Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Guardian Water & Power, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Guardian Water & Power, Inc.

  1650 Watermark Dr Ste 170 Columbus, OH 43215-7006

  
• 

  Guardian Water & Power, Inc.

  PO Box 163488 Columbus, OH 43216-3488

  

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:04/09/2024

  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.

  I am renting town house 1500 sq ft at **** ******* ****** Pkwy unit *, ******* **. We moved in 6/22/23. I finally received my first bill due April 1st the amount is ridiculous. I contacted Guardian regarding the usage and rep told me that the complex receives bill from Metro water in lump sum and Guardian bases each units amounts off of the meter that's on the tank in the unit. So I asked about water in and out. She can only answer to the amount being used.

  I told her I don't agree because my mother in law down the street in a house pays no where near what I'm being charged. My sister in law has 2 kids and a husband... same thing nowhere near what we are being billed and they aren't in a house. I have a home in California and Vegas with a 10k gallon pool that has a waterfall sensor on it and my bill in a 3300 sq ft home when myself and family is there is roughly $** per month.

  She advised me the complex had a lot of construction going on and they had asked Guardian to do back billing till units were fully completed, so we received a large bill that was for 4 months and 8 days.

  Now she advised me to take reading once everyone was asleep. We did and the meter read 5*,8*5 at bed time. When we woke up with flushing toilet, it is now showing 5*889. She said that will help determine if there is a leak and or inaccurate reading.

  I tried to reach out to The Rowan my property mgt co, but all I received was an eviction notice to pay in 3 days. I'm not paying for overage water usage.

  Guardian tells me they just figure everyone's bill based off total the Metro provides and the meter sensor they have on unit. I explained it's obviously incorrect. We have yet to shower, run sink or flush since last reading of 5*889 and will re-check reading again in a couple hours. But something is obviously wrong with Guardian's sensor.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/13/2024

  In response to the BBB Complaint ID ******** filed by ***** ******, here is what we found:
  

  The water/sewer is measured by a submeter in the unit.
  A submeter ensures that they are only billed for their individual units usage.
  To create the bill, we match the rates set you the local untility provider.
  There was a delay in billing and the property management requested that we back bill to the move in date.
  The first bill was for the period of 6/22/23-11/1/23.
  If they would like to provide a picture of their meter reading, we can compare it to the readings we are receiving. Readings can be sent to [email protected].
  The meters and equipment installed in each unit are not the property of Guardian. It belongs to the property.
  If the resident is requesting to have the meter inspected or the unit itself checked for leaks, they would need to contact their property management.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/19/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: I have taken pictures and even logged readings and showed maintenance as well. Unfortunately I moved out of the premises because the manager threatened me with an eviction.  I was tied that I jeered to take this up with Guardian and Giardian advised me that I needed to speak with Management. I asked Guardian to provide me with with Metro water bill because I need to see my usage and was not able to provide.  I have done more.reaearxh regarding meters placed on water units and found its not accurate. I liked further and there have been other renters having same issues not in The Rowan complex but other ones in Antioch. The Rowan has a lot of vacancy and im not paying for water that we didn't use. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2024

  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.

  I currently own a townhome in ***** **** ******* in Sarasota, Florida. Several residents have had meter and billing issues with Guardian Water & Power to include myself and these issues have been going on for months. Only 2 people live at my residence and every month my water bill averages $150-200, which is over double the national average for 2 people. Also, on my bill next to the amount is a status of "leak alarm/back potential" which gives me cause for concern. I have contacted Guardian Water & Power several times via phone and email, they refuse to come to my residence and check on my water meter to make sure that it is working correctly and there are no leaks that may be causing these issues. Apparently I needed HOA approval for Guardian to come out, I obtained that approval and they still refused to come out. I am paying monthly for their services, I don't think this is an unreasonable request. I would like to be contacted by the BBB if possible to discuss everything. I can provide email traffic between myself, my HOA, and Guardian, billing statements, and meter readings. Please help me, I don't know what else to do at this point.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/29/2024

  In response to the BBB Complaint ID ******** filed by **** *****, here is what we found:
  
  Guardian's
  billing department has coordinated with the HOA to validate the serial
  number on the submeter as there were concerns at several other units that the
  serial numbers did not align with the billing. Per the HOA, and per the
  resident's email on 12/18/2023 the serial number is correct for the address
  **** ****** Ct.
  
