Business Profile

Electric Companies

FirstEnergy Corp.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for FirstEnergy Corp.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

475 total complaints in the last 3 years.
181 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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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:07/26/2024
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.
Thier ******** service is evasive, I am trying to start my electrical service and have been trying for the last 5 months. When I call their MET-ED ******** service to start service, after getting through a grueling automated system to speak with a rep, the rep just states their first name and then ask, "what is the purpose of the call?" Afterwards they tell you that this is not their department and transfer your call to place you on hold for a ridiculously long hold time. And the hold times vary from as little as 45 mins to 2-3hrs long. Then when you get the next rep they follow the same procedure. When you register online to start service that is what they send in the email, which reads the following: Dear ***********************************, Thank you for your request. In order to place electric service in your name, you will need to contact our *************************** by phone at **************, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.If you are not satisfied with this reply, please reply to this email within five days. If we do not receive a response within five days, we will consider this inquiry closed.If you have any questions, or if you did not initiate this request, you can contact us at *****************************************************************************. Please reference # W001752370312 in the subject line of your response.Sincerely,Customer Service Which force me to get back into the hold queue and follow this process tedious process with no results. I will be contacting an attorney because this is unethical, and I hope this that this is illegal so that they get fined which. I will also be filing a complaint with the ************************* of ****************** because something has got to give. I need answers.
Business Response
Date: 07/30/2024
During peak times of the year wait times can be longer than normal. In order to place service in your name you have to speak to the advanced move in department which is unfortunately not as large as the other departments and wait times can be even longer. It appears that there is a *** complaint on file regarding your denial of service. Please allow the appropriate time for the *** to render findings. Thank you.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/24/2024
Type:Product 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 not quite sure why their job is so hard when everything is electronic. If you look at my history for the last 18 months in my home, my electricity bill has never been as high as it was on the bill I received today the bill I received today is an estimated reading, however, why would it double from last month that was an actual reading? Theyre just estimating I used the electricity for no reason to pocket money. This is slimy and scamming. Ive submitted a meter actual to provide I have tried to call customer service, but it has a three hour wait time. I am not paying an electricity bill when my average history has never been anywhere within $200 close to this number theyve to my bill $200 without due and this is fraudulent activity.
Business Response
Date: 08/02/2024
We attempted to contact the customer in hopes to address their concerns, however we were unable to reach the customer and left a voicemail.
The bill in question was for billing period of 6/20/24 - 7/23/24. This was an estimated bill for 34 days, ***** kwh averaging 44 kwh per day and the average temperature during this time was *************************************************************************** the current 12 months and was the hottest average temperature for the summer months for air conditioning use. Customer provided the ********************** with a reading on 7/24/24 of *****, the estimated read 7/23/24 was ***** which mean that the customer's reading has advanced past the estimated read and the bill is correct as rendered.
**** Lake is due for smart meter installation August 2024 through March 2025, with this implementation, the customer's concerns about estimated bills will be eliminated.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/22/2024
Type:Billing 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.
Mon Power changed the address for customers, who mail their payment, and did not notify customers it was changed. Payments are late and Mon Power is charging late fees. This is what has happened to me and a lot of others. I think The BBB should be aware of this.
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2024
Effective November 2023, the United ********************* downgraded the Charleston Processing & ******************* to a *********************** and began transferring outgoing mail operations to Pennsylvania.
This may cause some WV customers payments to be delayed and LPCs to be assessed, which should be removed during payment processing.
Normal presort processes should catch this and go by the post **** date and remove LPCs.
The company has removed all late payment charges assessed to the account and a ****** hold has been given to allow time for the payments to be processed once received.
The company waived the below Late Payment Charges applied to the account:
05/11/24 - $2.86
06/13/24 - $2.60
07/13/24 - $2.66
The last payment posted to the account on 06/17/24, check # ***** for $143.00, post ****ed and applied as of 06/09/24.

The total account balance is $278.00, of which $126.34 is past due and $151.66 are current charges due on 08/05/24 (after the LPCs totaling $8.12 removed).
Company advises effective July 10, 2024, FirstEnergy switched to a third-party mail processor located in **********, **, the third-party will be responsible for processing FirstEnergy customers check payments.

