Just finished an audit for a manufacturing client in Cleveland with FirstEnergy. They had a 47-day billing period in March with zero explanation or proration adjustment. Customer got hit with $8,400 instead of the normal $5,200 monthly demand charge. Rate schedule TOD-P clearly states standard 30-day periods with proration for variations over 3 days. Anyone else seeing FirstEnergy pulling this garbage lately?
FirstEnergy proration disaster - 47 day billing period
Frank, I've got three FirstEnergy clients in Youngstown dealing with the same issue. One had a 52-day period in February - they claimed it was due to "meter reading schedule adjustments." Complete BS if you ask me. The tariff is crystal clear about proration requirements. I'm filing complaints with PUCO on all of them.
We're seeing similar problems with Duke Energy here in Charlotte. Had a client with overlapping billing periods - got charged for the same 5 days twice on consecutive bills. Duke's excuse was "system conversion issues." Yeah right. Filed a formal complaint and got $2,100 refunded plus interest.
LG&E did something similar to one of my restaurant clients last year. 43-day period with no proration on the GS-2 rate. The demand charge alone was $1,800 over what it should have been. Took three months of fighting but we got full restitution. Document everything and don't let them slide on tariff violations.
Update: FirstEnergy finally agreed to adjust the bill after I cited specific tariff language and threatened PUCO complaint. Client getting $3,200 credit on next bill. Jim, definitely file those complaints - they only respond when regulators get involved.
Dominion Virginia Power tried this with a hospital client - 49 day period on schedule LGS with no demand proration. $12,000 overcharge that took six months to resolve. The key is knowing your tariffs better than their own billing department does.
TVA clients get this treatment too. Had a paper mill with a 45-day period under rate schedule MSB. No proration on the $15/kW demand charge. That's an extra $4,500 they tried to steal. Always check those billing period dates - it's low-hanging fruit that adds up fast.
Filed the PUCO complaints today. Frank's success gives me hope. These utilities think they can get away with tariff violations because most customers don't know to check. That's why we're here - to catch their "mistakes" and make them pay.