Consumers Energy review: meter move out 6

We are from Kalamazoo in a dispute with CMS and now with the MPSC concerning a tale that is too long and aggravating to go into a lot of detail about. I am asking for those of you on this board to please contact the MPSC([protected]) or [protected] for MI residents) and file your complaint. Then, call the gov's office and file the same complaint! We have been told that the MPSC actually has limited ability to force CMS to do anything! They answer to the gov's office([protected]). Why do we have a toothless regulatory agency? That's a good question that a Gov's office assistant we spoke with is going to look into. It begs the question- what recourse do the citizens of MI actually have if CMS is defrauding them? And, one could argue it is fraud if they advertise and promise to deliver efficient and reliable energy- but ignore problems with the delivery that could be costing their customers thousands of $ each year. Apparently we are the only people to ever contact the Gov's office about these kinds of problems. I'm not sure if I buy that, but if you do it and then let us know- then I guess we KNOW we aren't the only ones.
BTW Arual98- we were told that CMS couldn't figure out the difference between faulty readings from bad equipment retroactively. Basically, in our case it was looking like we would be owed a refund, so they chose to tell us they couldn't figure that out. Funny how they can figure out that YOU owe THEm somehow! You are absolutely correct- it was their equipment malfunction, their QS system that failed to catch it in a timely manner, and their loss because of their own failures. Stay on it and get people you know who have issues involved too. It's really easy to ignore a small handful of complaints, something CMS are old pros at. When it's coming from the Gov's office, a larger group and hopefully a news article or two it gets harder to ignore. We are working towards a formal complaint in front of a judge- so please contact us with your tale. We won't divulge identifying info., but each complaint helps us to know exactly what systems need fixing. karmadist@gmail.com

We just moved out of a house that we were renting and asked that they transfer the bill back to the landlord and we would pay for the last 2 weeks that we were there. They decided to replace the meter that was on the house stating that it was recording what we has used and readjusted the statements from Dec 2010 to May 13, 2011. They are now saying that we owe them over $400! For 2 weeks? I don't think so! At the most we should owe $45 to $60. It was their faulty equipment. Why should I have to suffer because they did not upgrade their equipment?

It's not that this person is asking to have her meter put outside... Consumer Energy is demanding it, or they are going to shut off her gas... The same thing is happening at our house. It's absolute crap if you ask me. They expect me to take time off work to sit here and supervise them digging up my entire garden so they can't have access to the thing anyways, because I have a 6 foot privacy fence... I either allow it, or never have heat in my home or gas to cook my food or heat my water... I agree, I didn't know Consumer Energy had more rights to my property and home than I did. Maybe they would like to take over the payments? I lost 10 years of equity... Now I lost the rights to control what happens to my home.

They can, but don't normally, turn your service off if you don't allow a meter reader access to read your indoor meter once a year. It is a part of their conditions of service that they send you when your service was started. It's not Consumers Energy's fault that you decided to purchase a home with an indoor meter, so why should they be responsible for anything that is needed to be done to put your meter where you want it? It was not Consumers Energy's choice to put your meter inside, that is decided by the builder of the home...which was a stupid practice, but thats another story. But, it was your choice to buy the home with the meter inside and if you want it outside, then you are going to have to pay for it.

If you don't want to move it outside you can call in your read every month or give it to them online. You can also find one day a year to let a meter reader into your home and read your meter that way...just don't be surprised if you get a huge make up bill.

An agency that can help.

File a complaint with the Michigan Public Service Commission at [protected] or on line at www.michigan.gov/mpsc (see Consumer Information - File an Electric or Gas Complaint. Can't hurt, may help.