BETHLEHEM, Pa. — When Sharon Porter opened the latest PPL electricity bill for her home in Coopersburg, she said she couldn’t believe the $544 charge.
And across the Lehigh Valley, reactions were much the same.
For many, the bills were beyond their means to pay, sending them scrambling to legislators and social agencies for guidance.
“It’s important from a consumer affairs perspective to protect consumers from billing errors,” said Democrat Josh Siegel, a former member of Allentown City Council who recently took his seat as a state representative representing the redrawn 22nd District.
Other legislators say they've also heard from constituents, and they're weighing ways to help.
Also Tuesday, the state Public Utilities Commission announced it "has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding unusually high bills recently received by customers served by PPL Electric Utilities (PPL), along with the accuracy and integrity of PPL’s
billing practices."
And for the first time on Tuesday, PPL responded.
"If you received an estimated bill or have had difficulty reaching our call center, I apologize," PPL President Steph Raymond said in a letter being sent to customers, according to spokeswoman Jane George.
"Simply put, you deserve better, and we are committed to regaining your trust."
- PPL Electric blamed recent erroneous bills on an error with its billing system
- The bills were based on an "estimated" usage and were much higher than normal
- Local lawmakers plan to discuss potential legislative remedies in order to protect consumers from further errors
PPL blames error
Porter said her bill “was more than double the previous month’s bill,” lumping her family in with thousands of others across the region angry and confused about the soaring charges.
Many said they have spent hours on hold on the phone with PPL, only to give up after waiting times ballooned to two or three hours.
PPL blamed the erroneous bills on an error with its billing system, prompting it to default to an “estimated usage” of how much people owe. It said the estimates were based on actual electric use data during the same billing period the previous year, but in messages posted across social media, many homeowners say the numbers weren’t close to accurate.
Some people, including one Allentown resident, reported charges in excess of $1,000, despite the comparable billing cycle coming in under $300.
And PPL initially said people are on the hook for the full amount, regardless of the error, with the overcharge expected to be "reconciled" in the next billing statement.
Now, it says customers have either already received a corrected bill with actual usage or an adjustment on the next monthly bill to ensure they're only paying for electricity they've used.
Legislators' concerns
Siegel said he’s still getting his local office and his phone lines up and running, but he’s heard from a number of people hit with the inflated charges.
The bills not only arrived immediately following the holiday period, but at a time when inflation continues to increase the cost of living, and as pandemic funds for housing and unemployment come to an end.
“It’s not fair to say to these consumers, ‘You’ve gotta pay this,’” Siegel said. “So I want to get together with my colleagues and sit down with our delegation to talk about this and make sure consumers are being charged appropriately.
“When a bill jumps $200 or $300, that’s the difference between groceries on the table. So we have to see what legislative remedies there are at our disposal, because ‘You’ve gotta pay your bill’ is not the answer I want to give anybody.”
Similarly, state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-132nd District, said his office has fielded many calls, and state Rep. Peter Scheweyer, D-134th District, said in a text message the question of billing is something that has been talked about a lot in Harrisburg.
Customers can call the OCA, PUC
On Tuesday, the PUC said in a statement that the matter has been referred to its independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement for investigation — which enforces the state public utility code and PUC regulations.
"In addition to the investigation, the commission continues to encourage consumers to contact PPL with concerns about the size and accuracy of their bills, and work with the utility to explore options for corrected bills, payment options and financial assistance options," PUC's statement said.
The PUC said consumers who do not believe that PPL has addressed their issues or believe that the utility has not responded appropriately to their situation, should contact the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) at 1-800-692-7380. Additionally, consumers who are unable to reach PPL agents or do not receive a response from PPL should contact BCS to report those issues.
The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) had received 21 consumer contacts regarding the PPL billing error by Monday, said Patrick Cicero, a consumer advocate.
Cicero said customers have the right to dispute their bill, and request that PPL provide an actual meter read or the opportunity for the customer to give PPL a meter read, then request to have the bill reissued with the actual reading.
The OCA will also contact PPL on behalf of the customer to dispute the bill, Cicero said, noting that any consumer who disputes his or her bill with PPL or the PUC cannot have their service terminated while the dispute is pending.
In addition, from Dec. 1 to March 31, households with income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level cannot have their service terminated without permission from the PUC.
Another step consumers can take if they're not satisfied after reaching out to PPL is to file an informal complaint through the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, or PUC, website.
They’re routed through the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services, which works to facilitate discussion between both parties to resolve the complaint.
On its website, PUC says the process is much less time-consuming than a formal complaint and usually results in a faster resolution.
PUC press secretary Nils Hagen-Frederiksen did not specify if that message was because of the large number of complaints being filed related to the PPL billing issue, but said any determination PUC makes related to the issue is “based on the facts.”
“If consumers believe the utility is not acting appropriately, we encourage them to file a complaint so our team can gather detailed information from the consumer and the utility,” Nils said. "Many issues between consumers and utilities are quickly resolved during those direct conversations."
PPL's response
Porter isn't sure what her next step will be after receiving a second bill even higher than the first.
“We actually received the next monthly bill this past Saturday,” she said. “That bill was also incorrect. This one was $554.
“We did pay the [first bill] on time. I'm not sure that we can do that with this most recent bill.”
On Jan. 26, the company sent an email to customers outlining steps to manage their home energy bills. That email did not disclose or address the billing error, but advised customers to apply for programs to help making their bill "more predictable and affordable."
On Monday, LehighValleyNews.com asked PPL for clarification on how many customers in its service area were impacted by the billing error, and why billing wasn't held until accurate bills could be processed. We also asked what people should do who are receiving new bills that are higher than the erroneous bills.
PPL responded Tuesday by sending the letter and a fact sheet it says will be sent to customers. It says it the company has added more agents at the call center to address questions faster, that it would waive all late fees for January and February and that power would not be shut off for non-payment through March 31.
PPL Electric_Customer Bill Fact Sheet by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
'Took path of least resistance'
In an email to LehighValleyNews.com on Monday, state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, also weighed in.
“When I first heard the stories of the billing issue, my office contacted the PUC to confirm that PPL was permitted to resolve the issue with credits,” Boscola said.
“While I have a great deal of respect for PPL and the job they do here in the Lehigh Valley, the law does not mandate that PPL use the credit method.
"It appears that PPL took the path of least resistance for themselves and maybe didn’t look at what was in the best interest of their customers.”
Boscola said she will continue to work with the PUC, PPL and colleagues to see if there is a more consumer-friendly approach to resolving future issues.
“I do believe PPL will work with customers to ensure that PPL’s mistake doesn’t stress people’s wallets as they continue to struggle with high costs of energy and inflation,” she said.