WV Accounts:
********************** MP
PO BOX 371431
**********,PA, *****- 7431

Company advises the new P.O. Box will appear on bill stubs beginning on July 13, 2024.Company advises that printed materials such as bills, envelopes, and letters will be updated.

Company confirms that FirstEnergy courier services will transport check payments received in ***** to the processor in ********** daily, to ensure customer payments are received and processed once delivered from USPS.

Customers bill went through scheduled monthly invoicing on 07/12/24 (Friday, the day before the implementations were to take place), mailing out on 7/15/24 (Monday). The bill stub does not reflect the new P.O. Box due to the bill printed the last business day prior to the change.
Thank you,
Customer Answer
Date: 07/26/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/21/2024
Type:Billing 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.
JCP&L is price gouging and trying to turn an unscrupulous profit after we suffered a three week heatwave. I am an asthmatic who cannot breathe in hot and humid weather. I kept my AC on 72 as I did the prior month. My bill was $133 last month and this month it is $304. I cannot afford this type of bill this month or any other month for that matter. People have called and they get a different explanation every time. I requested my meter be reread while I am present and the math be done in front of me. I would like an investigation into what is going on over there because I am not the only person they have done this to. They also raised their price from 9 to 11 cents during a heatwave where they cut everyones power and charged us anywhere from two times the amount for less electric coming to our homes.
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2024
Record indicates that this customer has not made contact with the company to discuss or investigate billing concerns, nor has a reread been requested.

This customer account has been active for less than 6 months. When opened, the customer's rate was 10.2 cents per kilowatt hour for generation charges. It increased to 11.4 cents per kilowatt hour on the current billing cycle. Rates are reviewed and may change quarterly. Usage history for this property shows that usage increases for the period of June to August in this home. This may be due to a cooling element in the home. The company is unable to determine what exactly in the home is pulling the electricity.

The company has obtained actual meter readings each month since the account was established and determines the bill to be correct as rendered. The customer may contact the company for a budget billing plan which may help balance seasonal highs and lows.

Customer Answer
Date: 07/24/2024
I am rejecting this response because:

I sent an email on Saturday July 20th regarding this bill and asking for a meter read so they are lying that they were never contacted. I have a copy of the email as well as evidence. I want someone out here to read my meter with me present. I want the math done right in front of me and the excuse that they dont know what pulls electricity and its based on previous residents is highly unacceptable. I have never needed a budget plan ever before and I had JCP&L for years before I moved here as well. I will not tolerate lies and price gouging. My summer bills have never ever been this high in my history with this company.
Business Response
Date: 07/30/2024
The company responded to this customer concern via the ******************** on 07/24/2024. At that time, there was no record that the customer contacted the company to request a reread. After the response was sent, the customer contacted the company on 07/24/2024 asking for the meter to be reread. The representative placed a notification to satisfy the customer's request. The customer also established the budget billing plan while on the call. On 07/26/2024, the customer's email request was processed. Due to large volumes, they are not always processed the day that they are received.

The customer's reread request was completed on 07/26/2024 which showed a reading of *****. The meter advanced and the bill is correct as rendered.
Customer Answer
Date: 08/03/2024
I am rejecting this response because:

