 when they came because another resident called in! I have tried to make contact with them and no response! I need to be reinbursed for what they tore up and threw away, especially since they told me they would fix after they tore it up! Job and conversation is all on video! Electricity was coming out of the ground and shocking workers. This could have been my grandkids or my dog! Im attaching photos. To much to say.

  

  Business response

  01/06/2023

  After several attempts to contact *********************, We have been able to reach her and are continuing to work to get this resolved.

  Customer response

  01/10/2023

   
  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. I sent them a invoice for everything that was damaged totaling $602 + $50 tax total $650 and I expect to be reimbursed for that amount! They did not try to contact me! That is false! They did finally send me a message the day I filed complaint. There is no way I didnt get calls from 3 separate numbers and voicemails that were left! Had they left a voicemail I would have gotten it even if the call didnt come through. They are the only ones that say they called and I didnt get the call or voicemail. I dont like being made a fool of. If I say I didnt get any response, that means I didnt get a response, voicemail, email or text! I did call their office 3 times just to be told that there is a work order and it takes time! It shouldnt take over a month to at least be contacted by someone at their office. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After 18 days of new service (02/17/22-03/07/22), ***** billed me for **** total kWh at a cost of $177.45 and a previous balance of $180.21 for zero kWh. The **** didn't show a beginning reading for the alleged **** kWh of usage; it only showed an ending reading of **** and in their minds, that meant I used **** of energy. Of course, I called to inquire, but the **************************** did not have answers. I request a corrected **** and proof of the previous **** that shows as "past due" although I had just recently moved in. I never received a corrected ****. I only received a demand for $357.66 due by March 28, 2022, $364.83 due after March 28, 2022 or face disconnection on April 12, 2022 with the theft of my $255 deposit. I have sought the assistance of the Attorney General and am preparing to file a lawsuit. This is a clear case of deceptive business practices, which is criminal (stealing) and unethical (morally corrupt) behavior. In Hallsville, ***** is the only power supplier, but I'm not going to pay a fraudulent balance simply because ***** threats me with disconnection. The reading on my meter isn't even close to what they have claimed. I have photographic evidence dating back to when I received the **** in question. This situation is causing me undue stress. ***** is being dismissive & unreasonable. Lastly, customers should not be forced to submit a copy of our driver's licenses via email or text. This is an unsafe business practice that leaves consumers vulnerable to misuse of personal identifying information.

  

  Business response

  06/08/2022

  Upon ******************** request, the location's meter was changed out after Customer (****************) and Property Owner (former Customer) requested a change of service ownership from the Property Owner to the new Customer, ****************.  That meter change created an old read on the former meter and a new read starting with zero kWh on the new meter.  The change of service ownership also created a new service deposit for the new service owner, ****************, per *****'s tariff.

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For as long as I can remember my December and January bills have been outrageously ridiculous in price. So much so that I installed propane gas lines into my home I run two Dearborn heater's in the day and only turn my central air on at hours we sleep. I received a **** for $394.00 this February which is higher than my Feburary **** from last year which consisted of the horrible snow storm that Tx received of 2021. Ive spoken to several Upshur Rural cuztomers and their bills are significantly lower than what mines has been. I am really disappointed in the charges and hidden fees that come into play when the company feels like doing this to their customers. If there is a way to change electric company's I am definitely interested.

  

  Business response

  03/21/2022

  There are two typical reasons that members see increased power cost in the winter months.  First and foremost, winter use tends to be a higher energy consumption season than any other time of year.  The key driver is that electric heat pumps run to compensate for heat lost to the colder outside air, attempting to keep the inside air at the thermostat's setting. While keeping a thermostat setting the same year around would insinuate that the energy usage would stay close to the same amount year around, outside air will infiltrate a residence regularly affecting the units run time.  The colder or hotter outside temperatures require the **** unit to work more to keep up with the hotter or colder air infiltrating the residence.  Adding additional heat sources can improve/lower the energy use, but note that additional heat sources tend to warm only sections of a residence, not the whole.  Added heat needs to be proximately located near the thermostat, if its not already, to limit the **** unit's run time. 

  The second factor that is more prominent this year is the power supply cost.  As explained in *****'s October letter the region and the nation have hit a number of factors causing power generation and operational cost to rise.  Two of the key drivers causing power cost to recently rise is the closure of larger coal and gas fired units that once were very good at maintaining supply at a median cost.  With the addition of subsidized renewables, legacy units are closing after not being competitive with the subsidy.  The other key driver has been higher than normal gas prices, natural gas being a key fuel in many current generators, driven by basic supply and demand constraints.  Coupled together they add up to higher generation cost that are passed on to customers and noted in the **** category on a ****.  Upshur Rural Electric has very little long-term control over the **** pass through as the power supply cost factor.

  These are difficult times for kitchen table issues concerning the cost of all items and goods, from gasoline, to food, to energy everything is costing a lot more than a year or two ago.

  Customer response

  03/22/2022

   
  Complaint: 16909051
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  These reasons this company has gave for this particular **** simply do not apply for the measure's I have taken to keep my electric **** down. I have bills dating back to 2014 because my bills seemed to be very unusual. I am and have been very disappointed in the operations of which this company does bussiness and Im interested in if its done the same way throughout its numerous counties that it serves
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

*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. ↩