My elderly neighbor got a shutoff notice for $2,400 but I've been helping her with bills for years and something doesn't add up. Georgia Power is claiming she owes for 8 months but I have copies of payments. The customer service rep was completely unhelpful and kept referring to "system updates" that happened in March. Has anyone else seen billing chaos after Georgia Power's system migration? I'm not even an auditor but this seems fishy. She's 82 and terrified they're going to cut her power next week.
Georgia Power shutoff notice nightmare - need advice
Rachel, I've seen this exact scenario three times this year with Georgia Power customers. Their March system conversion created a mess with payment allocations. You need to file a formal complaint with the Georgia PSC immediately - don't wait. Get copies of all the cancelled checks or money order receipts. The PSC has been swamped with these cases since the system change. Duke Energy here in Charlotte had similar issues last year but at least they acknowledged the problem.
This is exactly why I tell all my clients to keep meticulous records. Arizona Public Service tried something similar with a commercial client last month - claimed $8,000 in unpaid bills that we had proof were paid. Turned out their new billing system wasn't properly crediting ACH payments made during their transition period. File the PSC complaint like Derek said, but also demand they provide a complete payment history and account reconstruction.
Had a client with Duquesne Light go through this nightmare. The key is to stay calm and document everything. Get the name and employee ID of every person you talk to. Request a supervisor immediately and don't accept "the computer says" as an answer. If they can't provide proof of non-payment for each month, they have no case. Most utilities will work with you if you present organized evidence, but you have to push back hard.
Georgia Power's system migration was a disaster. I had four different clients affected by phantom charges and missing payment credits. The trick is to bypass the regular customer service line and go straight to their "Payment Investigation Department" at 1-800-xxx-xxxx extension 4421. They actually have people who understand the technical side of what went wrong. Regular CSRs just read scripts and can't help with system conversion issues.
Update: Jim's tip about the Payment Investigation Department worked! Spoke with a supervisor named Maria who immediately saw the issue - her payments were being applied to a different account number that got created during the system merge. They're reversing all late fees and reconnection charges. She said this affected over 15,000 customers statewide. They're supposed to mail a corrected statement within 5 business days. Thanks everyone for the advice!
Great news Rachel! This is why I love this forum - real solutions from people who've been in the trenches. Georgia Power never publicized the extent of their system problems but we all knew from dealing with the aftermath. Glad your neighbor is getting relief. Make sure she gets that corrected statement in writing before they close the investigation.
Perfect outcome! This is exactly why utility system migrations should be transparent to customers. The fact that 15,000 people were affected and they never issued a public notice is typical utility behavior. At least your neighbor won't be sweating through an Arizona summer with no AC - that would be dangerous at her age.