ComplaintsforWe Energies

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In February 2024 I moved. We Energies moves balances when they want, this time around I was unaware that they would move my balance to my new address. Prior to moving I had a balance of around $800, it was a lot but I knew I moving and had plans to pay it down in the new house. I gotten my first bill in April, they skipped March. I reached out via email in March anticipating a bill and was told to wait until April because I knew I wanted to enroll in budget billing-Im which I was able to and it Was set for $119. When I logged on all it stated was no info available for the whole month and my budget billing disappeared. I then called and inquired on my balance and was told to wait on my April bill. Again, when I moved in prior years my whole bill balance was erased and I honestly thought this was going to happen. In April I received a bill for about $1350. Very shocked and afraid to be disconnected i immediately started paying down payments. I reached out several times to emergency services to constantly be let down and denied. In April I made $220, May $300. I was making payments every two weeks. To my surprise, 2 weeks after making a $150 payment I get a disconnection notice and that I have to pay down my balance $600 more, Im calling and emailing and still to this day did not receive a call back from any type of Supervisor. Finally. I get through to someone and they say I have to pay down another $350. So I pay the $350. So between 4/2/24 and 6/12/24 I have made a total of $870 of payments and yet my bill is still over $1000 but I have never received a bill over $1350. Everyone I have talked to has not helped me just threatened to disconnect more, not one supervisor/manager has returned my call, no one has explained my bill or even told me how I have been making all this payments but yet its still over $1000. No On e has given me answers as to why I was able to enroll in budget billing and it went away

  

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  Budget is terminated if the agreed upon payment is not paid in full by the bill due date and the full account balance becomes due.  Our records indicate that you recently established a payment agreement for your account balance and encourage you to pay the monthly balance owed in full, by the due date to avoid any future collection action.  We apologize for any confusion and appreciate you being a valued customer of **********************.

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last fall, I contacted WE Energies tree trimming service about coming out and cutting down some tree branches that were touching the power lines in my backyard. They sent out a guy in a truck from *******. The guy walked out to the backyard and said its not bad enough for me to take the time to cut down those branches. Youll be fine. In January, after a snowstorm, those very tree branches broke and brought down our powerline in -20 weather. My family and I were without power for five days we had to spend $2000 on getting a contractor to come out to reconnect the power, and I had to purchase items for emergency heat. My wife and I believe that we are entitled to compensation due to WE energies negligence in addressing this problem. Thank you,*********************

  

  Business response

  05/21/2024

  We are very sorry to hear about this customer's experiences during the major storm event and accompanying power outages in January 2024. We would encourage him to contact our ***************** about his concerns at ************ at his earliest convenience. ***************** personnel are available to assist during regular business hours from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

• Initial Complaint

  04/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Several months ago WE energy {*****} came to change my gas meter. The contractor took photos inside my home etc. and then informed me that the meter could not be changed because of mulch and they would return some other time. Sometime later I received a letter from WE accusing me of disconnecting the meter and telling me the various punishments for doing this. I called them and got nowhere, Now I am getting estimated gas bills. The latest one was much higher than it should have been and was charged to my checking account ten days before it was even due. I asked WE how they could bill me when they had no way of knowing how much gas I had consumed. I did not receive a satisfactory answer.

  

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  We have contacted the customer and scheduled an appointment for all necessary meter work to be performed. The appointment is scheduled for Monday May 6th, 2024. Upon conducting our site visit, further information will be clarified to determine if billing corrections are needed.We will follow up with the customer once this information is known. We apologize for the inconvenience and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Customer Consultants are available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week at **************.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A security deposit was taken on this account. The amount of the security deposit that was paid was $816.00. Interest charges that have incurred is $99.90 per my last billing statement. I have met all the requirements for the deposit to be applied to my account. I have reached out to WE Energies numerous times to try to get the deposit applied to my account. The deposit that they are holding will make the account having a zero balance. They are changing the rules of deposit and they have not once communicated the terms of the deposit and how to get that back. I am not looking for WE Energies to cut me a check, I want the deposit to be applied to my WE Energies account like they promised.

  

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  We have reviewed this account and the customer has unfortunately not met the requirements for a refund of the deposit. We would encourage the customer to contact us at their earliest convenience for clarification of the deposit refund terms.

