You're not alone! Over the years, many of us have had bad experiences with RG&E, from minor inconveniences to major crises. High energy bills, poor service, and inhumane shutoffs are just some of the things we know need to change. Tell us your story to help show why we need to take our community's energy future back from greedy corporations like RG&E, and replace RG&E with a public utility!
Metro Justice often shares stories posted here on social media to build awareness around RG&E issues and momentum for a public utility as the solution. If you have any questions regarding how Metro Justice may share your story, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Organizing Director, Mohini Sharma ([email protected], 585-397-3534) or our Organizer and Policy Specialist for the RED Campaign, Michelle Wenderlich ([email protected], 585-397-3539).
I told her that I had been reading my meter for the majority of the last 25 years and that I knew that I was reading it accurately, but that that was completely impossible. I have one gas furnace, and one hot water heater and no other gas appliances, I keep my heat at 68 or below at all times I always have.
Having that picture of my meter I thought was going to protect me and now I see that I am actually hurting myself by simply giving them an accurate picture. I Have no idea where to turn at this point By her calculations I will owe thousands of dollars and I could not pay this if I wanted to.
Like many of you I am scared and confused how they are able to get away with this.
I’m trying to be proactive. I don’t know what else to do.
I always use my phone to photograph my meter readings before I submit them. I don’t track their values month to month. I just submit them. On average my winter gas usage is around 170 therms 200 max. When I go the last build it stated I used 1200 therms, which is almost equivalent of what I used for all of last year. Reviewing the photographs I see that the January reading was 9795 while the February reading was 0995. We only use gas for heating the home , on demand hot water, and stove top cooking. Is it possible that there was a mechanical failure at rollover and the middle two digits never zeroed out? We had done nothing different during that time period to cause the usage of that much gas.
The typical monthly bill in one apartment in our owner-occupied house where I am one of the landlords and hold the account, was overcharged 8+ times, $350 instead of $35-$45. Another apartment was overcharged 4+ times, and another apartment, was not billed because of meter reading discrepancies. All these errors because the field staff person reading the meter read many or all of our meters incorrectly, ugh! I always read the meters and send them every month, but the RGE staff person overrides my readings for billing!
Would you share my story, RG&E quick to bill and slow or hesitant to refund? You know, that is my error, RG&E would likely have quickly sent a shut off notice!
Thank you for supporting the effort to find a study for a public utility!
Sincerely -Ed
I’d switch providers if I could.
For us to get this level of service all while they make a profit off us is absolutely sickening to me. I can’t go to anyone else for energy if I wanted. We’re entirely captive to their whims and bullshit and I’m sick of it.
I cannot get accurate information from customer service and it took 5 phone calls just to make sure the customer read only program is correct on my account. We will see if s reader comes next month….I’m not confident that he won’t.
RGE bill for my one bedroom. Which bill was current prior to heap ( bill was around $180 per month) well HEAP
paid the bill everything besides $5K! Which they stated I owed .. I refused to pay they said it was an error and it would be fixed .. it never was fixed I just went to get RGE put in my name 20
Years later and they said I still owe and billed me the 5k put it on my new address and sent it to collections
In September ’21 RGE stopped billing for 7 months and I received bills in excess of $9,000. My bill almost doubled to ~$1200 per month with blame on American power & gas. American power confirmed their itemized charges with me and RGE was adding extra charges or seemed to be duplicating charges.
From May to Jun of ‘22 I spent countless hours on hold with RGE, no help, hung up on and then RGE disconnected my service in error without me knowing.
In June 22 I filed 1st complaint with PSC and spent many more hours of calls to get my RGE account back online and service restored.
Even though my business was closed for summer season, I was still billed ~$1000 per month for basically outside entrance lights and a basement sub pump. RGE claims high rate now is due to my on-demand smart meter and will not admit there is a billing or meter problem. They say the problem was in years past and was previously inaccurate by RGE. Even though I am not using anywhere close to $1000/mo energy, the only option is to disconnect my service which I can’t do since basement will flood without the sub pump.
8/22 RGE autopay stopped again in error same as previous year. After my 2nd PSC complaint and many more calls, they billed me in January of this year 2023 for the previous months.
Now my bill averages over $2000/month more than double previous years and nothing has changed inside my business or building with the same equipment. RGE blames short staff, errors in their billing and energy estimations in the past that are now ‘read each month and accurate’.