Alabama Power review: bad service 64

Please contact me to discuss joining our organizing a class action lawsuit against Ala. Power. This same scenario is being repeated in epidemic proportions across the country with a large percentage of complaints being here in Alabama.
rdavistopdog@aol.com

i'm glad i'm not the only one who despises alabama power. They are a bunch of lying, two-faced, money hungry jerks who will do whatever it takes NOT to work with you!

I have talked with more than a dozen folks in our area that has seen there power bill double sense Alabama Power has installed the new digital meters. Our Bill went from $210.00 to 448.00 dollars from one month to the next. We were told by the sevice lady at Alabama Power, that it was our problem...we need to get it fixed! They got us over a barrel...how can we do anything about it? Its not like we can buy power from somewhere else... Pissed off in Piedmont, Al.

I contacted Alabama Power about the almost double cost of our power bill and was told that due to the sudden and very dramatic cold snap that we had everyone's bill will be higher due to the massive use of electricity to stay warm. The other excuse I heard one person tell me they got was that now that we all have the "NEW METER" that the "OLD METER" wasn't reading the electricity correctly (meaning in their favor). It's all a bunch of... well I'm sure you can fill in that blank. Yes we are all over a barrel and there is no option for us to change services because they are the only ones supplying power to this area. I would gladly do any and everything I could to go completely solar, generator, or wind. Those options are all very high priced and the common person like our family cannot afford the out of pocket cost to do so. Where does this leave us and is there nothing we can do to stop them from breaking it off in us? I have spoken to more than my share of people also and it's all the same story. Did you also know that Alabama Power told me that they have gone down on their kw prices? Have any of you seen that to be true on your bill? I will continue to look for a way to not need Alabama Power for my family.

Hate, hate them! They inflated prices 15% last year claiming oil price went to high (Alagasco didn't do that). This year, they were forced to lower it. And they did! 1% or something like that! Great gift to customers! My power bills are higher 30% after the new meter was installed and power price went up. Before, I could easely see the numbers and was sure everything is right, now they can reset those remotely to whatever they want. Switch to natural gas whatever you can. Don't get their "free" electric heater - you will pay 3 times of a natural gas one with their rates!

I to have recieved elevated power bills since the new meters, even though I have a new more efficient heat pump, washer and dryer. This is getting to be rediculous my bill has increased by 50% the last couple of months, anyone want to join me in building a nuclear power plant?

Alabama Power is a company that does not care about people. We have had nothing but trouble since we have been living in the service area of Gardendale. They take payments, post them when they want to and will cut your service for any reason. The last for my family we called to have the services cut off because we are moving. We requested the services be cut off April 12, 2010 We went to move some things and sure enough we were cut off for non pay on April 2, two days after our request for disconnection and 8 days before the actual disconnect date.

I agree 100%, every since they put in the "New Meter" my power bill has doubled. We have also had a power surge that blew several of our appliances and Alabama Power of course said it was our problem. This is terrible, I have four kids to raise and with the increase of the power bill, it seems like I added another.

We went on vacation OUT OF STATE for most of the month of June, and before we left, we had a bill of $118 using EVERYTHING in our home; then we came home, and we found a power bill for $189! We weren't even home. We had the thermostat set on 80 degrees so that it would hardly ever kick on. We had the fridge running and that is it. Now tell me how in the hell a power bill can jump like that when no one is even home for the majority of the month and not using anything. I contacted Alabama Power, and they told me that it was because of the heat outside. Ok, it wasn't even that much hotter than when we left! They couldn't explain why we had such a severe jump in usage, when we weren't even home. Now we just got a power bill for $228, and we haven't even used much more power than we normally would.I don't get it! We are on a set income. Alabama Power is a monopoly. There is no one else that we can get power from. We have 2 kids to raise. My husband is a disabled vet. We are both unemployed right now. This is getting ridiculous! We just moved out here in April from Wisconsin, and our power bills were never this crazy out in Wisconsin, and hell we used more power out there because it was so freaking cold! We live in a 3 bedroom mobile home now, so it's not like we have a huge house that is sucking up energy. I am so sick and tired of this. Before too long, our power bill will be more than what we pay in rent! I am NOT going to let this happen!

Well seems I'm not the only one with the power bill problems. When I moved here 7 years ago my power bill was over $500 I purchased a new heat pump and appliances. My power bill dropped to $175-250 per month until they installed the new meters. Now my power bill is back up to $500+. I went on vacation in July for 3 weeks. Turned off everything in my house except my deep freeze, fridge and hot water heater (which shouldn't have been running much since no water was being used) And I still somehow used 2000 kw. When I came back from vacation I never even opened my house back up I set my camper back in my back yard (I expected to use some from running my camper but most of it's power is converted once it gets into the camper.) and started staying in it just to see what was going to happen...and guess what... I've used even more than 2000 kw this month! But there was no change from when I wasn't home and to my living in my camper so my questions are...

