Complaints

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• 

  Consumers Energy

  530 W Willow St Lansing, MI 48906-4874

  
• 

  Consumers Energy

  4000 Clay Ave SW Grand Rapids, MI 49548-3017

  
• 

  Consumers Energy

  PO Box 369 Royal Oak, MI 48068-0369

  
• 

  Consumers Energy

  2400 Weiss St Saginaw, MI 48602-3858

  
• 

  Consumers Energy

  666 W. Willow St. Lansing, MI 42069

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  We lose power on a more than average basis, maybe up to six times a year. It seems its always due to fallen trees. We notice consumers will cut a fallen tree and leave one next to it that looks dead and about to fall any minute. This is more than frustrating to full time residents. If consumers cant provide ** with full time electricity, maybe they should buy full time residents back up power? A serious solution needs to be addressed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2023

  CUSTOMER INFORMATION
  
  ***************************
  
  Account #: ********1027
  
  **********************************************************
  
  Dates of Service: February of 2003-Present
  
  Email Address: ************************
  
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY
  
  04/17/2023: Sent Riverstar text and email notification to ***************************
  
  confirming receipt of complaint and informing him that our ************************************* would be following up to address his concerns.
  
  - Sent email to Grid Infrastructure Complaints requesting
  
  assignment and resolution with the customer.
  
  04/24/2023 08:37:35 EST (********)
  
  04/18/2023: Received the following details from ***********************, System
  
  Engineer, for closure:
  
  "I spoke with ****************** just before 4:30 p.m. on 4/18/23 and addressed
  
  his concerns. The cause of outages were explained as were the limits of
  
  our ability to remove hazardous trees outside of ROW (Right of Way).
  
  LVDP (Low Voltage Distribution Planning) monitors outages and develops
  
  plans to reduce outage frequency by inspecting circuits, soliciting tree
  
  trimming, sectionalizing circuits, relocating vulnerable line sections and
  
  upgrading equipment. Forestry performs circuit maintenance and removes
  
  hazard trees where permissible."
  
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION
  
  12-MONTH OUTAGE HISTORY
  
  DATE DURATION CAUSE
  
  08/03/2022 2 HR, 24 MIN Trees
  
  08/11/2022 1 HR, 50 MIN Trees
  
  12/15/2022 5 ****** MIN Trees
  
  12/15/2022 4 HR, 32 MIN Weather
  
  02/07/2023 4 HR, 27 MIN Trees outside of ROW
  
  04/12/2023 3 HR, 0 MIN Trees
  
  04/16/2023 1 HR, 35 MIN Trees
  
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION
  
  1. 12-MONTH OUTAGE HISTORY: ****************** has had 7 outages in
  
  the last 12 months, 5 caused by trees within our Right of Way.
  
  2. WHAT IS CONSUMERS ENERGY DOING TO MITIGATE OUTAGES:
  
  Forestry's spray program was completed in ********************** zone in 2022. LVDP
  
  monitors outages and develops plans to reduce outage frequency by
  
  inspecting circuits, soliciting tree trimming, sectionalizing circuits,
  
  relocating vulnerable line sections and upgrading equipment. Forestry
  
  performs circuit maintenance and removes hazard trees where permissible.
  
  3. ADDRESS CONSUMERS ENERGY CUTTING A FALLEN TREE AND LEAVING
  
  ONE NEXT TO IT THAT LOOKS DEAD: The dead tree is outside of our Right of
  
  Way.
  
  4. OUTAGE CREDITS: ****************** will receive a $35.00 outage
  
  credit for recurring outages based on his history. The six qualifying
  
  outages are: 08/03/2022, 08/11/2022, 12/15/2022, 12/15/2022, 02/07/2023,
  
  and 04/12/2023. This credit will automatically be applied to his account
  
  within 90 days from 04/12/2023.
  
  COMPLAINT CLOSED: 04/18/2023

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/05/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your rejection of the business's response. 
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of why I am rejecting this response appear below:
  
  $35 per outage would be fair, $35 for all the outages with more added, seems to be extremely unfair for the significant inconvenience and being forced into buying a backup generator for fear of not having heat in the middle of the winter. There is not much visible effort for Consumers Power to remedy this ongoing issue that we have suffered for years, and at times had financial losses of food in freezers and refrigerators.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  I have consumers energy for my electric service for my residential home. In November of 2022 I noticed that my monthly bill was a bit higher than normal but I paid the bill anyway. Later I looked on their website for my account and noticed that it had almost quadrupled in price. I called them up and was told that there where no issues on their end but would send out a tech at my request. I believe that it was in mid to late December when the tech came out and ran 3 tests on my meter. 2 of the 3 tests came back as a fail and he explained to me while he watched that he would replace meter to a new type and send old one in for further testing. He said that I should receive a refund on my bill if any issues where found. In January I received a shutoff notice for failure to pay my bill which was over $1000. The person I spoke with put a hold on my shutoff until a determination was made. Meanwhile we both noticed that my electric usage on the new meter was back to the normal average usage prior to all of the issues. I have tried to reach out to the net metering department to get this all resolved and still have not been in contact with anyone yet. I have noticed that I cant pay my current bill online anymore because of this late bill and they are charging me a late fee every month. This is unacceptable and I will not tolerate any longer. Please help.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2023

