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On 09/04/2007, I found a representative from Centerpoint energy in my driveway who informed me that he was here to disconnect my gas service. The bill was being sent to another one of my properties on the other side of the country and I never realized that it was missing when the mail stopped being forwarded. To this date, I have yet to have a single call or a Voice Mail from Centerpoint to the phone number listed on my account to inform me that my service was about to be disconnected. Their answer to this issue was: well, our automated system calls customers but we don't leave a message or bother checking if the calls ever reached you... Seems to me like the system's only designed to deal with intentionally delinquent customers and not to resolve billing issues as is the case here. The reason I am contacting you to place an official complaint is twofold:
1. Monopoly practices (failure to reach a customer to try and resolve issues): Not leaving a phone message (while disconnect notices are being sent to an incorrect address) does not give a delinquent customer a way to know there is an issue with their account and to resolve it. My unchecked payment history should have been a good reason to suspect there was an issue somewhere... but when you are the only company around, you don't have to deal with customers the way others do, I guess!
2. Racketeering (They want to charge me $70 dollars to turn the gas valve back on). This simply ridiculous! Mind you that I owe them a measly $98 and that until 04/07, I made regular payments.
PS: At this point in time, I believe the only gas powered appliance in my house is the water heater, which I will be replacing with an electric one so I no longer have to use the ONLY gas providing utility company. I also want to make sure that you are aware f what appears to be monopolistic abuse from Centerpoint energy. This is so ridiculous and could have been avoided had the company bothered to have a live employee call me on the number they had on record, which seems like proper business practice.
![Puget Sound Energy [PSE]](/images/business/48-48/129363/puget-sound-energy-pse.png){kind=small}
![Public Service Electric & Gas [PSEG]](/images/business/48-48/121018/pseg-public-service-electric-gass-.png){kind=small}
The company is going to send the bill to the address on your account.
As for the 70.00 reconnect fee, do you think it costs something (around 80.00 an hr) to run a technician and a truck to your property to turn the meter back on?
They do more than just 'turn a gas valve on'. The inspect the meter, regulator, valve and loop for leaks. They then check the regulator pressure to make sure the proper pressure, 4 oz, is going into your home. They then do a 'shut-in test', which checks your house line for leaks. After all that, they go in, check your appliances for leaks, and relight them if it is safe to do so.
With the each tech doing that 20 or so times a day, and running on emergency leaks in between, it does cost a little something to run someone to your house.
I agree that Centerpoint should have to call a customer before disconnecting their service. What is this world coming to? I would be willing to bet that many terminations of service would be avoided by a simple phone call. But if they did that, then a whole lot of $80.00 per hour tech's? would be out of jobs.
My wife and I have had an account for about 20 years. In March of this year Centerpoint started sending our bills via e-mail (with no notice). My wife has called them twice to tell them to mail a paper bill. They never did start sending paper bills. A new junk mail program was installed at my wife's work in July which sent the Centerpoint bills to the junk folder (good place for them). Needless to say, we missed paying two months.
Our gas was turned off on December 14th. When my wife checked her junk folder and found the bills, the latest one said it was due on December 18th. We never received a disconnect notice (by mail or e-mail). The customer representative claimed one was sent and basically called my wife a liar when she said she didn't get it. The customer service rep at Centerpoint said that the gas would be turned back on on December 19th. Did anybody show up to turn our gas back on today?
Of course not.
I sincerely believe that Centerpoint operates this way in order to generate revenue. Centerpoint is out there making jobs for themselves. If they didn't have a monopoly - they would not operate this way. They couldn't becasue they would loose all of their customers. They would show respect to customers. My wife was treated so poorly and rudely by the customer service person at Centerpoint that I won't even go into it here. It's unbelievable.
This is what you get when you have no competition.
Well, I see I'm not the only one. Centerpoint has no customer service care. Get this. Yes, my fault that the bill was overlooked. Never had a problem paying before and don't now. Just to emphasize how I had no idea that Centerpoint was disconnecting the service, my dog was barking in the backyard and I went to see what the issue was. See a gas man in the yard, thinking he's reading the meter. I say hello, he says hello back. Nothing else was said. An hour later, I'm about to cook dinner... no gas! After checking w/my account, found out the account was past due. Centerpoint has no incentive to call you for a friendly reminder. I swear I wanted to scream. Corporations are soooooo greedy. Now I have to pay reconnection fee of 60+ and $70 deposit. Rip off! The meter man could have simply told me he was disconnecting my gas and give me the ability to pay by phone. What ever happened to courtesy? Boy if gas ever gets deregulated, they will immediately change their tune.
