Need some perspective on this situation with JEA here in Jacksonville. Had a great working relationship with their billing department for three years. Recovered over $250K for various clients with their full cooperation. Then I submitted an audit last month questioning some transformer loss charges on Schedule COD-1, and suddenly I'm getting the cold shoulder. Rep who used to call me back same day now takes a week to respond. What might have triggered this change?
JEA relationship went south - what did I do wrong?
I'm also in Jacksonville and have heard JEA is under a lot of pressure from the city council about revenue right now. They might have gotten directives to be more conservative about adjustments. Could also be that transformer loss thing is a sensitive topic - maybe they've had problems with those calculations before?
Entergy went through something similar a few years back. New management came in and suddenly every adjustment had to go through three levels of approval. Sometimes it's not personal - just policy changes from above. I'd ask your contact directly if something has changed in their process.
Could be the size or type of adjustment you're requesting. MLGW here in Memphis gets nervous about anything over $50K or anything that might set a precedent for other customers. Transformer losses affect everyone on that rate schedule, so they might be worried about opening floodgates.
Been through this with Duquesne Light. Sometimes bringing up certain issues hits a nerve because it exposes systemic problems they don't want to deal with. If the transformer loss calculation is wrong, it might be wrong for hundreds of customers. They could be looking at millions in potential refunds.
Duke Energy did something similar when I questioned their power factor measurement methodology. Turned out they knew there was an issue but were hoping nobody would notice. Sometimes being too good at your job creates problems. Try reaching out to someone higher up in the organization.
Thanks for all the insights. Talked to my main contact off the record and you were right - new CFO issued a directive to scrutinize all large adjustments after some consultant in Orlando got them for a huge refund. Nothing personal, just corporate paranoia. Still frustrating though.
We Energies went through the same thing after the PSC audit a few years back. Management gets spooked and suddenly every adjustment is suspicious. Usually blows over once they realize legitimate auditors aren't the enemy. Hang in there and keep being professional.
TVA had similar corporate directive in 2012. Lasted about 18 months before they realized it was creating more problems than it solved. Customer complaints went through the roof when legitimate issues weren't being addressed. Patience is key - this too shall pass.
PSO in Oklahoma did this exact thing in 2013. New management, new policies, suddenly I'm persona non grata. Took about two years to rebuild relationships, but it eventually got back to normal. The key is not taking it personally and staying professional throughout.
Georgia Power has cycles like this too. Every few years they get religion about adjustments, then reality sets in and they realize they need people like us to help catch their mistakes. Document everything and wait it out. Your track record will speak for itself eventually.
National Grid went through something similar when they took over from Narragansett Electric. New company, new policies, lots of confusion. Eventually they figured out that working with qualified auditors actually helps them maintain better customer relationships. These corporate mood swings are cyclical.