Duke Energy agreed to a $8,400 refund for a power factor penalty dispute back in February. They said 60-90 days for processing but it's been 3 months now. Keep getting told "it's in the queue" when I call. At what point do I escalate this?
How long is too long to wait for Duke Energy refund?
I'd give them 4 months max before filing a PUCO complaint. Duke is usually pretty good about refunds but their accounting department can be slow. Try calling their regulatory affairs group directly - they can usually push things through faster.
Had the same issue with Duke last year. Took 5 months to get a $12K refund. What finally worked was threatening to request interest on the delayed payment. Check came 2 weeks later.
Good idea about requesting interest Wanda. I'll mention that when I call tomorrow. Client is getting impatient and I don't blame them!
Most utilities have internal targets of 90 days for refund processing, but some take longer especially for larger amounts. Interest is a good leverage point - most would rather cut the check than calculate and pay interest. Keep us posted on how it works out!