Just discovered that IPL (Indianapolis Power & Light) estimated bills for my client's auto parts store for 11 consecutive months. Meter reader claimed "aggressive dog on property" but there's no dog! The store has security cameras showing no IPL trucks in the parking lot for nearly a year. They just kept escalating estimates month after month. Final overbilling was $4,200. Has anyone else seen IPL get this lazy with meter reading? This seems like systematic avoidance.
IPL meter reader skipped my client for 11 months
Margaret, that's inexcusable. Duke Energy pulled something similar here in Cincinnati - claimed "no access" for 8 months on a retail store with a meter right by the street. Turned out the meter reader was just driving by and estimating without getting out of the truck. I filed a complaint with the Ohio PUC and they required Duke to physically verify all "no access" claims with photos. IPL probably has similar lazy readers who don't want to walk to the meter.
Cecilia, that's exactly what happened here. The meter is literally 20 feet from the street with clear access. No gates, no fences, no dogs. IPL finally sent a supervisor who admitted their reader had been "drive-by estimating" the route. Got full refund of the $4,200 plus they're auditing all accounts on that reader's route. Sometimes you have to make noise to get results. The IURC complaint was worth filing.