I called and ask that the meter be read with me present so I can see how it was measured and no one ever contacted me that they were coming or that they came here. Every bill I have ever had in the summer with the ** running all of the time has never been over $150 and all of a sudden Im using 21,000+kw? There is clearly an issue with the meter and they read it including another months meter reading in it. They are also price gouging raising the price of kws during a heatwave and these astronomical bills have been seriously impacting everyone. Most people like myself cannot afford to pay these bills because of JCP&L price gouging which is illegal.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/18/2024
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.
This company has consistent outages that last 17+ hours with -0- updates to those affected. This most recent outage is now 40 hours and counting! I have called to report EXPOSED COPPER and a guide wire that came down at least 4 times to no avail. We have been charged a $400 security deposit that ***** is even willing to discuss. There is certainly a reason we pay the EXESSIVE bill in the manner it is paid. I have tried to discuss service issues and archaic, UNmaintained equipment MULTIPLE times, again with no result. Representatives ( *** 7/17/24 and Mileena-7/18/24 ) are often snarky, uninfornmed and even less interested.
Business Response
Date: 07/29/2024
An engineer spoke with the customer to address her concerns.
"I spoke with the customer and apologized for the inconvenience. I explained the reasons for her outages and our storm restoration process. She claims that theres a tree down on wires and the wires are exposed copper. I told her we were going to investigate this issue. She was very understanding and was mostly frustrated with the way her calls were handled. I gave her my direct number and asked her to call me w/ any electrical concerns."
The customer's concerns regarding call handling have been forwarded for supervisor review and coaching if applicable.
Business Response
Date: 07/29/2024
Regarding the security deposit, it is an automated process that does not take outage history into consideration. A security deposit warning letter is issued if the customer is past due, and 2 or more bills have been paid 15 days past the due date within the last 12 months. The deposit is two times the average monthly bill and is applied if balance remains or is not paid within 15 days of the due date within 12 months of the warning. It is released once the customer has established 12 months of satisfactory payment history.
Customer Answer
Date: 08/01/2024
I am rejecting this response because: I want the deposit refunded! I pay my bill in the same fashion JCP&L provides me with service! We lost THOUSANDS of dollars in food due to being powerless for 50 hours and 19 minutes yet you feel entitled to keep a deposit!? Auto generated or not.... your response to me was handle/d by a l;ive person.. I expect the same in regard to my deposit!

Business Response
Date: 08/09/2024
FirstEnergy is committed to providing reliable electric service, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, events outside of our control can cause disruptions to customers service.

We understand the customer is not satisfied with this outcome, unfortunately we are unable to refund the security deposit until the satisfactory payment requirements have been met. While the company works hard to satisfy our customers, unfortunately we cannot guarantee it 100% of the time.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/17/2024
Type:Delivery 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 received a email for West Penn power Tell me they're going to shut off my electricity July 23rd after I just paid another shut off bill in June 4th for $200 for them to stop shutting off electricity. And I was supposed to be on a p cap program. Now I have received another shut off notice and I don't think that's right.
Business Response
Date: 07/26/2024
A termination notice was issued on 5/8/24 for $291.28 due by 5/22/24. When customer contacted the company, she was advised the catch-up amount of $209.31 could be paid to stop termination. Customer was advised the full past due amount of $357.39 at the time. The customer paid 200.00 on 5/31/24 and termination was cancelled.

When the next bill issued on 6/21/24, the payment of $200.00 was applied and the amount of $41.97 from the payment was submitted to the deactivated installment plan. Installment plan was deactivated due to customer being enrolled in PCAP. The remaining of the payment of $158.03 was applied to the bill balance of $613.39, leaving a past due amount of $455.36 and the current bill amount of $179.15, for a total of $634.51.

A payment of $125.00 was received on 7/1/24 which applied to teh bill balance of $634.51, leaving $509.51. Due to the customer still carrying a past due balance a new termination notice issued on 7/9/24 for $330.36 due by 7/23/24. Customer contacted the company and advised the catch-up amount of $135.45 could be paid to stop termination. No payment has been received.

The customer was re-enrolled in PCAP effective 5/20/24. No balance was placed into the PCAP deferred arrears because the balance can only be deferred once, so the balance still remains due. The customer does receive a PCAP monthly bill credit of $62.74. The PCAP benefit amount is recalculated on a monthly basis. Credit is based on the current average bill, heat source listed and the last reported household income. With the monthly recalculation, depending on the average bill amount for the month, the PCAP credit amount can change.
When there is a past due balance on the account a termination notice could be issued at any time.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/17/2024
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 have been a Potomac Edison customer for over a year now and I am unable to get in contact with anyone at the company. Every time I call to get an explanation of my bill, I get put on hold for hours. There is never less than a couple hundred people on hold when you call and this is a monopoly for where I live and is an unfair business practice. The KW per hour charges are astronomical and I cannot figure out a way to find a new energy provider for my electricity. Supposedly they have 400,000 customers, however I have not idea how you service this many people when you cannot even get through to someone to answer simple questions about your bill or serivce.
Business Response
Date: 07/23/2024
We
apologize for any extended wait times; the estimated hold times will depend on
the number of calls in queue at any given time.

Company records show the customer spoke with the company on
7/17/24.

Company records show the customer started service at this
location effective 5/5/23 and the location is listed as Electric heated.

