Working on a pretty significant overcharge case with Duke Energy Carolinas - about $75,000 over two years due to incorrect demand billing. The local customer service rep keeps giving me the runaround and won't escalate to anyone with authority to make adjustments. I've provided all the documentation showing the error but they keep insisting their billing is correct. Does anyone have contacts higher up in Duke's organization who might be willing to take a serious look at this? My client is getting frustrated and considering legal action.
Duke Energy stonewalling - any contacts?
Wayne, I don't have direct Duke contacts but have you tried filing a complaint with the North Carolina Utilities Commission? Duke usually responds much quicker when regulators are involved. Also, if it's a demand billing error, make sure you're documenting the actual kW readings versus what they're billing. Sometimes the meter data doesn't match their billing system.
Wayne, Alabama Power (also a Southern Company subsidiary) had similar issues until I started copying their regulatory affairs department on correspondence. Duke might respond the same way. Try finding their regulatory contacts through the NCUC proceedings - those folks usually have more authority and take billing complaints seriously.
What type of demand billing error are we talking about? CPS Energy down here had issues with their billing system applying contract demand instead of actual demand for certain rate classes. If it's something systemic like that, Duke might have other customers with the same problem. Could be leverage for getting them to take it seriously.
Jorge, it's exactly that type of issue. They're billing contract demand (800 kW) instead of actual demand which has been running 400-500 kW for the past two years. The rate schedule clearly states billing should be based on actual demand or contract demand, whichever is greater. Since actual has never exceeded contract, they should be billing actual. But their system apparently defaults to contract demand regardless.
Wayne, that sounds like a billing system configuration error rather than a one-off mistake. Have you asked them to provide the actual meter data for comparison? Puget Sound had a similar issue where their billing system was ignoring the "whichever is greater" logic. Once we forced them to look at the actual data, they had to fix it for multiple customers.
This is frustrating but not uncommon with the big utilities. TVA distributors here would have fixed this in a week, but the investor-owned companies seem to dig in their heels more. Have you considered having your client's attorney send a demand letter? Sometimes legal letterhead gets attention that auditor requests don't.
Dale, we're definitely considering the attorney route. Janet, I did request the meter data but they've been slow to provide it. They keep saying it will take "several weeks" to compile the information. Starting to think that's intentional foot-dragging. Thanks everyone for the suggestions - looks like regulatory complaint might be the next step.
Wayne, file that NCUC complaint sooner rather than later. MidAmerican here in Iowa suddenly became very cooperative once they got the regulatory inquiry letter. Duke will probably "discover" the meter data much faster once the commission gets involved. Keep us posted on how this turns out.
I've had good luck with Duke Energy in other states by escalating to their Large Customer group if the account qualifies. They tend to be more technically competent and have authority to make billing adjustments. Regular customer service reps are usually limited in what they can do for anything over a few thousand dollars.
Warren's suggestion about Large Customer is spot on. Georgia Power has the same structure - regular CSRs can't touch anything significant. If your client is over 1 MW or $10K monthly, they should have a dedicated account manager. That person will have much more authority and technical knowledge to resolve complex billing issues.
Lloyd, the client is definitely large enough for dedicated account management. I'll try that angle while also preparing the regulatory complaint. Appreciate everyone's input - this forum is invaluable for navigating these utility relationships. Will update once I get some traction on this case.
Wayne, one more suggestion - if Duke has an ombudsman program, that can sometimes be effective for complex billing disputes. Ameren here in Missouri has one and they've been helpful for cases where regular channels aren't working. Worth checking their website or asking the NCUC staff if Duke has something similar.
Great thread everyone. These relationship challenges are exactly why I'm glad we have this forum to share strategies and contacts. Wayne, definitely try the Large Customer route first, then regulatory if that doesn't work. Most utilities would rather resolve billing disputes internally than deal with commission inquiries. The key is escalating to someone with both the authority and technical knowledge to understand the issue.