I just finished a nightmare case with Georgia Power where they estimated a commercial account for 14 consecutive months due to a 'locked gate' notation that was never updated. The actual meter readings when finally taken showed the customer was using 40% more kWh than estimated. Georgia Power hit them with a $12,347 adjustment bill going back to the original estimated period. Customer is disputing the whole thing saying the gate was never locked and demanding we prove the estimates were unreasonable. Anyone dealt with similar situations where the utility claims access issues but customer disputes it?
Georgia Power estimated bills for 14 months - $12K adjustment
Rachel, this is unfortunately common with Duke Energy here in the Carolinas too. I've seen cases where the meter reader marks 'dog' or 'locked' and it just gets perpetually estimated. The key is getting the utility's meter reading history and notes from their billing system. Georgia Power should have records of what their readers noted each month. If there's no consistent pattern of access issues documented, you have grounds to challenge at least some of those estimates. Did you request the meter reader logs yet?
Derek makes a good point about the meter reader logs. With MLGW here in Memphis, I've found that sometimes the 'access issue' codes get stuck in the system even after the problem is resolved. For a 14-month span, that's excessive unless there was genuinely a locked gate the whole time. What's the customer's usage pattern like? If it's fairly consistent month-to-month, the 40% variance suggests the estimates were way off base. That alone might help your case.
I had something similar with Indianapolis Power & Light about 3 years ago. Turned out the meter reader was just being lazy and marking 'inaccessible' rather than walking to the back of the building. We got security camera footage showing the property was always accessible during business hours. IPL ended up splitting the difference on the adjustment - they agreed the estimates were unreasonable but customer still owed for the actual usage. Might be worth seeing if your customer has any surveillance footage from that period.
Greg brings up a great point about the surveillance footage. I've also seen cases where the utility's own GPS data from meter reading devices contradicts their access claims. These newer handheld units log location and time stamps. With Empire Electric here in Missouri, I was able to show that their reader was in the area but never approached the actual meter location. Rachel, you might want to request any GPS or route data Georgia Power has from their meter reading system during that 14-month period.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I did get the meter reading logs and there's definitely inconsistency - some months show 'locked gate,' others show 'no access,' and a few just say 'estimated.' No GPS data available unfortunately since this was 2011-2012 timeframe. The customer provided some delivery receipts and work orders that show vendors were accessing the property regularly during the estimated period. I think we have enough to at least negotiate down the adjustment amount. Will update you all on how it goes with Georgia Power.
Good luck Rachel! Those delivery receipts could be gold if they show regular commercial activity during the 'inaccessible' periods. Keep us posted on the outcome - these estimated bill cases are becoming more common and we all benefit from sharing strategies that work.