  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *************************************
  Account number: ********8798
  ***************************************************************
  Dates of service: 10/17/14 to present
  Email: ******************
  04/12/2023 09:38:04 EST (RNRICHAR)
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION:
  CONSUMPTION HISTORY FROM 2020 FORWARD:
  BEGIN: END: KWH USED:
  12/30/2019 01/27/2020 1,316
  01/28/2020 02/26/2020 1,061
  02/27/2020 03/31/2020 1,465
  04/01/2020 04/30/2020 842
  05/01/2020 06/01/2020 200
  06/02/2020 07/01/2020 844
  07/02/2020 08/01/2020 822
  08/02/2020 09/01/2020 497
  09/02/2020 10/01/2020 509
  10/02/2020 11/01/2020 1,325
  11/02/2020 12/01/2020 884
  12/02/2020 01/04/2021 2,018
  01/05/2021 02/01/2021 1,352
  02/02/2021 03/02/2021 1,154
  03/03/2021 03/31/2021 904
  04/01/2021 05/02/2021 2,481
  05/03/2021 06/01/2021 1,534
  06/02/2021 06/30/2021 1,262.74
  07/01/2021 08/01/2021 1,592.226
  08/02/2021 08/30/2021 1,451.956
  08/31/2021 09/29/2021 1,380
  09/30/2021 10/29/2021 1,908
  10/30/2021 12/01/2021 1,379.958
  12/02/2021 01/02/2022 1,513.95
  01/03/2022 01/30/2022 1,277.65
  01/31/2022 03/01/2022 1,464.512
  03/02/2022 03/30/2022 2,252.087
  03/31/2022 05/01/2022 1,239.16
  05/02/2022 05/31/2022 1,318.85
  06/01/2022 06/29/2022 1,413.054
  06/30/2022 07/31/2022 1,653.786
  08/01/2022 08/29/2022 1,317.012
  08/30/2022 09/28/2022 1,259.992
  09/29/2022 10/30/2022 2,576.558
  10/31/2022 12/01/2022 5,369.412
  12/02/2022 01/02/2023 3,357
  01/03/2023 01/31/2023 2,061.023
  02/01/2023 03/02/2023 1,818.679
  03/03/2023 04/02/2023 1,670.273
  Note: all use is based on actual meter reads.
  *******/TURN OFF: There is no turn off notice on the account as a hold has
  been placed. There is currently a balance of $1340.90, which includes a
  past due amount of $1085.28.
  12-MONTH PAYMENT HISTORY:
  Date: Amount:
  04/28/22 $346.62
  05/31/22 $152.83
  06/28/22 $150.33
  07/28/22 $164.37
  08/29/22 $222.03
  09/28/22 $152.71
  10/28/22 $157.49
  11/28/22 $383.68 (payment returned)
  12/16/22 383.68
  01/05/23 $300.00
  02/24/23 $633.48
  04/06/23 $300.00
  04/12/2023 10:11:47 EST (RNRICHAR)
  ASSIGNING TO CUSTOMER BILLING AND PO BOX: NET METERING.
  INITIAL CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  04/12/23 - THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ******************** AND SMS TEXT MESSAGE
  *************) WERE SENT TO THE CUSTOMER:
  "Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. We have received your
  complaint filed with the BBB, notification number **********. I assure you
  Consumers Energy takes all customer complaints seriously.
  Our Complaints Advocate *************************** has assigned your inquiry to our
  Net Metering and Customer Billing groups, and they will be in touch with
  you soon to discuss your concerns and gather any additional information
  that may be needed.
  We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process. Please
  feel free to reach out to *************************** @ ************** or
  ********************************************************* if you have any further questions or
  concerns. Our team is dedicated to resolving your issues as soon as
  possible."
  04/13/2023 12:57:29 EST (RNRICHAR)
  This was assigned to ************************* in Net Metering Billing.
  04/20/2023 15:13:45 EST (RNRICHAR)
  RESOLUTION PROVIDED BY ************************* IN CUSTOMER BILLING/NET METERING:
  Account is billing correctly currently, and the prior bills were based on
  actual meter reads.
  ************ who works at our testing lab in *******, they tested the meter
  after the exchange and the meter passed inspection/ but per the customer
  they were present and it failed twice and passed once (field notes were:
  "did test 3 times and it passed light load one time. ***** the other 2
  times were %247 then %75 - going to send in meter to have tested and gave
  them a new meter")
  IN REGARD TO THE CONCERNS OF NOT RESPONDING: I contacted customer back
  after requested call in January and there was no answer. I do not see any
  requests in April for call backs to the po box or to myself directly so it
  may have gone to the wrong department.
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY:
  04/14/23 - I left a voicemail message with the customer. I did tell him if
  we don#t hear back from him today I would call him Monday morning. I am
  Leaving at 10 but I will let the agent answering calls know what is going
  on if he calls back today.
  04/14/23 - I was able to speak with the customer to review his concerns.
  - The customer and I agreed that the usage after the meter exchange fell
  in line with the use before October 2022. I took the average daily use
  from the new meter reads and refigured the consumption from
  10/30/22-12/18/2022. So they now fall more in line with the other reads:
  - bill dates of 09/29/22 to 10/30/22 - New use: **** kWh
  - bill dates of 10/31/22 to 12/01/22 - New use: **** kWh
  - bill dates of 12/02/22 to 01/02/23 - New use: **** kWh
  - This brings the customer's balance down from $1340.90 to
  $389.00. The bill is not due until 05/30/23 and the customer will have the
  option to set up a payment plan if he chooses.
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  - (*Address hi bill - consumption comparison history) A consumption
  history is shown above from 2020 to present
  - (*Address meter test failed - explain) The meter test in the field was
  79.76%, and there were several tests performed in the field that varied -
  so the meter was exchanged and tested in our lab in ******* to find the
  average accuracy was *****% on 01/03/23.
  - (*Address exchange of meter) Meter exchanged from 3G to 5G on 12/19
  after the meter failed the field tests.
  - (*Address adjustment/refund) In light of the customer's experience and
  confusion with the field meter test, the bills were readjusted for the
  time in question based on the average daily use after the meter was
  exchanged. This was also in line with the customer's use prior to the
  disputed bills.
  - (*Address shut off notice - *******) There is no turn off notice on the
  account
  - (*Payment history) A history of the last 12 months of payments are shown
  above - the customer has good payment history
  - (*Net Metering, address not responding) The billing/net metering agent
  contacted the customer back after requested call in January and there was
  no answer. She was not able to see any requests in April for call backs to
  the po box or to herself directly so it may have gone to the wrong
  department.
  - (*Late fees) Since an adjustment has been performed in light of customer
  service for the 10/30/22, 12/01/22 and 01/02/23 bills, all late fees have
  been removed from the account and the balance adjusted.
  - (*Address if customer is being billed correctly) The customer was being
  billed correctly for actual meter reads, however due to the confusion
  around the field meter testing we adjusted the use down for the three
  months in question prior to the meter exchange in light of the customer's
  experience.
  - (*Payment arrangement) The customer's balance of $389.00 is due on
  05/30/23 and he is able to set up arrangements if he needs to.
  CLOSING CUSTOMER INQUIRY AS OF 04/14/23.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  I am unsure of what steps to take, so this may not be an appropriate avenue. I have Consumers Energy and have been unable to get my meter repaired for 8 months. The date of their last read was July 20, 2022 and since that time I have been receiving estimated bills. I am concerned that these estimations could result in a large accrual of money owed once repaired. I am currently unable to know what that balance could be. I contacted them for the second time today, March 29, 2023, and they told me that there is no timeline for a repair. They only indicated that residential equipment is on backorder. At this time, I am unsure how to address this issue and it does not appear that a resolution is to occur in the near future. Any guidance to how I could proceed with finding a resolution would be appreciated. Due to 8 months of estimation

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2023

  03/29/2023 11:09:20 EST (JAGATES)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *****************************
  Account # ****
  *************************************************************-8176
  Dates of service: 11/12/18 - present.
  Email address: ********************* (ebill)
  CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  03/29/23: 11:12 AM - I sent an email/text via Riverstar to advise the
  customer that the concern has been received and that we will reach out to
  them as soon as possible to resolve.
  RELEVENT ACCOUNT INFORMATION:
  - Last actual reading obtained here on 07/07/22. 9 bills have been
  estimated. Meter is not communicating.
  - There has been an order in place to exchange this meter since 07/29/22.
  This is a 4G meter, not a 3G meter.
  - I have sent an email to the area scheduler, asking if this order can be
  assigned out and completed for this customer.
  03/31/2023 08:07:40 EST (JAGATES)
  03/30/23: The scheduler responded indicating that the exchange will be
  completed on 03/31/23.
  04/03/2023 08:14:15 EST (JAGATES)
  - Electric Energy Usage History:
  12/19/2019 01/20/2020 600.0000000
  01/21/2020 02/18/2020 674.0000000
  02/19/2020 03/19/2020 588.8950000
  03/20/2020 04/20/2020 785.1180000
  04/21/2020 05/19/2020 662.8460000
  05/20/2020 06/18/2020 921.7800000
  06/19/2020 07/20/2020 1,417.2820000
  07/21/2020 08/19/2020 1,221.5480000
  08/20/2020 09/21/2020 1,143.9030000
  09/22/2020 10/20/2020 669.1570000
  10/21/2020 11/19/2020 759.2660000
  11/20/2020 12/20/2020 946.3550000
  12/21/2020 01/20/2021 834.5740000
  01/21/2021 02/18/2021 881.3840000
  02/19/2021 03/21/2021 903.0280000
  03/22/2021 04/20/2021 744.3740000
  04/21/2021 05/19/2021 824.1230000
  05/20/2021 06/20/2021 1,241.2940000
  06/21/2021 07/20/2021 1,074.5910000
  07/21/2021 08/18/2021 1,090.4070000
  08/19/2021 09/19/2021 1,297.9800000
  09/20/2021 10/19/2021 1,074.6360000
  10/20/2021 11/18/2021 1,896.4530000
  11/19/2021 12/19/2021 2,968.6110000
  12/20/2021 01/18/2022 2,966.4630000
  01/19/2022 02/16/2022 3,103.8410000
  02/17/2022 03/20/2022 2,595.4680000
  03/21/2022 04/19/2022 1,715.1840000
  04/20/2022 05/18/2022 1,333.6810000
  05/19/2022 06/19/2022 1,191.4680000
  06/20/2022 07/19/2022 1,260.0000000*
  07/20/2022 08/17/2022 1,090.0000000*
  08/18/2022 09/16/2022 1,217.0000000*
  09/17/2022 10/18/2022 1,147.0000000*
  10/19/2022 11/18/2022 1,959.0000000*
  11/19/2022 12/19/2022 2,969.0000000*
  12/20/2022 01/19/2023 3,073.0000000*
  01/20/2023 02/17/2023 3,079.0000000*
  02/18/2023 03/21/2023 2,573.0000000*
  2020 2021 2022 2023
  JAN 600 835 **** 3073*
  FEB 674 881 **** 3079*
  MAR ******************
  APR ************
  MAY 663 824 1334
  JUN 922 **** 1191
  JUL **** **** 1260*
  AUG **** **** *****
  SEP ***************
  OCT 669 **** 1147*
  NOV 759 **** 1959*
  DEC 946 **** *****
  * = estimated
  - ******** electric meter installed 07/26/17. Meter was tested on 07/05/17
  and was found to be *******% accurate.
  03/30/23: 11:10 am - *** electric meter was installed. Meter was tested on
  02/20/23 and was found to be *******% accurate.
  03/31/23: 12:38 pm - I received the following email from the customer:
  I recently filed a complaint regarding a faulty meter that I have had
  since last summer. It was replaced yesterday morning and my issue has
  been resolved. Today, I reached out to customer service to see if I could
  get the amount still owed or the overage amount I have paid while my bills
  were estimated. They informed me that I would need to follow up on my
  complaint to obtain that information. It sounds like the complaint has
  not been assigned to anyone yet, so I figured you may be a good contact
  person. If you could direct me to a good contact person or help me obtain
  my actual bills since my last read that would be appreciated. Thanks for
  your help.
  04/03/23: I sent the following response to the customer:
  Good Morning ******************,
  I am reviewing your concerns and will be working to resolve your concerns.
  I arranged to have the meter replaced last week and am reviewing the
  estimated usage you were billed for. I have a few questions that will
  help me determine how to proceed with a resolution for you:
  1. How is your home heated?
  2. Have there been any major changes to the home, the heating
  system, or the use of the home (especially during the winter months) in
  the past 3 years?
  3. Do the following appliances use gas or electricity: Kitchen
  stove, water heater, clothes dryer
  4. Does the home have a well, or do you have city water?
  Thank you in advance for your assistance with these questions. I look
  forward to hearing from you.
  Sincerely,
  *****
  *********************, Executive Customer Advocate
  Office: ************ | Fax: ************
  *************************************************** | www.ConsumersEnergy.com
  04/03/2023 15:18:57 EST (JAGATES)
  04/03/23: I have sent the following email to the customer (copying my
  earlier email at the bottom):
  Hello ******************,
  I#ve done some further research today and would like to provide you with
  this additional information. I will be providing the **** with an update
  today as well.
  When the old meter was removed from your home, we were unable to obtain a
  meter reading or any usage data. The estimated bills were based on your
  prior usage history for this address (last year for the same billing
  period). In order to determine if and how much of a credit balance may be
  due, I#d like to monitor your usage for the next two weeks on this new
  meter. Your answers to the questions below (my prior email) will also be
  helpful.
  I look forward to hearing from you and will be glad to answer any
  additional questions you may have.
  Sincerely,
  *****
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  - ADDRESS NON-WORKING METER - REPLACEMENT: The customer's meter was
  replaced on 03/30/23.
  - ESTIMATED READS: The customer had 9 months of estimated meter reads.
  - ADJUSTMENT: To be determined after 2 weeks of usage on the new meter. I
  will follow up with the customer by April 17.
  - PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT: An arrangement is not needed. The customer
  currently has a credit balance on the account of $143.38.
  COMPLAINT CLOSED 04/03/23
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  We are Consumers Energy Appliance Repair Gold Plan customers. The Gold Plan guarantees cash payment if a broken appliance is not repairable. The initial date of repair was December 30, 2022. On January 16, the repairman concluded that the parts needed to repair our washer were not covered under our Gold Plan and would recommend option of cash payment. On Feb 6, I called Consumers just to check on the processing of the check. They had no record of a Gold Check Claim. They initiated a new claim. Today 3/27 I called again. Still no check. Its now going on 90 days since the ************ appointment and 8 weeks since the claim was filed. The Gold Plan guarantees ***** days. The representative said they are behind in issuing Gold Claim checks. This is completely unacceptable. It seems that if we are but a day late on our monthly payment they will immediately cancel our plan, but they seem to think they can take as long as they want when they are sending money. We just want the money owed to us according to the plan.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2023

  03/27/2023 16:36:06 EST (RNRICHAR)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *******************
  Account number: 1618
  ********************************************************************************
  Dates of service: 10/19/16 to present.
  Email: *********************
  ASSIGNING TO *** COMPLAINTS.
  INITIAL CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  03/27/23 - 4:35 PM - I spoke with ******************* at phone number ************
  - letting him know that I have his inquiry placed through the ********
  Public ****************** (MPSC) regarding the *** gold check concerns. I
  assured him we have a process in place for *** complaints after letting
  him know that *** is not regulated by the ***** I provided him with the
  hotline number for *** complaints to leave his name and phone number and
  email address for follow up.
  03/28/2023 08:53:01 EST (RNRICHAR)
  NOTE: THE CUSTOMER FILED THE SAME COMPLAINT WITH THE EASTERN BETTER
  BUSINESS BUREAU (BBB), AND THIS IS BEING ADDRESSED
  ********************* CONFIRMED: "We are in receipt of this complaint and it has
  been assigned to *********************** and the Field Support Team."
  03/31/2023 08:57:05 EST (RNRICHAR)
  03/31/23 - Reminder sent to *** Complaints of the due date on Monday,
  asking for any updates.
  03/31/2023 16:29:22 EST (RNRICHAR)
  RESOLUTION PROVIDED BY THE *** FIELD TEAM:
  We are unable to see in our records when the contractor first requested
  the Gold Check for the customer, but the first Gold Check was requested in
  Endeavor on 2/10/2023. This was then processed in the system on
  2/18/2023, but the invoice failed to post.
  Our IT support pushed the request through again and mailed the check on
  2/24/2023.
  We have discovered that Gold Checks being processed through the system
  were being mailed to incorrect addresses, so this Gold Check was mailed to
  a previous address of the customer#s.
  Gold Checks are currently being processed manually to ensure this error
  does not happen again, and a permanent fix is expected to go live with
  Endeavor Release 3.6 on 4/6/2023.
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY:
  3/28/2023 at 10:28 AM: *************************** left a voicemail for the customer to
  return her call. While leaving the message the customer texted her
  #Sorry, I can#t talk right now.#
  3/28/2023 at 1:00 PM: ***** spoke with the customer. She explained that
  there was a communication error between our two computer systems, SAP and
  Endeavor, when the Gold Check was originally requested on 2/24/2023.
  She assured the customer that Accounts Payable has sent out a new check
  to the correct address on 3/28/2023, and that she has also applied a
  credit of $76.99 to their account, which is one month free, to apologize
  for the inconvenience.
  The customer was satisfied with this resolution and thanked us for the
  quick response.
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  - (*Address *** - Gold check claim - 90 days of delays) A check
  requested in our system on 2/10/23 failed to post, followed by the system
  error causing the check to be mailed to the wrong address on 02/24/23. A
  new check was sent manually to the customer on 03/28/23 and the customer
  was provided a free month of *** as an apology. Gold Checks are currently
  being processed manually to ensure this error does not happen again, and a
  permanent fix is expected to go live with Endeavor Release 3.6 on
  4/6/2023.
  CLOSING CUSTOMER INQUIRY AS OF 03/28/23.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  I received a "non-energy" invoice a few weeks back from Consumers Energy for what they claimed was an "energy theft investigation" for the amount of $129.26 Once I received the bill, I called the listed contact and number and left a message asking for an explanation of charges. Two days later, with still no reply, I again called and left another message. Days went by with still no reply. We tried a different number for consumers, their billing department, and were able to talk to someone but got no explanation of charges or insight as to why we were being charged this amount. So, after 7 calls and 3 messages left over the last 4 weeks, this is my only choice left.This bill is theft. I would like this charge removed from my consumers account. Please reach out if I can provide any further information.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  03/21/2023 16:20:10 EST (RNRICHAR)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *******************************
  Account number: 7267
  **************************************************************
  Dates of service: 01/21/22 to present
  Email: ***************************************************
  03/21/2023 16:21:46 EST (RNRICHAR)
  INITIAL CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  03/21/23 - 4:21 PM - THE FOLLOWING EMAIL **************************** )
  AND SMS TEXT MESSAGE (************** ) WERE SENT TO THE CUSTOMER:
  "Account Number: ending in 7267
  Service Address: ***********************************************
  Dear *****************************,
  Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. We have received your
  complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau, notification number
  1066577007. I assure you Consumers Energy takes all customer complaints
  seriously.
  Our Complaints Advocate *************************** will be in touch with you soon to
  discuss your concerns and gather any additional information that *** be
  needed.
  We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process. Please
  feel free to reach out to *************************** @ ************** or
  ********************************************************* if you have any further questions or
  concerns. Our team is dedicated to resolving your issues as soon as
  possible.
  Sincerely,
  Consumers Energy"
  EMAIL SENT TO REVENUE ASSURANCE "THEFT" COMPLAINTS FOR DETAILS OF
  INVESTIGATION
  03/23/2023 11:59:35 EST (RNRICHAR)
  INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BRIE IN REVENUE ASSURANCE (THEFT):
  Tamper event 2/9/22 was reported by the meter (power down, inversion
  tamper and then another tamper- Then powered back up)
  We went out to investigation on 2/20/23 - Meter was found with the seal
  missing. The electric service was on with a tampered blue seal. Evidence
  of a service upgrade included a new meter box and socket, new wiring, new
  clamps and couplings, old clamps still present, and bits of wire on the
  ground. I did not see a posted approved inspection sticker and the
  connections at the weather head were not Consumers Energy connections.
  The weather head had both old and new splices present.
  $129.26 was billed under non-energy account ************ for Theft
  Investigation cost
  ******************************* is responsible for the use. A bill was sent. I did not
  talk to the customer, and I do not see any message that I received to call
  the customer.
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY:
  03/23/23 - 11:59 AM - I left a voicemail message for ***************************** at
  phone number ************ - letting him know that I have the investigation
  details back from our ***************** Theft investigator and am
  available to discuss the details of the investigation with him. I provided
  my phone number for him to call back.
  03/24/2023 12:36:30 EST (RNRICHAR)
  03/24/23 - 12:36 pm - I left a voicemail message for ***************************** at
  phone number ************ - letting him know that I am still available to
  speak with him about his concerns. I provided my phone number for him to
  call back, and confirmed that I am also going to send a follow up email to
  address his concerns if we are unable to connect this afternoon.
  03/24/2023 16:48:58 EST (RNRICHAR)
  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY **** IN REGARD TO THE PROCESS FOR
  NOTIFICATION ON THEFT INVESTIGATIONS/BILLING:
  "We leave a notice the door when we go out. Then if we can determine the
  person of record or owner at the time in question we send out the bill.
  The bill just stated it is for Theft Investigation, it does not give any
  other information."
  WHEN I ASKED IF A DOOR NOTICE WAS LEFT, I GOT THE FOLLOWING REPLY: " I am
  not sure if we did. Looking at the Notes from the field it did not state
  that we did. I also looked at the pictures and Do not see a picture of
  it."
  03/24/23 - A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE FROM THE CUSTOMER INDICATED THAT HE WOULD
  BE AVAILABLE AFTER 5 PM TODAY OR TO SEND HIM AN EMAIL. SINCE I AM NOT IN
  THE OFFICE AFTER 5 PM, THE FOLLOWING EMAIL WAS SENT AT 4:49 PM TO
  ***************************************************:
  "Good afternoon *******,
  Thank you for your inquiry made with the Eastern Better Business Bureau
  (BBB) regarding the bill for unauthorized use at *****************************br>*********.
  I was able to review the findings from our ***************** (Theft)
  department investigation and they found a tamper event reported by the
  meter on 02/09/22. The meter powered down, recorded an inversion tamper,
  another tamper and then powered back up. A field investigation follow up
  on 02/20/23 found the seal missing on the meter. Evidence was found of a
  service upgrade (including a new meter box and socket, new wiring, new
  clamps and couplings). No posted approved inspection sticker was found and
  the connections at the *********** were not Consumers Energy connections.
  The *********** had both old and new splices present.
  Please know that Consumers Energy does not allow meter tampering, and
  because of this, we billed $129.26 investigation cost.
  I also understand that the field technician who investigated *** not have
  left a door tag indicating a theft investigation took place, nor were you
  contacted by the investigator prior to sending the bill. With that in
  mind, we will be adding a credit to cove the $129.26 cost. If any future
  evidence of meter tampering occurs, the fees will not be removed.
  I regret we have been unable to connect over the phone, and it is my hope
  that this email has addressed your concerns. If you have any additional
  questions, please feel free to reply and I will be happy to further assist
  you.
  Best wishes to you.
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Executive Customer Advocate
  **********************
  **************
  *********************************************************"
  SUBMITTED COMPLAINTS RESOLUTION CREDIT FOR $129.26
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  - (*Address non energy invoice - theft charges # explain) The
  customer was billed $129.26 for a meter tampering event (confirmed by both
  the meter data and a field investigation)
  - (*Address many calls and no response so they filed a
  complaint) The ***************** Theft investigator did not contact the
  customer, nor does she have any missed calls or messages from him. Since
  we couldn't verify if a tag was left in the field, we have added a credit
  to take care of the $129.26 investigation cost, advising the customer that
  any future meter tamper events would have a charge.
  CLOSING CUSTOMER INQUIRY AS OF 03/24/23.
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/14/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  I am having an issue with consumers energy they keep sending me shut off notices and when I investigate they show past due bills but according to my bank the they have pulled the money on the due dates. I called spent 1hr on the phone and they said they will call me with a resolution 1 month later no call finally I received a bill with my payments showing on there. Now 2 months later same thing called them again and they are telling me the money is going to an old account. I have never had consumers energy ever before until I moved to this address. I am getting so sick of this. I don't have time to keep spending my afternoons on the phone trying to fix a problem on their end.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  03/15/2023 13:58:34 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *****************
  ACCOUNT NUMBER: ****
  ********************************************************************
  Dates of Service: August 30, 2019 - Present
  Email Address: ******************
  **********
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION:
  Current Balance: $154.31
  *****
  ******* History
  Date Notice/Action
  03/10/23 Turn-Off Notice - mailed $258.17
  03/14/23 Mid-Cycle Call - completed
  *****
  Payment History
  Date Amount
  03/14/23 $258.17
  *****
  ***************** / ****
  39605 **********************************************************-4559
  Dates of Service: 6/18/19 - 8/20/19
  Move-in and Move-out requests for this address were made through our
  automated phone service.
  Move-in request for account #**** done at same time Move-out
  request was called in for account #****.
  Customer has made payments to this account number each month. He made 3
  payments that were due for this account and the remaining payments have
  been for account #****. After payment is made to the wrong
  account our system will find it and automatically transfer it to customers
  open account.
  12 Month Payment History
  Date Amount
  01/28/22 $113.24
  02/25/22 $135.41
  03/28/22 $117.21
  04/27/22 $113.95
  05/27/22 $ 92.93
  06/27/22 $ 44.43
  07/28/22 $ 28.77
  08/26/22 $ 29.12
  09/27/22 $ 31.01
  10/26/22 $ 45.48
  11/26/22 $ 82.50
  12/27/22 $213.99
  All payments made to this account after 9/18/19 were for account
  #**** and have been transferred to that account.
  **********
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY:
  3/15/******* pm
  I called ***************** at ************ but didn't receive an answer and was
  unable to leave a voicemail as the mailbox is full. Because of this I
  sent the following email to ******************:
  Hi *****************,
  I received from the Better Business Bureau concerns you placed regarding
  your account and payments you have made. I attempted to call you but was
  unable to leave a voicemail as your mailbox is full. If you could return
  my call I would be happy to go over your concerns with you. You can reach
  me at ************.
  Thank you,
  ****
  03/16/2023 11:59:33 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  3/16/23 12:02 pm
  I called ***************** and spoke with him about his concerns. I told him I've
  had a chance to review his information and account and went over what I
  found. I explained on 6/18/19 he called and requested service in his name
  at an apartment in Plymouth. Two months later he stopped service and
  requested service at his current location and that each of these accounts
  have a different account number. I further explained that all payments he
  has made have been made through his bank using the 1st account number.
  After he started at the new address his payments for it have gone to the
  old account and then transferred by our system to the new account.
  ************ said he has gotten two shut off notices and doesn't understand
  why because he has paid on time each month. I told him I saw that his
  payments were made on time but twice the payment hasn't transferred to the
  new account until after it was past due prompting our system to send out
  shut off notices. I apologized he received those, but it can happen like
  that when payments aren't made to the current account.
  I asked that he contact his bank and update the account number so that
  when they make a payment it goes directly to the correct account. He said
  he called them and they are making the payments to the correct account. I
  explained that we can't contact his bank and ask them to change the
  account number they are making the payments to, he would need to reach out
  to them again. He said he would do that and thanked me for calling.
  **********
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  3/16/23
  SHUT OFF NOTICE - *******:
  ******* history is listed above in "Relevant Account Information".
  Customer has been sent shut off notices twice within the last 2 months due
  to payment made to old account being transferred to the new account after
  the due date.
  PAYMENT HISTORY:
  Payment history is listed above in "Relevant Account Information". Only
  one payment has been made to the current account. All previous payments
  for this account were made through the customers bank using his old
  account number.
  ADDRESS MONEY GOING TO WRONG ACCOUNT - EXPLAIN:
  Customer had set up payments through his bank when he originally started
  service at a previous address. When he moved to the new location his bank
  wasn't updated with the new account number and all monthly payments have
  been paid to the old account number. After they were received, they have
  been transferred to his new account. Customer is to update his bank with
  the correct account number.
  CUSTOMER INQUIRY CLOSED AS OF 3/16/2023
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/22/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/14/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Consumer Energy shut off service to our building last November (2022). This was because we were not receiving our bills due to issues with the mail carrier. We paid the bill in full after speaking to an investigator and our service was turned back on. We also changed the mailing address and have been receiving our bills.Since we paid the past due balance in November 2023, we have had a ZERO balance on our account and we have been paying our bills in full. In January 2023, we had ****** transferred to our account from THREE different account numbers. Those account numbers are ************, ************, ************. I have called repeatedly to try and figure out why this happened. NO ONE at Consumers Energy can help me. They keep referring me to another number that I call and leave messages on. Our gas is supposed to be shut off and I need this fixed because we do NOT owe this balance of ******. And since no one can seem to help me, and our November payment is missing from their account history, I do not feel comfortable paying without knowing why the amount is this high and if it will be credited.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2023

  03/14/2023 14:48:37 EST (JCJOHNSO)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION
  TRI COUNTY SERVICES
  ACCOUNT #: ****
  6808 ************************************************************************-1404
  Dates of Service: 04/**/2021 - 08/07/2022
  TRI COUNTY SERVICES
  ACCOUNT #: ****
  6808 19 ************************************************************
  Dates of Service: 08/08/2022 - **/21/2022
  TRI COUNTY SERVICES
  ACCOUNT #: ****
  6808 19 ************************************************************
  Dates of Service: **/22/2022 - Present
  Email: ************************
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION
  12 Month Payment History
  Date Amount
  03/17/2022 $147.22
  04/16/2022 $449.02
  05/10/2022 $216.02
  **/22/2022 $307.88
  **/03/2023 $172.70
  Recent ******* History
  Date Action
  02/09/2023 Turn-Off Notice Mailed ($918.48)
  02/14/2023 Mid-Cycle Call Made (Not Completed)
  02/15/2023 Turn-Off Call Made (Not Completed)
  02/17/2023 Intent to Disconnect Mailed
  - This customer has had service at this location since 04/**/2021. The gas
  service was disconnected due to non-payment on 07/28/2022. The customer
  did not contact us to make payment and restore services, so the account
  was closed on 08/07/2022. The final balance totaled $307.88.
  - A theft investigation was created on 10/20/2022 to investigate the meter
  after it was found that gas was being used with no active account. During
  the site visit on **/22/2022, it was found that the gas meter was turned
  back on without authorization. The meter was locked at that point and the
  customer was advised to contact us to resolve the issue.
  - ******************** billed Tri County Services for unauthorized use
  from 08/08/2022 - **/21/2022, which totaled $518.48 and is associated with
  account #: ****. The customer was also charged an investigation
  cost of $139.76 along with a $50.00 reconnect fee. The customer was
  advised that we would restore the service if he pays the past-due balance
  of $307.88 associated with the initial account through 08/07/2022 (account
  #: ****).
  - The investigator confirmed with the customer on **/22/2022 of the
  additional charges associated with this. Since the customer did not take
  steps to pay the unauthorized use charges of $518.48, it was transferred
  to his active account on 12/20/2022. This transferred balance appeared on
  the customer's bill due **/31/2023, which included $400.00 of new chares
  from 12/06/2022 - **/05/2023. The bill totaled $918.48.
  03/14/2023 16:05:02 EST (JCJOHNSO)
  - A hold has been placed on the account active through 03/23/2023 to
  ensure service remains on.
  CUSTOEMR CONTACT SUMMARY
  03/14/2023 | 4:07 PM
  - I contacted ************** on 03/14/2023 at ************ to discuss the
  billing concerns he submitted to the ******** ************** Commission
  ("MPSC") and reached his voicemail. I left a message with my contact
  information and asked him to call me when he's available to discuss this
  more.
  03/16/2023 13:40:** EST (JCJOHNSO)
  03/14/2023 | 1:39 PM
  - Having not heard back, I contacted ************** on 03/16/2023 at
  ************ and had the same result. I left another message with my
  contact information and asked him to call me to discuss this more.
  03/21/2023 08:10:42 EST (JCJOHNSO)
  **Correction: The second contact was attempted on 03/16/2023 at 1:39 PM,
  not 03/14/2023.**
  03/21/2023 | 8:** AM
  - The following email was sent to ************************ on 03/21/2023
  to address his concerns. Itemized statements for his accounts were
  attached:
  **********
  Hi **************,
  I#m following up on the billing concerns you submitted to the ********
  ************** Commission and other entities regarding your account at
  ************************************************************** I#ve been unable to reach you by
  phone, so I wanted to provide my findings via email to ensure you have
  these details.
  I understand this is concerning the bill due **/31/2023 totaling $918.48.
  In reviewing the invoice, a total of $400.00 of that were new gas charges
  from 12/06/2022 # **/05/2023. There was a transferred balance of $518.48,
  however, associated with energy use at this address from 08/08/2022 #
  **/21/2022. I found that, when the service was turned off in November
  2022, the gas had been turned back on without our authorization following
  the disconnect on 07/28/2022. The payment you made on **/22/2022 of
  $307.88 covered only the final balance on the initial account through
  08/07/2022. The charges from 08/08/2022 # **/21/2022 were then billed to
  you, which totaled $518.48, and was due 12/14/2022. That was transferred
  to your current account after the due date passed which is reflected on
  the January 2023 bill.
  I#ve attached the itemized statements associated with these three accounts
  to provide further clarification. The initial account (****) ended
  on 08/07/2022 after it was disconnected late July and account #:
  **** relates to the gas usage that wasn#t billed due to the turn
  on that occurred without our authorization. The itemized statement related
  to account #: **** is your current account that was created when
  you contacted us in November.
  Once the turn-off balance of $918.48 is paid, the gas service here can be
  restored. We can also set up a payment arrangement on any remaining
  balance if needed. Our Landlord and Small Business team can assist further
  with the reconnect and payment arrangement options if needed and they can
  be reached at **************. You can also contact me if you have further
  questions about this.
  **********
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION
  1. Address Billing - UA transfer
  - A total of $518.48 was transferred to the customer's current account and
  was present on his bill due **/31/2023. This was related to unauthorized
  gas use at this home from 08/08/2023 - **/21/2022.
  2. Address billing - itemized statement
  - Itemized statements were provided to this customer for the 3 accounts
  associated with this address.
  3. Address payment history
  - We've received a total of 5 payments in the last 12 months for service
  here under Tri County Services.
  4. Address shut off notice - *******
  - Service was disconnected due to non-payment for the past-due balance of
  $918.48. All applicable notices were sent.
  5. Missed payment
  - We did receive the $307.88 payment on **/22/2022 that the customer notes
  he's not sure was applied. That successfully applied to the final balance
  on account #: ****.
  6. Payment arrangement, if needed
  - This customer does have the option to set up a payment arrangement if
  needed. The current reconnect amount will need to be paid to restore
  service, but we can work with him if needed.
  Customer concerns have been addressed.
  Complaint closed 03/21/2023
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  On 2 15 2023 there was a weather related power outage along the main line that feeds my house. While waiting for consumers to restore power the weather broke the power wire connection from the pole to my house causing my power wire to break.I reported the down wire and told them the neutral was broke and asked to have it investigated, in hopes that once the saw the situation, the line crew would have known to pull the fuse on the pole shutting off the power to my house before restoring power to the main line. Consumers never came out called or investigated anything and restored the main power. Once the main was restored my power started to surge and it blew my furnace controller.Had consumers investigated the down wire at my house that I reported which was 300 yards away from the main downed power wire, the damage to my house would have been avoided.I had to call in to work and miss a day,,buy a new controller, Drive an hour and 20 minutes one way or 2 hours and 40 minutes round trip,And install the controller that took 4 hours.I request consumers power make me whole,In the amount of ******* dollars To cover all cost associated with the negligence by not investigated my report of a down power wire.Had my down power wire been in contact with my Propane tank that was 10 feet away, when power was restored, more damage to my property and personal injury to me and my neighbors would have resulted.A direct negligence from consumers energy caused the damage to my property.I reported the the down wire and did everything in my control to prevent the damage. Once again it was only a direct result of negligence by consumers power, by failure to throughly investigate my report of a downed wire.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2023

  03/07/2023 15:17:46 EST (JCJOHNSO)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION
  *******************************
  ACCOUNT #: 8205
  **** ******************************* ***** ** 48846-9587
  Dates of Service: 11/21/2013 - Present
  Email: **********************
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY
  03/07/2023 | 3:03 PM
  - I contacted ****************** on 03/07/2023 at ************ to follow-up on
  the concerns he submitted to the Better Business Bureau ("BBB") regarding
  his damage claim, but reached his voicemail. I left a message with my
  contact information and confirmed that I would have this reviewed further.
  I confirmed that he'd hear back from our ************************ when an
  update is available and asked him to call me if there are additional
  questions.
  - This has been forwarded to **********************************************************
  and *********************** in Damage Claims + cc: ***************************, *****************, and
  ********************* for follow-up and resolution.
  03/10/2023 16:21:56 EST (JCJOHNSO)
  RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  - We received the following information from *********************, Supervisor of
  Electric Operations:
  **********
  - Original call came in from ******************#s neighbor as a no lights / wires
  down / tree on lines. Sometime after the original call, but before the
  crew got there, ****************** called in about a #broken wire# from pole to
  building. Our crew responded to the original no lights to find the primary
  line fuse was open and several people without power due to a tree limb
  that had broken off and ripped down the primary behind **** ****************** Rd.
  - Looking at their order, what they found matched up with the hazards that
  were associated with it so they marked them as #secured# and went to work
  removing the tree, putting the primary back up, and re-energizing the
  line. Somehow the crew missed the notes from the second call that came
  from ****************** describing #pole to building#. Were those notes seen,
  repairs would have been made before energizing, and most likely would have
  prevented the damages suffered inside the home.
  **********
  CUSTOMER CONTACT SUMMARY (cont.)
  03/08/2023 | 4:02 PM
  # ********************* contacted ****************** on 03/08/2023 to discuss his findings
  and reached his voicemail. He left a message with his contact information
  and asked him to call back to discuss this more.
  03/08/2023 | 6:53 PM
  # **** received a voicemail from ****************** indicating he works 3rd
  shift. They were able to connect and set up a 10:00 AM call on 03/10/2023
  so they can discuss this more.
  03/10/2023 | 10:09 AM
  # **** spoke with ****************** on 03/10/2023 and explained the timeline of
  how everything unfolded. He covered in detail the calls that came in, the
  times they came in, and how that translates to orders for our crews to
  respond to.
  - ****************** understood the circumstances that led to this and
  appreciated the conversation and information. **** advised that our *************************** would be in contact with him given this information to
  address the damage claim determination.
  3/10/2023 | 11:37 AM
  # *********************** in Damage Claims called and left a voicemail message for
  ****************** to give her a call back in regards to the damages to the
  furnace.
  03/10/2023 | 12:30 PM
  - ****************** contacted *** later that afternoon. She confirmed that,
  based on the information our Electric Operations team was able to
  identify, we would be willing to cover up to $600.00 of damage. She asked
  him to provide the receipt for work he had done and we would provide the
  reimbursement from there.
  - ****************** accepted the offer and verified his concerns were addressed.
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION
  1. Address Power Outage - 12 month history
  Date Duration Cause
  02/15/2023 23h 40m Trees
  - The customer has experienced a single outage in the last 12 months.
  2. Address pole wire to broken - repair delayed
  - There were two separate notifications created for this location and our
  crew did not address the down line associated with the second service
  request.
  - We have identified this as an issue and need to continue to train and
  educate our field employees as they work through navigating this new
  system. We are also working to improve our reporting system so our
  crews/field workers are aware of all hazards associated with the reports
  we've received.
  3. Address damage claim
  - We have agreed to cover up to $600.00 of the damages associated with the
  damaged furnace in light of customer service. The customer will be
  providing receipts of the work and reimbursement will be provided
  following that.
  4. Outage credit/s?
  - Due to the extended outage on 02/15/2023, an outage credit application
  has been mailed to ****************** so he can apply.
  Customer concerns have been addressed.
  Complaint closed 03/10/2023
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.