Potomac Edison schedules and reads
their meters on a bi-monthly read cycle. We render bills monthly. The interim
monthly billing issues based on an estimated usage calculation. Per our
Maryland Commission approved Tariff Section 4-13.10 (b).

(b)           Where Service is rendered under Rate Schedule provisions
which do not require Monthly demand measurements and when the Customer selects
the Company to provide the billing Services, meters may be read and bills
rendered either Monthly or bimonthly at the Company’s option. When meters are
read at bimonthly intervals, bills for the initial months of the interval may
be estimated either from a like period of similar use or in some other
reasonable way. The bill for the final months of the interval will be calculated
from the metered use during the interval corrected for the amount of estimated
use previously billed.

                The
meter has been read bi-monthly as scheduled and the meter has been read
properly. The actual reading following an estimate will pick up any difference
if over or underestimated. The customer
has the option to provide a customer reading on the estimated months. The bills
include a bill message advising of if the next reading will be estimated or
actual and the dates to call in a customer reading if the next meter reading is
scheduled to be estimated.

An
increase in the electric bill does not necessarily indicate the bill is
incorrect.  The utility is responsible for the meter equipment and
meter readings.  The utilities responsibility ends with the
meter.  The customer is responsible for the efficient operation and
maintenance of all household appliances and equipment.  There are
several conditions that can impact customer usage.  For example,
December, January and February are traditionally higher gas and electric usage
months due to customers heating their homes.  Similarly, June, July
and August are high electricity months due to the added use of air conditioning
and fans to cool the home.  Customer may want to perform a breaker
tester or contact a local electrician to have an energy audit completed on
their home to assist in determining what appliances or areas of the home is
contributing to the most usage.

6/10/24, the bill issued for $176.04 due 7/1/24. The current
charges were estimated as scheduled.
7/5/24, the bill issued for $498.77 due 7/25/24. The meter
was read as scheduled. This bill appeared
higher due to picking up any difference from the previous month estimate.
The consumption used from 5/2/24 actual reading to 7/2/24
actual reading was a total of 5,014 kWh for 61 days, which is an average of 82
kWh per day. The company obtained a check reading from the meter on 7/19/24 of
87447 which confirms the company read on 7/2/24 of 85938 is correct. From 7/2/24 to 7/19/24 a total of 1,509 kWh
was used in 17 days, an average of 89 kWh per day.

The customer bills are correct as rendered. Attached is
statement of account.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/24/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/17/2024
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.
I received my monthly bill from First Energy (**** ******) during the last week of June. It seemed a bit high so I took a closer look. I get my generation/transmission from CleanChoice Energy and when I looked at that section of the bill I could see that I was double billed. I called CleanChoice Energy and spoke with a representative about it and she told me there should only be one charge $26.98. In fact, she had her supervisor look at it also and the supervisor said the same thing. I called **** ******, but after a 15+ minute wait the call was dropped.....so I reached out via their online contact us form. After submission, it said I would be contacted within 2 business days. I was never contacted. I then reached out to **** Edision via facebook messenger and did get a reply telling me that it would take 30 days for their Supplier Services Team to look into it. They gave me a case number, *********. I told them it shouldn't take 30 days to fix a bill....if they would just look at it they would see a double bill and I was able to connect with CleanChoice Energy to confirm the error in one day. I also didn't want to auto pay for a billing error. They told me they would put my account on hold so no auto pay would occur until it was resolved. Yesterday they took the full amount of auto payment, including the extra $26.98, and I'm still waiting to hear from their Supplier Services Team.
Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Good afternoon,

As a matter of
background:

12/20/17 –
***** ****** obtained service at this address.
The customer is enrolled in EBILL, that is where bills/correspondence is
sent and viewed online.

11/23/23 – The customer
was enrolled with Clean Choice Energy and is still enrolled. Customer
was enrolled via government aggregation. Letter was issued with no
returned mail.   A copy of the letter is attached.

07/01/24 – Social Media request from Customer:
“ I believe there is an error on my bill. I am seeing a double
chargd from my generation company. They said there should only be one charge.
Call **** ****** and got disconnected after waiting 1t minutes. Sent an email
using your online form. It said I would be contacted within 2 days.....still
wsiting”

Company’s
Response: “We will be happy to help, but we do need some additional information.
Please reply with your address and the account number, phone number, or email
tied to this account. Thank you in advance!”