Where is this power being used at?
Who is using it?

The CSR at Alabama Power can only tell me to go flip off all my breakers. I've did that and guess what...seems our new meters still turn when there's no power being ran thru them.
Think I'm gonna keep living in my camper and run a generator then see what the hell they gotta say for themselves.

OK... thought it was just me. However, now I know it's not. We too were out of town for just about the entire month of June. We have been on budget billing at $170 a month since March (which is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous b/c we live in a 1001 sq ft house). We switched to budget billing b/c March's bill was $334! I received June's bill and it indicated that our budget billing amount was going to increase to $195 b/c of our meters. I called SEVERAL times and got BS answers and told them that we were out of town for almost the entire month of June. I just wanted to know why our power bill was so high. We didn't even have an air conditioner...ours went out in early June and we weren't financially able to get it fixed until the middle of July. I asked each phone rep. if they actually came out and read the meter each month. "OH, yes mam... we have to in order to send a bill." Well my husband called the next night and the man said no they didn't read the meter for the month of June because of the dog... WE HAVE HAD THE DOG SINCE CHRISTMAS! So... I stopped him there while he was talking and explained to him when we got the dog, and proving to him that they haven't been checking our meter. I never got an honest answer out of anyone. The entire situation is BS and I cannot stand Alabama Power!

My budget bill has gone from $215-$563/month in the past year. My electricity usage has gone up by 2000 kw/h with a brand new energy efficient washer and drier. I run the same appliances as I did last year. Although, my bill has been going steadily up all year, it did make a $200/month jump when the new meter was installed. I live in a small home with a mortgage that runs around $500 dollars/month. I am on social security and if I was not on the budget bill plan the Electric Bill would be around $700/month; which is almost as much as I receive in benefits. My brother has a larger home with 7 residents and his power, water, garbage and sewer on the same bill. His bill is marginally lower than mine. All I can say is, "HELP!".

-Confused customer, Alex City, AL

I am going through the same problems. I catch the CS Reps in lies. I just moved into my home in August. The highest my power bill got was 233 dollars. They installed the new meter just as soon as I moved in. We had a cold month in November and my bill was 150 dollars. For the month of December it was 409 dollars. I call them up and they claim my house averages a bill this high. I asked them to tell me what the bill on my house was back in December of the previous year when the old owner was still living. They said it was 426 dollars. I contacted the old owner and was told they never had a bill over 250 dollars. When I called back to tell them this the lady said the bill for last December was 403 dollars. So I caught them in one lie there. They also said they checked my meter and it was found to be accurate. Of course no one ever came out. The next time I talked to them they said they didnt' have to come out to check it. After this call I called a few days later and they said someone came out to check it on the same date the one guy already said they didnt have to come out to check it.

I'm not going to share my story cause it's the same as everybody else. I just hope that someone from Alabama Power reads this and if it's you GO TO HELL. People they are not going to do anything about it. We the people are the only ones that can. Think about that. I don't know how to start a forum but my email is
jeffcook5851@gmail.com Maybe we need to start one. These people need to be over thrown and took over. We are our own ENEMY if we don't do something .

Yes! To the last post! Something has to be done now! Protest is in order. Emails and forum want help us. Only a large body of people will stop these Shenanigans! After all, are we not Americans! Well, I am, are you? There is a problem with America, and the cause is you and I and your friends and family. The problem is that we LET the Government and Companies like Alabama Power just simply control our lives. All we do is complain over the phone. Help me, help you. Facebook me or email me if anyone would like to Protest. davispatrick41@gmail.com... Only you can help.

Bill only goes up, even after changes have been made. Fighting a loosing battle. I could flip the breakers for a month and my bill would be higher.