  It is
  physically impossible for a water submeter to advance (for the number dials to
  turn) without water flowing through the submeter. Water submeters are very
  simple devices and the only way the number dials turn is if water is flowing
  through it. The recent meter reading was 138,090 on 1/17/2024. If the
  reading on the meter face is above this number then the billing is accurate.
  
  Guardian does
  not service high bill amounts that may be due to leaks, as our technicians
  service only the submeter itself and any repairs on the plumbing lines
  themselves is outside of our scope of work. Guardian may very rarely inspect
  the meter for functionality, but we recommend first that the resident or HOA
  perform basic troubleshooting (listed below) to avoid any unnecessary costs.
  
  As such, we
  recommend continuing to partner with your property manager at ***** ****
  ******* HOA to thoroughly check for leaks or other minor plumbing concerns that
  may be contributing to the usage reflected in your bill.
  
  To have
  Guardian support staff assist with validating the recent meter reading, you may
  take a picture of the meter face (be sure to make sure the numbers on the front
  of the meter are visible) and send it to our [email protected] email address
  with the picture attached at your earliest convenience.
  
  Troubleshooting
  information:
  Most
  models of submeters have a leak indicator. A leak indicator is typically a
  dial that will spin if there is any water flow occurring. If all the
  faucets/taps are turned off, nothing on the face of the meter should move.
  If the dial/leak indicator spins, this indicates a potential leak.
  Track
  usage either overnight, or during the day if no one is home. Take a
  picture before and after to see if the numbers on the meter face advance
  during a time period when there should be no usage. If the numbers
  advance, this indicates a potential leak.
  Make sure
  the toilet(s) is not running in the unit. Even a small running toilet that
  is hard to hear could account for constant water usage resulting in a very
  high utility bill for the resident. Running toilets (AKA a toilet leak)
  accounts for 70% of the high bills that we see.
  To test
  for a running toilet, we recommend performing a toilet dye test, 
  1. Remove the
  tank lid. 
  2. Drop a dye
  tablet or several drops of food dye (or coffee, or any other liquid that is not
  clear) into the tank. Do NOT flush. Wait 15 minutes. 
  3. Check the
  water in the bowl for color. If the color appears in the bowl, there is a leak.
  
  Replacing
  the toilet’s flapper valve will likely stop the leak. To ensure proper
  flush performance, be sure the replacement flapper meets the toilet
  manufacturer’s specifications for your toilet model. If you turn off the
  toilet’s supply line, typically located at the back of the toilet, if the
  leak indicator on the meter stops moving this confirms the leak is
  stemming from the toilet
  Check for
  dripping faucets.
  Check for
  other water leaks, drips, etc. in the unit. There is likely no standing
  water you would be checking for, but any fixture in the unit that uses
  water should be checked.
  You could
  turn the shut-off valve off (next to the water submeter) at night or when
  not at home to avoid water charges for an unresolved leak.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/31/2023

  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.

  Our apt complex uses services from Guardian Water & Power as 3rd party billing services for the gas usage at our property, they bill our residents for gas, issue I am having is no follow up, no clear communication, lack of timely response and billing mistakes affecting tenants and our property, I have emailed left voice message to our account rep ***** ******* with no response. We escalated issue with her upper management owner of company *** ********* also included in email and i have yet to receive direct email and response regarding my inquiries, I emailed 12/05/2023 which i have attached copy, I once again call leave VM to ***** ******* 12/15/23 and follow up with another message, I just received billing preview on 12/21/23 from ***** ******* with no response on my previous inquiry and they neglected to send Oct & Nov preview on time so they sent 2 billings cycles all in one statement, which has mistakes on billing, every time i call there is no answer and it always prompts me to leave a message and I find it very frustrating to be paying for a service i am not receiving or common courtesy of a call back or simple email, we all are busy so i understand but the lack of effort is beyond frustrating.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/08/2024

  In response to the BBB Complaint ID ******** filed by ******
  *****, here is what we found:
  
  Guardian understands there have been gaps in communications
  for the account. Billing structure changes outside the scope of the contract
  were requested and are now in effect at no additional cost to the property. A
  free maintenance visit was offered in October and has not yet been accepted by
  the property management. Please respond to the 12/21 email confirming the
  best point of contact for scheduling. The monthly billing will be reassigned to
  a new account representative in the next billing cycle to address the customer
  service concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/22/2024

  Good morning,

  No rep has been assigned to our account yet, I still am working with ***** ******* who is the rep in charge of our account and for the most part communication has improved, she did send me preview billing, she will be assigning a new rep to our account I was told in February. For now, we can close complaint my main concern was lack of communication or follow up or even a simple response or email. I am happy to report that I am getting response back and not being ignored. I appreciate your help this defiantly was resolution I was looking for.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/24/2023

  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.