Customer’s
Reply: “ Thank you for the quick response. **** ********** ****, ****, ****
*****. *** *** *** ***. Cleanchoice Energy is showing a $26.98 charge being
billed twice for my June bill. I spoke with them and they said it should only
be once.”

Company’s
reply: “Thank you for your reply. We have sent a request to our Supplier
Services Team to review the account charges for accuracy. Your confirmation
number is *********. We hope this information is helpful. “

07/01/24 – The representative advised that she would send a
notification to supplier services to investigate the issue and adjust the
account if applicable.   The
representative advised the customer to contact the supplier again as they are
the ones that submit the billing not FirstEnergy.

07/02/24 – Email from the customer: “ I
believe there is an error on my most recent bill which was for $104.15. I use
CleanChoice Energy for my generation and distribution charges. On the above
mentioned bill, I am seeing a double charge for $26.98 from CleanChoice Energy
and a total charge of $53.96. I reached out to CleanChoice Energy and was told
by a service rep named Linda that her records are only showing a single charge.
I told her again that it was showing 2 charges for $26.98 on my bill from ****
******. She had her supervisor look into it and the supervisor also said the
CleanChoice Energy system is only showing one charge for $26.98. I reached out
to **** ****** but was inadvertently disconnected after a very long wait. I
decide not to try that again and instead send you an email for you to review.

07/05/24 - Social Media Request: “ I wanted to touch
base with you regarding the request you sent to the services team. They had my
information from the "contact us" form on their website and nobody
replied, they've had the contact you made late Monday and nobody has responded.
Is there anyone at First Energy that can simply look at the bill, see the
double charge, and fix it? As mentioned before, I was able to get in touch with
cleanchoice energy easily and confirmed from 2 people there that there should
not be a double charge. If I don't hear from somebody soon what is my recourse?
Contact PUCO, the BBB, ??? This seems like a simple problem with an easy fix,
but apparently it isn't.”

Company’s
Response: “Thank you for your inquiry. We are happy to assist. We show an
email was sent to you on 07/01/2024 advising that an order was sent to supplier
services to review the charges. Your confirmation number is *********. This
review may take up to complete. We appreciate your continued patience. We hope
this information helps.”

07/06/24
– Social Media Request: “ The only confirmation number that something was being
looked into was from you. I have nothing in my email account on July 1st.
Nothing in spam and nothing in trash that was deleted. What email address did
they send it to? If this were a major issue I could understand the length of time
it has taken, but I started my inquiry over this situation around June
25th.....it's really not that complicated that it should take anywhere near
this length of time. As stated previously, I was able to contact my energy supplier
quite easily and got an answer very quickly. Simply looking at my bill should
tell you something is wrong since there are two identical sentences with the
exact same charges.”

Company’s
Response: “Thank you for your reply, *****. We show our Web Team responded to
your original request on 07/01/2024 at 16:56 PM. If you are unable to find an
email from ********************************** or *************************************,
please check your junk or spam folder. Your computer may be blocking these
emails.
If you cannot locate the email, contact your email provider for further
assistance. For your convenience, we have attached a copy of our original
response:
[Original Response]
Reply:
Thank you for your reply. We have sent a request to our Supplier Services Team
to review the account charges for accuracy. Your confirmation number is
*********. We hope this information is helpful. Additionally, this may take up
to 30 days to complete. We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your
patience. Have a great weekend!”

07/07/24
– Social Media Request: “ After your last response I can see that we were talking
about two different methods of contact. Before reaching out on facebook, I
tried by phone (but the call was dropped after 15+ minutes) so I sent an email
via the contact us form on the website. That told me I would be contacted
within 2 business days. That never happened and I've checked all folders in my
email account. However, what you are referencing is the communication we have
had on facebook since July 1st. There is no email from messenger.....all that
information is listed as part of this thread. Messenger has been the quickest
way for me to get a response. I know you have thousands of customers, but to tell
me it will take 30 days to review my bill for a possible error exc”

Company’s
Response: “ Thank you for your message,
*****. We regret the delayed reply. We do understand your concerns and have placed
a 30 day hold on the account to allow time for the rebill before the automatic
payment deducts. We hope this is helpful”

Customer’s
reply : “I’m grateful that this method of contact has been so responsive. Much
Appreciated.