I'm in. Great post we need a way that everybody can meet and build a large body of people and plan for protest and have the news get involved so even more people can see. The problem is like you said lots of people just complain. Just say we are going to be at Alabama power to protest I don't think anybody will show. Maybe my problem is I have lost faith in the American people cause no one will do anything. And our Government does suck no one in the White House gives a crap all they care about is making each others pockets fatter.Making up job titles for each other. Don't forget the 5 Trillion $ that dumb A-- has spent and I close to being out of work. Now gas prices are going sky high. Somebody tell me why they have to profit 100 billion's of dollars a year once again the Government does nothing Let me tell you why. They all are slipping money in each others pockets and the economy falls more but do you think they see it NO cause when you make $500 Thousand dollars a year you can't tell a difference. What happened to what our 4 Fathers built? People we have been CHEATED and we are paying for it. I love my Country but this is not how it started. I could keep going but I'm out of time so I'm going to sign off with I hope all you S.O.B's in the White House, Oil company & ALABAMA POWER get wind of this and they can go to hell. Stop laying down people take a stand Email jeffcook5851@gmail.com THEY WILL HEAR MY VOICE Thank you

Sorry about the numbers that popped up I check over it before submitting. That's strange

I called the Public Service Commission and it was explained to me that Alabama Power takes a 15 min period of your kw usage (they pick a time when it's the highest useage, and this was approved by the Public Service Commission!) to base my monthly rate (and they can use this 15min period forever). That seems unconstitutional to me. If something isn't done about this a lot of small business will go under due to power bills! If they can read these meters from somewhere else can they manipulate them to read the useage that they're coming up with from this 15min period instead of my actual useage? And when speaking to Alabama Power, they couldn't explain to me how they were coming up with the kw hours that were on my bill. Whoever heard of coming up with a number for useage and multiply it by 40 to get my total charge on my bill?! But this is what they're doing.

I despise Alabama Power! Any other company is willing to help you when you're going through hardships...all they have is "budget billing" which is no budget at all and then when you reach out to them b/c you are unable to pay your $400 power bill on time they say, "Sorry you're eligible for disconnect, so there's nothing we can do"
The last time my power was disconnected we had to pay over $1, 000 to get it turned back on. They charged a $250 reconnect fee (which took all of 10 min. for him to come out to reconnect it) along with other fees for God only knows what. It seems like their CS people get paid extra to be rude. I hate hate hate Alabama power!

I have had it with ALabama Power everytime we have some money left the power bill sucks it in. We where on a bugded bill so our bill was 181 the regular bill but we have to pay 308 what kind of budget is that? Funny Budget billing you people must be thinking we are stupid!
If anybody is out there that is fed up with this crazy billing please contact me at my email schnickelfritz2003@yahoo.com
maybe together we can do something because I would like to have some money left before I kick the bucket!
Please lets do something together what ever it is we can do! HELP!

same for me as well

Not only is the price ridiculous, but the tree trimming business is a joke. We have been in our house for many years. The trees were already planted when we moved in and have not grown very much more than when we moved in. They are Bradford Pears and dogwoods. The idiots showed up this morning and just butchered the trees. They cut the bradford pear back to the midpoint on one side only. Then they proceeded to cut the top off the dogwood tree which was not touching the lines. It was actually too short to reach them. We called and were told that Alabama Power was not contracting any tree service in our area. We went back out to the truck and told them to get a supervisor to our home immediately and guess who pulls up? A "manager" with Alabama Power. Hmmm? After we lodged our complaint and let them know what we were advised by our attorney to sue, they offered to cut our tree down completely and bring a replacement tree. If they were not in the wrong, then why in the world would they be trying to kiss my butt and keep me from suing them? These people had rather climb a tree and lie while cutting it down, than to stand on the ground and tell the truth! A-HOLES!

I strongly agree with all the complaints ... except in my case, it's less about money and more about seemingly arbitrary interruptions of service. Interruption of service is sporadic, always unrelated to the weather, and outage time can vary from 15 minutes to a day. Of course I pay my monthly bill, so outage has nothing to do with anything on my end. I even recall a long-ago letter written to the Birmingham News by a resident who complained that, every time the wind blew, the power went out. Except in my case, there's no wind blowing! It just goes out! All I care about is being able to getting a reasonably-guaranteed service for what I'm already paying. Why is this even an issue? I'm beginning to suspect that interruption is deliberate at times so the company itself can save money ...

Alabama Power agreed to run service to our new home site and quoted a price. We paid in full to the tune of about 3700 dollars for the new service to be run. Then we waited...

Then, the changes started. Originally, they waived the new home start as long as we had plans. I told them we had plans in the works and that my draftsman could produce a copy at any time we wanted to show Alabama Power. Then they need to see something constructed. We built a 25x30 shop with concrete foundation. Then they wanted $19k more. Then they HAD to see a living space. We bought a double-wide mobile home to move to the property until out new home can be built. Then the price went up to $4600 more...

I contacted the Alabama PSC and that was a waste of time. I did however discover that the original estimate that we paid in full was ESTIMATED WRONG. Hmmmm, I wonder why they have been trying to get more money all along! You know what? Why the hell didn't they just tell me that they made a mistake? Admit the error, knock a few "feel-good" bucks off the difference and I would have paid it. What did they do instead? They implied the changes so that "any alteration to the original requested service" could VOID the original agreement! They lied about the "necessary" changes so they wouldn't have to admit the mistake and run the power!