  Guardian Water & Power (GWP) is billing me for water usage on meter ********. My meter is ********. Initial contact with GWP was April 2023. My water bills in previous home were three people using 2,000/month. Current bills are 6,000-8,000/month. There are no leaks; overnight meter readings (when water isn’t used) reveal no water usage. Incorrect meter was detected in May 2023. GWP stated meter correction info must be received only from property management company ********** ********** ****.
  
  ********* ********** **. (**** ********************************* ************) has notified GWP of the mistake and provided correct information, but claims GWP is non-responsive and nothing else can be done.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  In response to
  the BBB Complaint ID 20649176 filed
  by ****** ********, here is what we found:
  
  Guardian received a meter & transmitter photo from the property management for the equipment installed in the unit.
  After researching the information, it was determined that the meter was not programmed correctly.
  The account representative for the property is in the process of generating corrected bills and they will be sent to the property management in the next few days.
  Bills going forward should be correct as well.
  Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.Tell us why here...

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/01/2022

  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.

  Unable to provide water meter reading to renters but insist on abnormal high rates for water and sewer.
  - does not routinely provide bills
  - if water isn’t paid credit alert comes up
  - lack of readings between bill cycles

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/08/2022

  In response to the BBB Complaint ID ******** filed by ****** ********* here is
  what we found:
  
  Guardian is billing the property in question with a Ratio Utility Billing system (RUBs).
  This means that there are NO meters in the units and that we take the Municipal bill and divide it based on the number of occupants per unit.
  Since there are no meters, there are no meter reads to provide.
  I am not sure is meant by “if water isn’t credit alert comes up”. Guardian does collect payment from the residents for this property. Bills are paid to the management company so we would not know if payments were made or not.
  Guardian has only processed 2 bills for all units located at this address. One in October 2022 and one in November 2022. The bill being sent in December 2022 has NOT been processed yet.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2022

  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.

  Description:
  Constituent's checking account was hacked by someone so her bank put the account on limited status to
  allow all outstanding checks to clear the account. She had paid a water bill to Guardian Water and
  Power, which came back as insufficient funds from their bank, not hers. When Guardian Water and
  Power didn't cash that check, she wrote them a new one out of her new bank account. That check has
  not been cashed either. They are now stating that she owes penalties, amounting to almost $70, which
  includes the original bill of $22. She lives at ******** ******* ** ************ *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2022

  The resident was billed $22.47 on 6/7/22.
  Guardian received a check via USPS on 6/22/22 in the amount of $22.47 (check # ****). Guardian processes the checks the same day they are received.
  Guardian was notified on 6/27/22 by our financial institution that the check was being return due to “Frozen/Blocked Account”. We were charged a $20.00 NSF fee that was then passed along to the resident.
  Guardian has not received any other payment by check via the USPS from this resident.
  We did receive a payment on 7/26/22 that the resident made via our tele-pay system with a credit card.
  Because we showed the $22.47 as a payment, but the bank did not cash the check due to the NSF, this amount and the NSF fee of $20.00 was add back onto the residents account. For a total of $42.47.
  Since the resident is the person that put her bank account on “limited status” they would need to talk to their bank to find out why the check was returned as “Frozen/Blocked Account”.
  Guardian had nothing to do with the payment not processing and should not be responsible for the $20.00 NSF fee.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/05/2022

  Much of this coThe  info they gave you ahgain todat is not correctmplaint has been left out of the response by that company. I definitly will complete my response after I talk to the agent at the BBB Bureau. This is not  going to be accepted, no one will agree to the response given by that conmpanu.  I have proof and paperwork from the Bank to back me up and I will not accept their tactics. The lawyer will also back me up. this company does not seem to understand how to run a business correctly.  I was in the business world my entire life and never did anyone ever try to pull these tricks on our people nor us on anyone else.  I will not take their demands just because they want to make them.  The info they sent to you today is noy correct. I do not owe more money and I will show the correct facts to BBB with all my paperwork and ststements from people involved. They don't even seem to understand howthe banks work or what they were even told. I will show the facts.        Thank you.