0707/24
– The representative placed a hold on the account to allow time for supplier
services to review the account.

07/09/24
– A supplier services representative sent a message to the supplier regarding
the customer’s complaint. The supplier
service representative confirmed that the supplier sent double charges for the
same period for the current bill for the customer.

07/10/24
– The supplier responded: “Thank you for advising us. We are investigating and will follow up with
the customer directly.”

Suppliers are
independent of **** ****** and the customer needs to contact the supplier regarding
disputes, charges, contracts, etc.
When a customer has an alternate supplier, the supplier submits their
billing portion for the supply part of the bill for it to be added to ****
******’s bill.

Please follow up
with your supplier.

Thank you and
have a nice day.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/18/2024
I am rejecting this response because:
The very first thing I did when I saw the billing error was to reach out to CleanChoice Energy. The rep I spoke to AND her supervisor told me there should only be one charge for $26.98 and I relayed this information to **** ******. **** ****** never replied to my initial message via their "contact us" form on their website. The facebook group has been pretty consistent getting back to me, but the response has always been we need 30 days to look into this. They also said that they would put a hold on my account until this was resolved....that didn't happen as they took the incorrect amount on the due date.
**** ****** states:
07/09/24 – A supplier services representative sent a message to the supplier regarding the customer’s complaint. The supplier service representative confirmed that the supplier sent double charges for the same period for the current bill for the customer. THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT PROVIDED TO ME.

07/10/24 – The supplier responded: “Thank you for advising us. We are investigating and will follow up with the customer directly.”  THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT PROVIDED TO ME.
Having heard nothing from **** ******, I reached out to them on July 16th to ask what happened to the hold. Only then did they say they had contact with CleanChoice Energy. They didn't tell me what the result of their "contact with CleanChoice" was about.....only that CleanChoice would be in touch with me. I realize they have no control over CleanChoice contacting me, but no where in any of their communication did **** ****** state that CleanChoice told them they double billed me. Had they told me that on July 9th when they got that information I could have resolved it last week.

