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Business Profile

Electric Companies

Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Electric Companies.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. has 4 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 13 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 3 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/13/2022

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Our business electricity was disconnected yesterday with 30 days past due. When I called to complaint, the manager kept saying technically they can disconnect anyone or business after 10 days past due. I told them and confirmed with their record that my previous month's payment was made on 9/27, and therefore when I received the final disconnection notice dated 9/28, I did not think it was subject to disconnection. She also mentioned I should have called them to confirm, but as a business owner operating from 8am to 9pm, you only have an option to call during the day when you are ALWAYS on hold for ***** minutes! She said if the final notice is dated 9/28, that means the notice is mailed out on 9/27 already, and work order is in place to disconnect the power which makes no sense. Also, why can't they contact you at least before the disconnection? What are they keeping track of your contact information for if they are not going to ever use it? It seems like HECO almost want you to fail your payment making so they can disconnect the service for generate more fees. I am sure HECO will never disconnect the service for Wholefoods or ******* if they were 10 days past due. Hawaiian Electric being a private entity just like any other non-profit entity, they need to follow the same Anti-Trust Law and should not be abusing their power as a sole service provider in the State to discriminate how and who they provide their services differently. If they are providing the same grace ****** policy before they disconnect the service to Wholefoods and *******, I'll be very surprised, but HECO is disconnecting power to small business account with 30 days past due! Instead of being supportive of local small business, HECO kept repeating technicality to say that they can connect anyone after 10 days. For once, why can they just say, 'you are right, we did not consider your last payment made. Let us reconnect you back today' ? instead I have loss of sale until it's reconnected.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/03/2022

      Hawaiian Electric's response is attached.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/28/2022

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My Electric bill is going from ****** to ******. How can 29 days be ****** to ****** for 31 days. I think the meter is not being checked correctly. account number ************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/06/2022

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      July 25, my electricity was shut off with no prior notice before disconnection.July 26, we contacted HECO regarding sudden disconnection.. They claimed to have called but we didn't receive a call. And sent 2 letters, which is false.Told us we have a balance of ***** And we'd have to pay half to get it turned back on. And that the remaining will need to be paid in 3 payments over the next 3 months.Aug. 3: Recieved a letter of disconnection dated Aug 2 stating that we needed to contact the office and make payment arrangements byAug. 10 to prevent our service from being shut off.Called them(HECO) back asking them to why they sent us a notice now after they shut off our electricity. They claimed its an automated system still wouldn't turn our electricity back on.A payment in the amount of $2000 Called Heco to confirm payment and they said they'd turn it on on Aug.4.They had against their policy and future notice turned off my electricity and caused irreparable damage to my family which resulted in the loss of life of my entire beloved inhabitants of my fish tank as well as left us having to throw away food that I had just bought on the 24th. Had they given reasonable notice as per procedure policy or followed their late after the fact fraudulent notice then the loss of life could have been prevented and my son wouldn't have to spend his birthday burying and morning our pets with no money for food. To prevent further harm done due this incident, after having received authorization for electricity to be turned on after payment was made, and because of last shut off turn on we had at this address we were allowed to turn on our electricity per their reqiest and instruction, I restored the unauthorized shutoffThe following day when worker came, late in the day, instead of getting on with his work, he turned it off and took our meter!?! When spoke with HECO we were informed that we now needed it paid in full and added an additional 300 fordoingtheirjob

      Business Response

      Date: 08/15/2022

      See attached response

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/16/2022

       
      Complaint: 17680101

      I am rejecting this response because:

      The final notice of disconnection should have been sent prior to any disconnection. As it clearly states that there was a set time frame ending at August 10th. BEFORE service will be subject for disconnection without further notice.

      While the full payment wasn't made, a majority was with the raining balance to be paid through liheap once service was reconnected. There was no unlawful, unauthorized tampering or damage other than to a ************* "seal" and only after the electric was "authorized" to be turned back on the following day.

      Even though it was still well before the date that my service was subject to disconnection according to their own Final Notice Before Disconnection. 

      Causing further distress and now the inability to recieve the assistance from liheap due to the disconnection. 

      This is seriously inhane as I have been now suffering with 2 children in this insane heat and stench of sweat and so much more financial burden. And lack of resources and nutrition has caused my disability to become exasperated and my health declining significantly as well as the mental health of my children. One of which has had a mental break and threatening suicide while if it weren't for the second child, I would understandably join him in our quest to unalienable ourselves because of the cruel and unusual punishment we are receiving after making g such an enormous payment and loosing such a big part of our family, on his birthday, for breaking a ************* seal and reconnecting a service which shouldn't have been disconnected in the first place with the slap in the face being this notice before disconnection coming well after the actual disconnection.

      Sincerely,

      *******************

    Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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