Change your address on your account. Dont always trust the postal service. Maybe this is where your complaint should be that your mail did not get forwarded. Go fill up a diesel truck and drive round all day like a service man will do and see how much it costs you to do so. PAY YOUR BILLLS.
How does one get rid of the monopoly CenterPoint Energy - that is the only way to get rid of their attitude in customer service. They know we can't use another gas company so they treat their customers like stupid little children who need to obey. Ban together figure out a way - break the monopoly that all natural gas providers have - give us a choice so we can spend our money on people who don't treat us like sh...
CENTERPOINT IS THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN; WHY IN THE HELL DO WE THINK THEY SHOULD CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER? WE NEED SOME RICH OIL TYCON TO COME AND BUY OUT CENTERPOINT AND FIRE ALL OF THOSE GOOD FOR NOTHING EMPLOYEES FROM THE STINKING “DON’T CARE” ATTITUDES OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE (LOL!
MAKES ME LAUGH TO EVEN CONNECT CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THOSE BLANTANT IDIOTS) TO THE SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS WHO WALK AROUND AND GRADE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT ON HOW FAST THEY CAN DISCONNECT FROM THE PHONE CALL WITH A DESPARATE ELDERLY CUSTOMER WHO NEEDS HOT WATER AND HEAT… MUST BE NICE TO BE KING FOR NOW…
The criminals at Centerpoint has found a way (just like Enron) to steal from it's customers by not notifiying them that they are about to turn service off. I used to get a pink colored envelope notifying me also, but none was sent this time. I'm sure this scheme will bring in a few extra million dollars in their coffers. I too did not recieve that famous phone call they said they made 24 hours before disconnection. There was no message left and my caller ID goes back two weeks with absolutely no calls from Centerpoint.
These Centerpoint/Enron criminals has to be stopped.
Center Point Energy customer service is very bad, they discriminate with their customer about how much is needed to pay for reconnect and, hang up on people, talk very rudely .I think they should be shut down and there should another option of gas in Texas.
Thanks
Research about installing a CALIFONT
Well in history class ya know the government is supposed to "prevent" monopoly so why don't they dose something about these worthless a**holes
Seems to me that you know that the gas or electric bill is due every month - regardless of receiving a bill in the mail/e-mail or not, you would know that a balance is due. What happened to personal responsibility? If I don't pay my rent, I expect that I'll be evicted. Don't pay my cable or internet, it'll be shut off. Why would it be any different for Centerpoint's services?
CenterPoint is a "Monopoly". Now what to do about it. This is something we've all known about for years. What happened to the Electric provider's is only an example. CenterPointe hires many minorities & other individuals that do not care about another, they are "self absorbed, Self Centered, & have zero compassion." I Agree that it's a business, but becoming a Lord over the Natural Gas, is a REAL problem. It NEEDS TO STOP.
Centerpoint is phenomally rude, crude and socially unacceptable in dealing with the consumer. There is only one option in Harris County, Houston and that is Center Point and even they contract out the techincians to other companies. There is much too big a coverup and a wall imposed by Center Point for their services and when the "techincians" are not even Center Point Employees, what is really going on?
Center Point is the most unreliable group, unprofessional and irrisponsible bunch of people! they are a monopoly that don't take any responsiblity for their screw ups! they came to my property fried my meter then told me I had to call an electrician to fix the problem! I did! I paid a pretty penny for that! the permits were issued twice by the City of HOuston! but they say they have no record of that! in the mean time I'm having to put the tennants in a Hotel! it's been a week now and they refuse to bring me a meter! it's between the City of Houston and Centerpoint! what the hell is going on! this family has three small children and they don't care! as they told me! Sorry! we can't help you! and they will not call the city either! the Electrician is also perplexed as to the situation with Centerpoint! I will have to get an attorney! as if they could care!
Centerpoint energy sucks. i missed a payment of $54.00. Have never had service disconnected. no phone call, courtesy call of disconnection, nothing... come home to start dinner for 5 teenagers, showers for school and clean clothes...guess what . no gas. disconnect fee, re-connect service fee, Trip charge fee, deposit fee...$224.00 and another $50.00 just to come out today instead of tomm...i could see if i get shutoff all the time but this is bullcrap...something has to be done about these crooks...