• Initial Complaint

  03/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  To WE Energies: Attached you will find a letter I received from WE Energies stating that I owe additional money for electric service due to the negligence of the subcontractor in mis-assigning the meter to the wrong address in this new construction. I was the first person to live in the unit as was everyone in the building during my time there. As you know, a third party cannot be held responsible for the negligence of the builder or subcontractor. Additionally, the subcontractor is required to provide a certification before WE Energies accepted the service of this building stating that the work performed met the legal requirements of performance which includes *****************. If any mis-assignment of meters was found by WE Energies they would have been obligated to notify the building builder/owner/manager that is one and the same and who ultimately has responsibility for your claim. Apparently, that was not done.I have contacted the owner, builder and subcontractor for this project to make them accountable for this issue. Attached you find their response which, in summary, states WE Energies had made the mistake on their end.Clearly, We Energies or, the builder/subcontractor are wrong. Therefore, I require documentation of WE Energies claim that there was mis-billing with specifics as to how this was determined, how it was dealt with and why the owner/builder/manager was not notified of an issue with the mis-assignment of meters by their subcontractor. Undoubtedly there are more units mis-assigned.Additionally, I would like the number of any/all meter(s) assigned to unit 223, located at *********************************************************************, as well as a copy of all Meter Test Records to date for the meter(s) serving that unit.Additionally, I note on page two of We Energies October 27, 2023 letter to me that I was billed for a period of April 26 to May 31. I would like to know on what date the service for this unit was discontinued under my name.

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  We Energies strives to ensure every customer is being billed for their actual consumption. However, whenever we are notified that adjustments are necessary, the utility is required to rebill per code.  We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have caused you and encourage you to contact our ******************** for additional clarification if necessary, at ************.

  Customer response

  03/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I am within my legal rights to request the information on this matter as per my letter.  Based on the information they have supplied, they have only confirmed their collusion with the builder/owner, Horizon, to obstruct my claim against them.   Therefore, I am left with no alternative but to include WE Energies in my lawsuit in order to acquire the requested information.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called customer service today regarding my Current Bill, I advised to them that my electricity bill went up to *****, which has to be correct, I advised them that the reading was in error. My previous months averaged between 40 and 46 dollars monthly. The heat is paid by the Landlord, I work from 3:30-12:30 almost 7 days a week, when I come home at night the only thing on is the refrigerator. Im up about 3 hours watching my new energy saving TV. Then its to bed for a full 8-10 hours, breakfast, ready for work and repeat. Very easily proven that something is wrong, Ive attached my actual billing history, if need be I can send over my work schedule.

  

  Business response

  03/26/2024

  We have been in communication with this customer since he originally submitted his high-bill concern to the Better Business Bureau, and he has advised he will be back in communication with us at his earliest convenience. As the BBB is aware, We Energies is required to bill all consumption that registers on our gas and electric meters, and those meters have proven, as a whole and over many years, to be extremely accurate. We are happy to offer assistance in diagnosing possible culprits for higher-than-expected usage, but we do not own or service any private appliances or equipment.

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Stop emailing me anything other than legally required emails. I never signed up to receive them.

  

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Our records indicate this customer has been enrolled in Paper-Free Billing since their account was established in 2014. A requirement of being enrolled in the Paper-Free Billing feature is to receive an email notification when a new bill is issued. According to our records, this is the only email notification the customer receives. Notification preferences,including Outage Alerts, can also be updated online or through our mobile app simply by signing into your My Account profile. If the customer has further questions or concerns, they are encouraged to contact our ************* Center,which is available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week at **************, for further assistance. 

  Customer response

  03/16/2024

  I receive non-billing related emails such as the one on 3/14/24 with the subject "My Energy Gram". Paperless billing means a receipt for a payment posted, not being bombarded with unsolicited emails. Stop emailing me anything other than a payment posting.

• Initial Complaint

  02/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an issue with my budget billing, over 12 months you guys charged me $2,960.61, i used $2,422.02 in natural gas/electric, that is an overcharge of $538.59!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This is beyond wrong.12/27/20231,047$192.0360.4$52.70$244.73$0.00$210.00 *11/27/2023898$169.7146.6$40.00$209.71$0.00$232.00 *10/23/2023669$135.1812.7$17.03$152.21$234.23$466.23 *09/25/2023773$155.292.1$12.02$167.31$0.00$232.00 *08/25/2023960$186.632.1$11.39$198.02$0.00$232.00 *07/27/2023972$189.783.2$12.71$202.49$0.00$232.00 *06/26/2023771$154.512.1$11.87$166.38$0.00$166.38 *05/26/2023695$140.6419$19.35$159.99$0.00$238.00 *04/26/2023804$153.0747.1$39.84$192.91$0.00$238.00 *03/24/2023778$146.7767.9$73.80$220.57$0.00$238.00 *02/23/2023806$150.9479.7$86.24$237.18$0.00$238.00 *01/26/20231,121$200.6959$69.83$270.52$0.00$238.00 *

  

  Business response

  03/01/2024

  This customer has been enrolled in our Budget Billing program since June 2020. We have completed a thorough review of her Budget Billing history and have determined she has been accurately and appropriately billed for the energy services consumed at her home. A document has been provided to the customer for their review with a detailed analysis of billing and payment history dating back to June 2020 when they were enrolled in Budget Billing. If this customer has further questions or concerns, she is encouraged to contact us at **************, as transactional matters cannot be discussed through third parties like the Better Business Bureau. Customer Consultants are available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week to assist. 