Customer Answer
Date: 07/18/2024
I wanted to simplify my rejection early today. I've been frustrated by the lack of communication with **** ****** outside of their facebook people. In their response to you, which was forwarded to me, they claim on July 9th that the reached out to CleanChoice Energy and they were told by CleanChoice Energy that they double billed me.
Here's my problem with that information.
1) I told **** ****** in the very beginning when I contacted them that I had already spoken with CleanChoice Energy. CleanChoice Energy told me they only billed one time.
2) Now **** ****** states that on July 9th, they reached out to CleanChoice Energy and they were told that CleanChoice billed me twice.
Here's the problem: 1) **** ****** never sent me this information. 2) CleanChoice told me the exact opposite. 3) If CleanChoice told **** ****** they double billed me, then why didn't **** ****** remove the charge since they know if was double billed? 4) And let's not forget the fact that **** ****** told me that my account would be put on hold for 30 days to get this resolved....that promise was made on July 7th, but they never kept that promise.
I don't prepare the bills and apparently CleanChoice told **** ****** the exact opposite of what they told me. How in the world can I resolve something I have no control over? I did what I could, I reached out to both companies and told them there was a problem. It seems to me that **** ****** knows for a fact that I was double billed so why haven't they remove the charge. Me talking to CleanChoice is not going to do anything since the bills are generated by **** ******. However, I did talk with CleanChoice again and they insist I should only have been billed once. They said they would look into it again. There is really nothing more that I can do to fix this....it will only be resolved if **** ****** and CleanChoice work together and fix it. Again, **** ****** already said they were told it was double billed, so what more do they need to fix it?
Business Response
Date: 07/19/2024
Good afternoon,
I apologize about the confusion. Due to high call volume's if you are unable to stay on hold to speak to a representative, sometimes it is better to email through the FirstEnergy website for communication with the company or to call first thing in the morning when the business opens at 8am. The company does attempt to respond to the customer's email within 24 hours, however there could be a delay to the volume of emails that come in.
On July 7th there was a 30-day hold placed on the account until 08/06/24, however that does not prevent the checkless payment from being pulled on 07/17/24. The only way to stop the payment would have been to remove the direct debit from the account. I do apologize if you were given incorrect information about it not pulling the full amount.
The information regarding the contact with the supplier and **** ****** regarding the double charge would have been relayed to you after 07/09/24 had you contacted the company as **** ****** was informed by the supplier on 07/09/24 that they would be reaching out to you directly.
As shown below you were advised via the Social Media Reques on 07/17/24:
Email from customer: " In a previous message I was told there would be a 30 day hold on my account until they could resolve the dispute with my billing. According to my First Energy online account that didn't happen as it is showing that a "Checkless Payment" was made for the full amount of the bill. And I've heard nothing from anybody regarding my concern outside of the communication via this messenger."
Company's Response: " We regret any inconvenience this has caused. We did reach out to your supplier who advised they will be reaching out to you directly. Unfortunately, you will need to follow up with your supplier, CleanChoice Energy at 202-248-9900."
Customer's reply: " I told you in the very beginning, I reached out to CleanChoice Energy on day 1...before I reached out to **** ******. CleanChoice was very clear that the amount I owed them was $26.98. Not only the rep I spoke to told me that, but her supervisor as well. CleanChoice Energy can't change the bill **** ****** sends me. That's why I reached out to **** ******, and they have done nothing...including their promise to put my account on hold until they resolved the error. "
Company's response: " Thank you for this information, *****. We regret any inconvenience this has caused you."
First Energy cannot remove the supplier's charges. The way the billing works when you have a supplier, is the company does **** ******'s portion of the bill for the distribution charges and then advises the supplier that they have 3 days to provide their billing for the supply portion before we issue the bill to the customer. So, in order to have the double charge removed or reversed it would have to be done on the supplier side through your supplier.
You are correct that the supply portion of your bill should only be $26.98 as the supplier confirmed with **** ****** as well, however, the supplier Clean Choice Energy is the one that has to remove the double charge. Please contact the supplier to confirm that they have removed the charge from their billing portion. They may either send a credit to you directly or it will be put the credit on the next bill from FirstEnergy. Once again, in the future if there are any disputes with charges, contracts, enrollments with a supplier that must be disputed with the supplier directly as they are independent of FirstEnergy and we cannot alter, remove, change or credit any part of their billing.
Thank you and have a nice day.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/23/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I understand the billing process as provided to me by First Energy and that the change must come via CleanChoice Energy. I was in touch with them first and I got in touch with them again after the first BBB response that was submitted by First Energy. So on that level...we're good and I will continue working with CleanChoice.
Outside of that, the communication process of First Energy does need improvement. The amount of time waiting on the phone is way too long and I was willing to wait, but got disconnected....and then submitted via the "contact us" form. That contact was NEVER responded to by First Energy. The only contact I was ever able to have was via Facebook messenger.
I'm not sure what a 30 day hold does because I got this message on July 7th...which was 10 days before my auto payment was to be made. This is what I was told: (July 7th) We do understand your concerns and have placed a 30-day hold on the account to allow time for the re-bill before the automatic payment deducts. What is a "30 day hold" if the auto payment was going through no matter what?
What does this mean: The information regarding the contact with the supplier and **** ****** regarding the double charge would have been relayed to you after 07/09/24 had you contacted the company as **** ****** was informed by the supplier on 07/09/24 that they would be reaching out to you directly. I did reach out to both CleanChoice and **** ****** and was waiting for both companies to get back to me. I was told there was a 30 day hold. You say that you communicated with CleanChoice Energy on July 9th.....then you're saying that is was my responsibility to contact you to find this out? Don't you think your people should have reached out to me after the July 9th discussion between you and CleanChoice? I was the one that reached out to **** ****** on July 17th after hearing nothing and what you show in your reply to the BBB is the reply I got on July 17th. **** ****** did not initiate that contact.
Lastly, is this part of the response from **** ******:  07/09/24 – A supplier services representative sent a message to the supplier regarding the customer’s complaint. The supplier service representative confirmed that the supplier sent double charges for the same period for the current bill for the customer. This tells me that **** ****** is fully aware that CleanChoice double charged me on my June bill, but it appears **** ****** did nothing to resolve the situation. Did you request CleanChoice to resubmit the bill or submit a credit for the charge? That would seem like a very reasonable thing to do once you've been told there was a double charge.....but it sounds like you simply decided it was out of your hands and decided to let the customer deal with it.
I won't beat a dead horse, I understand **** ****** is wiping their hands of this situation and have no obligation to do anything else. I won't hold my breath, but it would be great if they would review their communication process. Why wasn't my "contact us" ever replied to. Why was I never informed of the July 9th communication between the two companies...(remember I reached out to find out why I hadn't heard anything since my initial contact with you. And if you knew for a fact I was double billed on July 9th, why didn't you communicate with CleanChoice what they had to do to fix it?
Initial Complaint
Date:07/17/2024
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.
Power has been out for 10+ hours with NO UPDATES WHATSOEVER from this god awful company. Your phone lines go nowhere, your online systems pull bogus “resolution” times out of their butt that aren’t accuracy. This company is scammers and they are awful
Business Response
Date: 07/24/2024
Record indicates the customer reported a power outage on 07/16/2024 at 8:20pm. An estimated restoral time of 11:30pm was provided.

