ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Armed with complaints, people crammed up Rochester’s Metropolis Council chambers to air their grievances Tuesday in direction of RG&E.
News10NBC investigative reporter Jennifer Lewke, who has been reporting on these factors for months, was part of that crowd.
First public hearings into @RGandE’s billing and buyer assist factors about to start out. @NYSDPS tells me it took 800 complaints regarding the utility in January alone. @news10nbc pic.twitter.com/i8xHdr1Tsb — Jennifer Lewke (@WHEC_JLewke) February 7, 2023
The New York State Division of Public Service organized the hearings in response to a stack of complaints in direction of the utility and can be found after an in depth News10NBC investigation. Purchasers have reported inaccurate funds and hours spent on the phone attempting to restore them.
“I don’t have time in my life, working 60 hours per week merely to make ends meet, and like completely different people have to take from Peter to pay Paul to take care of the heat on, I don’t have time to be on the phone with you guys,” purchaser Theresa Wilson talked about. “The place’s my bill?”
“Every time I identify once more to see why it hasn’t been rectified however, I’ve to start from scratch, endure all the course of over as soon as extra, get transferred from division to division to division,” purchaser Bridgette White talked about.
RG&E has blamed its billing and buyer assist factors on not having enough staff.
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“It’s time to correct the ship by putting the shopper first. I am the shopper. I’m not always correct nonetheless I’m always the shopper and since I’ve no completely different different, I seek for this physique to take sturdy movement to correct the ship that RG&E and its possession seem to demonstratively be unable to do,” purchaser Patrick Fox talked about.
Monday afternoon, the utility talked about it is making progress:
Rochester Gasoline and Electrical (RG&E) continues to make vital enhancements to buyer assist with elevated staffing ranges. In consequence, it has seen its proportion of estimated funds drop larger than 63 % from February 2022 to January 2023. The Agency attributes this to the meter be taught workforce
stabilizing, finding out further meters, and reducing estimated funds, which is ready to in the reduction of billing
factors.
45 new buyer assist representatives will begin teaching shortly. RG&E already employed further
than 120 buyer assist representatives, with over 100 further positions to be crammed this
12 months resulting in diminished wait cases for purchasers contacting the Agency. In addition to, the
Agency’s backlog of funds requiring handbook analysis has fallen larger than 40 % since
September all through RG&E and New York State Electrical & Gasoline (NYSEG). With the addition of
40 billing specialists closing 12 months, the Firms have been ready to expedite billing evaluations,
resulting in further properly timed funds.
“Bettering the shopper assist experience is a excessive priority for our Agency, “ talked about Trish
Nilsen, president and CEO of RG&E and NYSEG. “It’s a course of that takes time, it takes
time to educate new representatives to make sure that them to provide top quality service, and we’re
holding and accelerating this teaching now.”
The arrange of Good Meters will begin shortly throughout the Rochester house, an initiative which will
in the reduction of billing factors by significantly reducing estimates. The Agency will proceed to
improve the shopper experience as a result of it reaffirms its dedication to provide safe and reliable
vitality to the neighborhood.
RG&E and NYSEG encourage people eager on starting a occupation to view alternate options
accessible now.
Public comment lessons will even be held in Binghamton on Wednesday.
Additional about billing factors with RG&E: