Important information
- Customer Complaint:BBB has received consumer complaints about Ameren which primarily allege difficulty switching service from one location to another, billing issues, and poor customer service. The company has address concerns brought to its attention.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Ameren's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 190 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 42 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe 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:01/22/2025
Type: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 have lived in ************** in the same apartment complex for seven years. I have lived in two apartments during this time; one for just about one year and the other for six years. One year ago, January 2024, my Ameren ******** bill skyrocketed. Over the course of the past year, compared to previous years, the bill has doubled, tripled, nearly quadrupled. I am certainly not using more "energy"; I am using less. This past billing cycle, I wanted to try something. I was going to be gone for a bit more than half of the cycle. I unplugged every device in the apartment, save the refrigerator. The heat was off (I have not used it this year). Obviously, I was using no water (hot or otherwise). Still, my bill was $310 dollars for a tiny little one-bedroom apartment. That is triple what it has been in previous winter months over the past seven years. I have spoken to co-workers, and their monthly Ameren bill is $100, what mine used to be. Ameren gives me some nonsense about taxes and fees. If that's the case, why aren't my co-workers paying those same taxes and fees? The amount I am listing below is the amount above what I have paid in previous years that I have paid Ameren in the past 12 months. My resolutions would be correct billing going forward and a refund of the overcharges that I have paid. I say "overcharges" because I see no other explanation for my bill tripling or more when others in this same town and in a similar living situation have not seen their bills rise any significant amount. I have attached a screenshot of my billing history for the past two years. Look at that and tell me if you see anything unusual. I think any rational person with the ability of sight will notice what I am referring to.
Business Response
Date: 01/29/2025
In reviewing the information, a specialist spoke with the customer on 01/28/2025 regarding their concerns with the higher gas usage in 2024 compared to the prior years. The usage had significantly increased in comparison. An appointment with the customer is currently scheduled to change the meter. Once the meter has been changed, it will be sent to the meter shop for testing. The customer will be provided with the test results. The customer indicated they only wanted the gas meter tested as they had already reviewed the electric usage.Customer Answer
Date: 01/29/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the business' response regarding complaint ID ******** and am satisfied with this resolution, at this point. I reserve complete jugdment until it's done.
Sincerely,
****** **** ***Initial Complaint
Date:01/13/2025
Type: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.
Ive been using budget billing and had a large amount ($540) left over in December. I assumed this would be refunded to me. It was not and Ive been told by two different people that I wont be able to request a refund until the end of the next billing cycle (February). Ive asked if it could be expedited in some way. They denied that request. I have overdue medical bills and expected to have that money by now. I dont feel like theyre being reasonable and really have no claim to that moneyBusiness Response
Date: 01/17/2025
In reviewing the information, the customer is on budget billing. The customer had requested the budget billing program be stopped after the recent January bill had already cycled. The budget billing would normally settle on the following bill. This request was additionally reviewed and expedited. The budget billing was maintained to settle currently on the account with the current billing charges. A refund check is being issued for the remaining deferred budget billing ahead credit balance difference. On 01/16/2025 a regulatory specialist attempted to contact the customer and left a voicemail advising the request had been processed and a refund would be sent.Customer Answer
Date: 01/19/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the business' response regarding complaint ID ******** and am satisfied with this resolution.
Sincerely,
********* *******Initial Complaint
Date:01/03/2025
Type: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.
In August we paid the balance and set up for transfer of a different location. For some reason, they did not get it all transferred. It was about 149 and for months they still did not transfer our service for months. It makes no sense why it is even happening. We have had so many back and forth conversations with them and they still have not determined what has even happened. On Monday of this week when I was asking them about it I was concerned they would try to disconnect us, to which we were promised wouldn&#**;t happen. Today we got a disconnection notice for this current home. They reassured me 4 times in the phone call and lo and behold here it is. They credited us 12 dollars, which, not even close to what we pay even. They still have 0 idea what&#**;s going on with the old location and they are still backdating.Business Response
Date: 01/08/2025
In reviewing the information, the customer initially called to transfer service from one address to another. A connect order was placed for the new address at that time but a disconnect order for the prior address was not issued. The call was later reviewed, and a request was made to rebill the prior account to the appropriate date. The prior address was not correctly adjusted with the applicable date. An additional request was sent in late December to additionally cancel and adjust the billing to the appropriate date for the prior account. The billing was again adjusted and was corrected for usage for the prior address as initially indicated. The difference of the corrected bill and excess payment credit has been transferred to the active account. A leader has also issued an additional credit. Late payment charges have additionally been credited. The service is not in danger of disconnection.The current active account balance has been updated with the credits and reflects the corrected remaining account balance for the new address.Initial Complaint
Date:11/25/2024
Type: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.
First Bank check 6356 for $62.30 was written to and mailed to Ameren Missouri on 08 November 2024, to pay bill for $62.30. Ameren Missouri claimed payment not received; I will have to await November 2024 monthly statement from ********** to verify or refute. Alarmed over threatened late fees, my wife authorized a $62.30 charge to Ameren Missouri, even with the status of the aforementioned check 6356 still indeterminate. When I called Ameren Missouri to complain about threatened late fees and to request information for the *********** General's ******** Consumer Protection Unit's Consumer Complaint Form for consumers 60 or over, Ameren Missouri provided an incorrect phone number ************* -- NOT an Ameren Missouri number but the number for some third party) as the "Business Phone No." for the form, and would provide *no* Ameren-based email, contact name, or contact title for me to complete properly the form. Ameren Missouri also would not acknowledge the possibility of their mis-handling the check upon receipt, insisting that I contact the ******************* (a preposterous demand, implying that the **** tracks individual pieces of mail). I appreciate the volume of complaints with which the BBB deals. Any help which the BBB might provide to 1) compel this Ameren Missouri utility, from whom we *must* buy our electricity, to stop threatening us with questionable late fees, and 2) make these sorts of practices by Ameren Missouri more widely known and thus less likely to continue, would be most welcomed. Thanking you in advance for any help you might be able to provide -- especially if it spares older citizens (with far fewer resources than we have) equivalent billing harassment from Ameren ********.Business Response
Date: 11/27/2024
Your payment of $62.30 was received and posted on 11/26/2024. No late payment fees were applied.Customer Answer
Date: 12/11/2024
I very much appreciate the BBB's assistance in bringing this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. Thank you and Merry Christmas.Initial Complaint
Date:11/25/2024
Type: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 been with them for a year and for some reason it started out at about $100 or some where in that area and for the last year it's done nothing but go up and this is price galging and next place is the attorney generals office. Due to in 1 year my bill went up close to $125 for no reason and I demand answers for this activity. I am on a fixed income and I guess you want people to go homeless? This is wrong and being a veteran isa a shame you can price galge like thisBusiness Response
Date: 11/29/2024
Your account is on budget billing with the Rollover option. This means the end-of-year difference between the cost of energy used and the amount you paid will continuously roll over, as a charge or payment that will be divided across the next twelve months. Reviews and possible adjustments occur every six months after your enrollment to help keep your payments consistent throughout the year. If the review amount is higher by $3.00 or more, your Budget Billing payment will be adjusted. This helps keep your monthly energy costs close to your actual usage, which is shown as Budget Billing Amount on your monthly energy statement. When the review was done in November, it was noticed that you are consuming more than your budget billing amount and your budget billing balance was behind. To prepare for settlement month in May, your monthly budget billing amount was adjusted to decrease the budget balance behind.Customer Answer
Date: 12/03/2024
I haven't done anything different from day 1 this is price galgeing and is illegal if you want to go that way. You probably are gonna put some 1 on the streets now due to this and this is wrong. I want to know why you think a 115 is ok when I can barley afford what I have now I will be contacting the US attorney generals office to file price galgeing as well as the cfbp. For doing this as well. I tried to do this with our involving the attorney generals office for a second time. But I'll be sure to do this againInitial Complaint
Date:10/29/2024
Type: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.
On September 24th I was leaving my home and Ameren was knocking on people&#**;s door notifying them that they would be working up the street. They asked if I had any current issues and I said no. I left my home and when I came back I noticed that my microwave and oven weren&#**;t on. I went to check the breaker and flipped it and it still didn&#**;t come on. I called customer service and they told me I had to file a claim. I had to hire an H33343630**3038333835Hian to come out and fix it. Ameren has given me poor customer service and states they are not responsible and will not fix it.Business Response
Date: 11/04/2024
In reviewing the information, a member of the claims department advised they received a call from Ms. ***** on 09/25/2024 reporting when Ameren was working on the power, it surged and damaged the oven and microwave. A claim packet was mailed out on 09/26/2024 and it was returned on 10/23/2024. The adjuster reviewed the customers account and found no record of an issue on Amerens end. The claim was denied on 10/24/2024. The claims adjustor did receive a call from ******** on 10/29/2024 and the claim denial was explained to the customer verbally as well.Initial Complaint
Date:09/24/2024
Type: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 called and asked if they could grant me a 2-day extension from the 30th of sept on both of my houses so I don't get disconnected I get paid on the Oct 2nd and will pay the past due then the customer service person said there isn't anything she could do wouldn't even ask a supervisor or anything else guess they would rather have an unhappy customer and a disconnected power Because they refuse to work with anyone with the way the economy is it's hard to survive and no I don't qualify for help i make too much money I would just like to have until the 2nd of October to pay the past due and not get disconnected there is 2 children that live in the household a 6 yr and 7 month old Thanks ***** *****Business Response
Date: 10/01/2024
In reviewing the information, earlier in September the customer had already set up payment date extensions. An additional extension was not currently available as extensions with later due dates had already been established. Payments were recently made. The services are no longer in danger of service interruption.Initial Complaint
Date:09/18/2024
Type: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 submitted my payment prior to the bill being ready (******). They have double charged me, meaning that they withdrew that same amount twice. I called up to Ameren to try to remedy the situation, and speaking with multiple people it got me nowhere. One of which hung up on me, one of them was empathetic and made no sense why it double charged. When I called in Monday and spoke with the person who was kind enough to work with me, they advised me to call back in case I did not see the refund. I did not so I called today, 9/18 and asked to speak with a supervisor. The person I was spoke to is the one who ended up hanging up on me, refusing to transfer me. I called again and the person got me transferred (I do not know why the other person could not, I do not recall their name). The kicker amongst all of it is that I see the 2 charges on my banking statement (9/16/2024) but with Ameren&#**;s system it does not show either payments. It shows it has been paid but does not give me an amount or timeframe.Business Response
Date: 09/25/2024
A double payment was processed. In order to determine where best to apply the payment, please contact a leader at the phone number listed. A leader left a voicemail to talk with you about your account.Business Response
Date: 09/25/2024
One of the payments was returned on the account and we just need to know how to proceed with an payment arrangement that was on the account that is now cancelled. Please contact **************.Initial Complaint
Date:09/18/2024
Type: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.
Ameren is charging me way to much for electric, since January or February I have been paying three or four hundred dollars for electric bill, it is one person in my house and I work two 12 hour jobs since about 3 months ago, and they still hitting me with 300 to four hundred light bill, they said its the projecting or its budget billing so I stop budget bill they charge me $259 for get off budget billing said I was behind, July 15, then threatening to cut off my light bill if I didnt pay 153 July 28, now, when I called, they said Im still on budget bill and I owe 155 Beginning of August, now mind you I pay them every month it may be lay but I pay, aint no way my bill should be the high, when Im only using 119 a month, Im so frustrated my light bill is so high.Business Response
Date: 09/25/2024
In reviewing the information, the customers current summer usage is comparable to the summer usage during the prior years at the premise.The customer's usage does significantly increase during the winter season however and is likely due to heating the residence. The customer may want to consider having their HVAC system checked to ensure that it is running efficiently.
The customer was previously on budget billing and had requested to stop budget billing in August. A request was completed which stopped budget billing with the next billing cycle. The budget billing deferred balance was behind and settled on the recent September bill. Since the deferred balance was behind, it caused the bill to be a larger amount in total due to the behind settlement balance. The customer will be billed for actual monthly usage going forward. Additional energy assistance and energy saving tips information has also been attached for reference.Initial Complaint
Date:09/11/2024
Type: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 over paid my Ameren bill. I have called four times and each time I was told the check would arrive within 7 to 10 business days. The last call was on 816 and I waited and today September 11 is the 11th day and still no check. I called back and spoke to ***** which was the second time Ive talked to him, and he informed me that the check was sent out on September 5. Why is there such a delay from August 16 to September 5? I asked to talk to a supervisor and was told according to Amerens rules it would take between 24 and 48 hours to get back to me. Because I over paid by Ameren bill this a mount suppose to pay off one of my credit card. Because it was not paid off I am a crew in interest on the credit card.Business Response
Date: 09/17/2024
In reviewing the information, the account records reflect the customer previously calling to request a refund however, a refund was not previously completed at that time (this has been referenced for additional review).
A refund check request was completed on 09/05/2024. It has since been confirmed that the refund check has been cashed and cleared as of 09/13/2024.
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