  Customer response

  03/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  I overpaid more than $500+ this past year, 2023, i also did all the math.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  02/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I vacated the apartment I was living in (located at *************************************************************************) on January 31st, ****. I contacted WE Energies to cancel my service, but when I called their customer service department on February 10, **** to inquire about my bill which has conflicting information, I just got the run around. There was no supervisor to assist and I was told by the rude customer service agent to call back on Monday. According to my bill, I'm being charged for services until Feb 2nd and the customer service agent says that I'm actually being billed until Feb 3rd. Either way, I'm being overcharged. I'd like an adjustment to the bill right away. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  The customer did not submit a request to close his account and therefore end his billing responsibility until 02/02/2024. As requested,the meter was read at the end of the day (midnight between 02/02/2024 and 02/03/2024)and a final bill statement was issued. The landlord has since taken over the billing responsibility of the unit. If the customer moved out prior to his account closure date, he is encouraged to contact the landlord to discuss possible compensation. We are unable to backdate any stop service requests. 

  Customer response

  02/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  WE Energies does not address the erroneous information regarding my account, not only online but also by their customer service ****** which says I'm being billed until Feb 3rd, 2024.  They say that they cannot back date the cancellation either.  This is unethical and illegal.  It's illegal because I did NOT live there since Feb 1st and did NOT use their electricity services since Jan 31st, yet they're charging me for those few days nevertheless.  I'm not accepting their response.  WE Energies wants me to put pressure and fight it out with my property management company, instead of just doing the right thing and giving me a refund (which is a nominal amount).  I will be filing futher complaints with consumer agencies affiliated with the State of Wisconsin and Federal authorities.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  01/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I mail payment(s) into WE Energies each month as soon as bills are received. When payments were processed in *********, I could even wait until a few days before the due date.Since WE Energies began to process payments in ************, ******** the company has become incredibly slow. Most recently, I mailed in payments on January 13. The last bill being received on January 12. As of today (January 27), those payments have yet to be presented to my banks. So I went online and made duplicate electronic payments. This makes budgeting extremely difficult and will eventually result in duplicate payments.Last week, I E-mailed the company about the problem. In reply, I received a rather summary reply that in now takes WE Energies 7 to 10 business days to process a payment. Their reply was (is) of no help.The decline in quality of customer service could unfairly (and untruthfully) affect my credit rating by mistakenly indicating that I am a late payer, which I am not. To avoid that, I have to begun to logon daily to monitor them.Is this something a customer should have to do, especially with a public monopoly with presumably more than sufficient resources? In my opinion, this is a situation that is onerous and unacceptable. It is certainly something WE Energies could correct.Is WE Energies using their monopoly power to create an excuse to force an automatic debit on my bank accounts each month? If so, I believe this to be an unfair (and perhaps even illegal) business practice.I prefer mailing payment as checks are easier to track and document and create a paper trail. It is also has greater safety by avoiding hackers.Is there anyway to get WE Energies to expedite my payments?

  

  Business response

  01/29/2024

  This customers most recent bill statement was issued on 12/29/2023. Payment via check was received in our ************************* on 01/24/2024 and was posted to the customers account by the morning of 01/26/2024. Once received, payments are typically posted within 1-2 business days. The delay the customer references is likely caused by delays in the post office, as a review of the customers account indicates that once checks are received, the payment is posted to their account within 1-2 business days. The customer has never been assessed a late payment charge. Rest assured, your credit score is not impacted, as we no longer report to the three major credit bureaus. While we understand the customers desire to continue to send paper checks, the best way to alleviate any delay is to make electronic payments through our safe and secure website or mobile app. 

  Customer response

  02/01/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is somewhat satisfactory to me.  For now.  This is not the first time I've had problems since WE Energies moved their receivables to ***************** doubt their explanation that **** is responsible.  I suspect the payment simply sat in sort sort of incoming container was simply not recorded as being received until much later.  Additionally, as I mentioned in my complaint, in the past I have received an E-Mail from WE Energies stating that the company usually takes ***** business days to process a payment.  Nonetheless, I will accept the company's explanation for now.  I reserve the right to open a new complaint should I continue to have the same problem.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

*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. ↩