The final statement by the PSC was that I could feel free to get a private attorney to sue Alabama Power. Yeah... let's do that math! Ronald Reagan was right, The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'

It's ok though. One day the people who are liars, cheats, and thieves will have to answer to God. If I get lucky, the day may come that those liars, cheats and thieves will have to answer to me!

Robert A. Grier
Webb, Alabama

Tried to pay my bill with a routing number to avoid the fee of paying with a credit card. The routing number was correct, checked with my bank to make sure the number was correct, had WAY more than enough to cover my small bill for my small apartment. Next thing I know I get a bill in the mail that I was being charged a 20.00 dollar fee for no funds/delinquent payment. Double and triple checked the number, it was correct, called the bank and they said there was never an attempt to withdraw. Now I'm stuck paying an extra 20.00 for no reason at all. Unacceptable. Glad I'm not the only one having trouble with them.

UPDATE on Webb, AL

Alabama Power finally did come through. We have power on our farm! woo hoo!
A person from the Eufaula office, Virginia (Ginger) Dean, got involved and everything was put in place as originally agreed at the original price. It took over a year and a half, but it is done.

R. A. Grier

I hate Alabama Power! We paid all the past due on our bill less than 2 weeks ago, and we still had our power cut off today. When I called and finally talked to an actual person, instead of explaining to me why this happened the customer service person was extremely rude and condescending. In my opinion, Alabama Power knows they can treat customers like dirt because we have no other option for our power service. If we didn't pay what we were suppose to pay then there needs to be a way for them to contact us and let us know before the power is cut off. I think the only reason they don't want to work with you is the money they are making on the high reconnection fees. I wish I could live off the grid and then I would not have to deal with the jerks. I hate Alabama Power!

My bill also skyrocketed when the new meters were put in, and I was not even living in the house yet. No refrigerator, no AC (cold weather), gas heat, gas water heater. There was nothing running except a light and the gas heat while we were repairing the house. I had a bill like a small family lived there for months before I moved in. The bill was exponentially more ridiculous when I actually did move in. The phone reps always insist that it is something drawing in your house, even if the house is empty with the breaker switched off. I just had to eat **** and move on because there is no other option and they insist their meter is working properly. I was shocked when recently the high bills I have grown accustomed to doubled AGAIN. Mind you that it is winter and I have gas heat and gas heated water (thank God!), so the only electricity my wife and I use is for lighting (and we literally keep ONE light on at night to keep that cost down), LCD TV (costs several dollars a YEAR to operate) and washing clothes (We wash maybe two loads a week). I tried to contest my bill and request research, (I had plenty in my account to pay it, I just wanted to make sure I paid the correct amount) and without any further communication or notice they DISCONNECTED my power, and told my wife I have to pay an extra $75 on top of my erroneous high bill to have the thieves come back and reconnect it. This is highway robbery and bullying by a utility company with an obvious monopoly. We have to put a stop to it!

Alabama Power shows no one any mercy. And what ever you do don't expect the Alabama Public Service Commission to help. They charged me a high deposit to open my business, and I was told it was so high because they had to estimate what I was use in a 12 month period. Their own bi-laws state this, but now that I have been in business for 6 + year, I got my average usage by adding 12 months service up and dividing it by twelve. The original deposit I put up was almost 2 times that. I asked for 1/2 of my deposit back based on their on rules and bi-laws but they refused to do so. I then contacted the Alabama Public Service Commission which was a joke. They seem to take their side on anything, and after explaining to them that they are the ones that created their own bi-laws which is what I was going by, I was actually hung up on by the Public Service Commission. I give up... All I can do is say enjoy my money you bunch of crooks...

Justice for Leah and Kety, "Mother, 9-year-old daughter die due to Wilton house fire ...Friday, 18oct2013 - AL.com"
They was burn alive due to gross negligence of this criminal company, who failure to fix the electricity problem one day before, respective Thursday 17oct2013, and show up the next day Friday 18oct 2013, after the horrible tragic incident was already produce. Leah have an advance Asperger syndrome. We know what was happened and looking for anybody who believe was and it is mistreat by this criminal company to sign petition for class action against Alabama Power Company. While peoples died burn alive, the Executive Compensation, Charles D. McCrary it is 5, 608, 165Total compensation/2012(approximation of 6milion dollars/2012!) We pray to GOD to make justice to Leah and Katy, two innocent peoples, mother and daughter, who find they death, burning alive. You can imagine how it is to be to burn alive?! Please contact me e-mail: ocrasi6@yahoo.com to fight together against this criminals, and prevent future innocent peoples mistreatment and horrible death. God bless!

