Ray T from Savannah, GA. Multiple clients in Georgia Power territory got hammered with estimated bills during 2020 when GP suspended meter reading for about 4 months due to COVID. Most of my commercial clients were closed or operating at reduced capacity during that period, but the estimates were based on pre-COVID usage levels. So they were being billed for full operation while their doors were shut. One hotel client was estimated at $8,400/month when actual usage during closure was probably $1,800 for just the base building systems. That is four months of $6,600/month overcharges — roughly $26,400. And that is just one client.
Estimated bills during COVID when meter readers stopped
Ray, this is a widespread issue and Georgia Power knows it. They announced a rebilling program for commercial customers who were affected by estimated billing during COVID closures. Have your clients applied? The deadline might be approaching.
Same problem in Georgia. I have 6 clients in GP territory who were overcharged during the COVID estimation period. GP created a form for commercial customers to request rebilling based on actual smart meter data. They had the data all along — they just were not using it for billing because the normal read process was suspended.
Rachel, did your clients get full rebilling based on the smart meter data? Or did GP try to negotiate a lower amount?
Full rebilling on 4 of the 6. The other 2 had older meters without AMI so GP had no actual data for the closure period. For those we had to estimate based on the minimal equipment that was running — basically HVAC on setback and security systems. GP accepted our calculations after some back and forth.
I had COVID estimated billing issues with Savannah Electric (subsidiary of Southern Company like GP). Similar situation — a restaurant group with 3 locations all closed for 6 weeks and operating at 50% for another 2 months. Estimates reflected full operation. We recovered $18,200 across the three locations. Savannah Electric was cooperative once we presented the timeline and the smart meter data.
Lee, that is encouraging. My hotel client alone should be worth more than that. Randy, I was not aware of the formal rebilling program. Going to check on that today.
This is not just a Georgia issue. Appalachian Power in West Virginia did the same thing — suspended reads, estimated based on historical usage, and overbilled every closed or reduced-operation commercial client for months. I filed 8 rebilling requests. All 8 were approved. Total recovery across all clients was about $41,000.
Wanda, $41K across 8 clients is excellent. Were those all smart meter accounts or did some require estimated calculations?
Mix of both. The 5 with smart meters were straightforward — the data existed and Appalachian Power just had to apply it. The 3 without smart meters required more documentation. We provided daily operational logs, employee schedules showing reduced hours, and utility bills from comparable periods in prior years. The utility accepted our methodology after one round of revisions.
For any members still working on COVID-era estimated billing cases, document everything now. Some utilities have statute of limitations or lookback limits that could expire. The closure orders, reduced operation dates, and employee records are easier to obtain now than they will be in two years. Build your files while the information is fresh.
Update: GP confirmed my hotel client qualifies for the rebilling program. They pulled the smart meter data and the actual usage during the 4 estimated months was $1,600 to $2,100/month vs the estimated $8,400/month. Total overcharge: $24,800. GP is processing the credit now. Filing for my other 3 affected clients this week.
$24,800 on a single hotel. Ray, you should be reaching out to every hotel in Savannah. They all had the same problem and most probably have not filed for rebilling.
Lee, already on it. Called the Savannah Hotel & Lodging Association and offered a presentation on COVID utility billing issues. They scheduled me for their April meeting. Could be a dozen or more new clients from that one event.