The company contacted the customer at 11:19pm to confirm still no power. A new estimated restoral time of 07/17/2024 at 2:30am was provided.

07/17/2024 at 6:18am, the customer was provided with a new estimated restoral time of 7:00am. The service was restored at 6:55am.

The customer experienced this outage due to storm related damages. The company works to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Estimated restoral times are estimated and may change during an outage event as weather events and damage assessment occurs.

The company offers updates both via automated calls and our website at ********************
Initial Complaint
Date:07/16/2024
Type:Product 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.
My electrician has been back and forth with you for DAYS. I need my electrical upgraded. From what he was told, my electrician needs to speak with this "field rep" named "******," who REFUSES to return calls even after MULTIPLE voicemails. This is completely unacceptable. CALL MY ELECTRICIAN IMMEDIATELY SO THAT I CAN UPGRADE MY SERVICE.
Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Company records indicate the customer's electrician contacted the company 7/16/24. The customer and the electrician each left a voicemail on the scheduler's voicemail 7/16/24. (***). The scheduler received the voicemails 7/17/24. In all of the customer’s communications, he requested that we only speak directly to his electrician. Due to ***’s current limitations on field work, the job has been reassigned to another scheduler who has is in active communication with the electrician to make sure that both ends of the job are in order. The job is actively being designed and, once proper permits are received from the customer, should be able to be scheduled in a timely manner.
Customer Answer
Date: 07/18/2024
I am rejecting this response because:
The Respondent's account is pure fiction.
On or about July 16, 2024, I emailed approximately sixty (60) members of Met Ed’s corporate headquarters, and I wrote the following to each of these people: “Please CALL MY ELECTRICIAN **** IMMEDIATELY and then please respond to this email so that I know it is finally done."

One would think this is pretty clear. But despite the very clear request, I did not receive a single response from anyone at Met Ed.

Since no one at Met Ed has had the decency to respond to me, I have no idea when this will be done. I had an electrician who was supposed to complete this work today. I need my electricity upgraded so that I can replace my air conditioner. I told Met Ed this. Still no response from Met Ed. Clearly, they couldn’t possibly care less about the fact that I am sweating in my own home due to their incompetence.

In light of the continued lies and lack of cooperation, I am requesting a refund of the $110 fee you charged me and I am also requesting an ETA for the completion of the work necessary for the upgraded service. My next step will be the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission and possible litigation under any and all relevant statutes.

Business Response
Date: 07/22/2024
Customer filed an executive complaint with the company. Company has been in contact with the customer July 18 and 19, 2024.

Customer Answer
Date: 07/23/2024
I am rejecting this response because:

The one person who actually responded to me ("******") did not identify herself as part of any "executive team," but rather as a "customer advocate," and she is not advocating for me at all. She expects me to wait three (3) weeks for my air conditioning to be safely installed. This is not only unacceptable, but it is beneath contempt to do this to a customer in the middle of summer. I need this expedited. I need air conditioning safely installed in the middle of summer. I have two children. Anything more than another week is completely unacceptable - I've already been waiting a week and a half. My next step will be a formal complaint with the Utilities Commission. Before I do that, can you expedite this for me please?

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