I completely agree that Alabama Power is a hateful / heartless company. We paid one day past our payment agreement, and they turned it off after we paid! They said that technically we breached the agreement. We explained our situation and pleaded with them(seeing as we did pay) Nothing but hate on their part. And to top it off 3 late fees and a $75 cut on fee was added, to make it harder on us when we're already struggling. What's also sad is we paid the extra $2 bux a month to help those in need on our bill. But they showed a severe lack of human decency.

I'm a new home owner and I pay all of my bills on time, but when it comes to my power bill it doubles! I was nine months pregnant when they cut my power off and told me it was nothing they can do, of course I'm a single parent and during my maternity leave it was on a fixed income, I even came up to Alabama power to show them how much my check was and what I could pay but the ### did not care, they had me and my newborn child stuck in the cold for four weeks and wouldn't give me an extension until I went back to work., during that time I had to return back to work early and it caused me a world of medical issues, after paying the 700.00 bill they gave me they raised it from the original 159.00 to Damn near 350.00 a month and told me I was using too much in my house, I told the lady my power been off four weeks, how in the he'll in used anything? She rolled her eyes at me and started typing and then gave me a smug look and said, well it's not my problem is can talk to the hot line, haha in laughed and walked away, I swear to god I hate Alabama power and I can't wait until another power company comes to beat there rates?! I hope it shuts down and everyone employed there never finds another job again in there lives, I can't believe the heartless son of a batches who work there haha buying know posting this doesn't make a difference but whoever reads this please be careful dealing with these people they are cold hearted and just try and find anyway to get money from you, I currently stay in valley grande now and have another power company with wonderful service. I feel for anyone staying in city limits who have to deal with the ###

My parents was given a voucher to help with they bill, they also have appliance with Alabama Power, not concern with the appliance just the bill. The voucher was sent in but was excepted then not excepted, the lady call and told me she give me to a certain time to have it all after the fact a lady had gave me a arrangement on the appliance, she was going to put my parents in the cold over something the company could have easily pick up, the utilities is well more important then the appliance. My parents are disable and my father had just took a fall..Alabama Power do what they want ! WHERE are the people that suppose to be overseeing companies like this.

Alabama power has very rude employees! ! They turned off my power 11 days after it was due and within those 11 days I spoke with a csr that told me it was okay to make payments. ..called back after it was cut off they said the payment arrangements weren't on my account and it was nothing they could do. ..so why wasn't that mention when I made a payment? ? I HATE ALABAMA POWER!

I always used dothan utility my bill ranged from 60 to 100 because I never be home to use anything got a mobile home that I'm sad to say is with Alabama power now and I still never have anything on now my bills are 175 to 200 how is this possible when no one is never here from 4 a.m. to 8. P.m. why are y'all ripping use off?

I spoke with a manager recently about a proven issue with alabama power bill matrix system and the customer service and management just seem to act as if they could care less about what the customer has to say. I guess since there is no other power service providers but alabama power they are correct.

My power was disconnected on 09/11/2015. I get paid this Friday and I spoke with a CSR on 09/11/2015 and she said that all I had to pay was $274.21 to restore my service. I call today 09/21/2015 because I received another bill on Friday and she told me that if I didn't pay the bill within five days than I had to pay the entire bill which is $482.18 plus $225.00 deposit. I have never heard this in my life. I am livid!

I agree they are ripping us all of. I just calculated my usage verses paid amount for the past 17 bills under my budget billing.
From 8/4/14 - 9/28/15 I had a total usage costs of $2398.86
That same time period I paid $2719 in my budget billing.
I've paid them $320.14 extra.
If I had (for arguments sake) the exact same usage the next 17 months as last, and my budget billing was identical, by the end of the next 17 bills I would have then paid them $620.28
AL Power take notice! You owe me $320.14

I have had the same problem with AL Power! I've gotten usage reports and our usage skyrockets during the day while we are at work and our central unit is off! Yet AL Power tells me we must have left an appliance on, there's nothing they can do and the "smart meter" is running perfectly. I too have called the public service commission, a total wast of time! They checked the meter and told us it was accurate...thanks for nothing!
We have a gas fireplace that we heat with in the winter, so a normal power bill for us would be $60 - $90 dollars. Over the last 2 winter it's $150 - $195! I'm supposed to believe that leaving my TV plugged in causes this...AL Power is a joke!