  Regards,

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Lost power on Feb 22, 2023, was out for six days. Two days after getting power back we lost it again on March 3, 2023. Im currently filling this out while I have no power. They have significant infrastructure problems for an area to loose power this frequently. They also charge more at peak times in the summer and continue to let their electrical lines and poles deteriorate. They says they will start burying lines, but make excuses. They are consistently under prepared for large weather outages. Their first priority for returning power back on is more populous areas instead of those that loose it first. Because of this we are out of power again, twice in one week. Plus like mentioned before they do not maintain their lines like they should.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/08/2023

  03/06/2023 10:12:15 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *********************
  ACCOUNT NUMBER: 2100
  ****************************************************
  Dates of Service: July 30, 2015 - Present
  Email Address: *******************
  **********
  INITIAL CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  3/6/******** am
  I called ********************* at ************ and left a voicemail telling her we
  received the inquiry she placed with the BBB regarding outages. I
  explained her concerns have been forwarded to our system engineer in her
  area who will investigate and follow up within the next few days.
  ASSIGNED TO GRID INFRASTRUCTURE 3/6/23
  03/08/2023 10:33:10 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  3/6/23 - this was sent to ******************************* to work.
  3/8/23 - sent email reminder to ******************************* that this complaint is
  due on 3/9/23.
  03/08/2023 15:00:46 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  **********
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION:
  The following information was provided by Engineer *********************************************:00 3/7/2023 Spoke with gentleman on RING doorbell. *********************
  unavailable. Left number for **** to call.
  11:00 3/8/2023 Spoke with ***************** about outages. She is frustrated
  with back to back lengthy outages. A canyon of trees in multiple
  locations on ******** feeding *****************#s residence. A project will be
  submitted on ******** from old abandoned RR bed to end of ***** west of
  *********************. I could not give dates for approval or construction. She
  was satisfied to have it submitted for approval. I also will turn in a
  couple locations for post storm issues from mutual assistant crews that
  worked the Hanover area. This will be submitted the end of the week
  along with a couple of trees hanging on lines or leaning toward the lines.
  I explained there will be no plans in the future for underground lines in
  the ******** area. I sent my contact information electronically for
  future reference if outages should continue to persist this spring after
  the snow and ice storm. She was very thankful for the call.
  **********
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  3/8/23
  12 MONTH OUTAGE HISTORY:
  Incident# Date Duration
  Cause
  9788924 06/04/22 5m Trees
  J220720257 07/24/22 2h 28m Trees
  J220900651 09/01/22 1h 58m Weather
  J221104304 11/05/22 1d 17h 8m Trees
  J221208553 12/23/22 3h 50m Trees
  J230234133 02/22/23 4d 10h 28m Weather -
  catastrophic
  J230242256 03/01/23 5h 11m Weather -
  catastrophic
  J230303575 03/03/23 15h 35m Trees
  J230305191 03/04/23 2h 23m Trees
  - Outages J230234133 & J230242256 they are one outage as electric didn't
  come back on as showing in PI meter data.
  - Outages J230303575 & J23030305191 they are one outage as electric didn't
  come back on as showing in PI meter data.
  ADDRESS POWER OUTAGES:
  All outages for this address have been due to weather and trees.
  WHAT IS CE DOING TO MITIGATE THESE OUTAGES:
  Inspect line to reduce future outages and submit a project for ********
  from old abandoned railroad bed to end of ***** west of *********************.
  Request for a couple locations for post storm issues that were worked in
  the Hanover area.
  OUTAGE CREDIT/CREDITS:
  Customer should be eligible for two single outage credits and form has
  been mailed to the customer.
  CUSTOMER INQUIRY CLOSED AS OF 3/8/2023
  FOLLOW UP/QUALITY CHECK: not done at discretion of customer care rep

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Consumers Energys Outage Update System is a total abuse of their clients. It doesnt work at all. All it does is add more stress to their customers. For example the system first told me my power would be on in a few hours, then the next day at noon, and the next day at noon, this has gone on day in and day out for over a week. Everyday saying it will be the next day. This has caused all of my food to go bad.It has caused me to spend more money to dine out daily because I was told I would have power tomorrow. It has also caused me to rent a hotel room for 6+ days going on who knows how man more. My point is if they were honest and didnt flat out lie to their customers they wouldnt cause people like me to spend money we definitely dont have and waste food that costs two to three times more than normal. I have called them, I have used their online systems and every single time all they do is flat out purposely mislead myself and their other clients to keep them from complaining.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2023

  03/01/2023 13:21:50 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
  *******************************
  ACCOUNT NUMBER: 4241
  **************************************************************
  Dates of Service: April **** - Present
  Email Address: ***********************
  **********
  INITIAL CUSTOMER CONTACT:
  3/1/******* pm
  I called ************************* at ************ but didn't get an answer and was
  unable to leave a voicemail. I then sent the following email to
  ***********************:
  Hi *************************,
  I am writing in response to an inquiry you placed with the Better Business
  Bureau regarding outage alerts that they have forwarded to us. I am
  sending it to our team that works with the outage alerts. They will
  investigate and be following up with you within the next few business
  days.
  Thank you,
  ****
  ASSIGNED TO *************************, GRID INFRASTRUCTURE 3/1/23
  03/03/2023 10:30:05 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  3/3/23 - sent email reminder to ************************* and Grid Infrastructure that
  this complaint is due on Monday 3/6/23.
  03/06/2023 10:27:09 EST (DJLOUCKS)
  **********
  RELEVANT ACCOUNT INFORMATION:
  The following information was provided by Customer Experience Manager
  *************************:
  I spoke to ****************** on 3/6/23 at 9:26 am. He was upset about how much
  he had to pay for hotels, generator, oxygen, food and etc. especially when
  his outage kept getting bumped with different ETrs and we sent crews north
  when he was still out. He was also upset that we were working on the
  border and called a tow truck from ******* instead of local and the crew
  sat around for 3 hours doing nothing. He ultimately wanted a way to claim
  his losses above the $25 outage credit. I told him someone would contact
  him about that.
  *****
  I sent the following email to ***********************:
  Hi *******************************,
  I understand you spoke with ************************* earlier today regarding your
  last outage and the changing of the estimated restoration times. *******
  stated you also were interested in information regarding compensation
  above the $25.00 outage credit. We don#t cover the cost of lost food,
  generator fuel or hotel stays during an outage that was not caused by
  Consumers Energy. We would recommend contacting your homeowners/renters
  insurance company for that type of coverage.
  Thank you,
  ****
  **********
  SUMMARY OF RESOLUTION:
  3/6/23
  12 MONTH OUTAGE HISTORY:
  Incident# Date Duration Cause
  9752483 04/14/22 5h 23m Weather
  J221010729 10/20/22 2h 16m Unique incident
  J230207750 02/22/23 7d 18h 34m Weather -
  catastrophic
  ADDRESS OUTAGE UPDATE SYSTEM NOT WORKING AND ADDING MORE STESS:
  OMS (outage estimating system) was predicting outages wrong. This is
  something we are working on to improve for all future outages.
  RESTORATION DATE AND TIME:
  Service was restored on 3/2/23 at 11:20 am.
  CUSTOMER INQUIRY CLOSED AS OF 3/6/2023