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ronreadingpa t1_j6rtwh8 wrote

PPL still hasn't explained exactly what happened. Be nice if some news media would press them on it, but most news outlets simply regurgitate whatever a company or official says.

Noticed a new 5% System Improvement surcharge. PPL used to be relatively affordable with good service. Not anymore. PPL is seemingly not shopping for the best rate possible, which is what they're supposed to do. Their default rate of 14+ cents is among the very highest of any utility in the state. Distributers aren't supposed to profit on supplying electricity, but suspect PPL is in some roundabout way. Very shady and should be investigated.

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theREALPLM OP t1_j6ru4og wrote

I'm calling my state senator....

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moravian t1_j6rvo04 wrote

It's more useful to file a PUC complaint, it's very quick and easy.

https://www.puc.pa.gov/complaints/

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PregnantSuperman t1_j6s3t77 wrote

Why not both? Also the PUC just announced an investigation into this yesterday. Hopefully something comes of it.

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Atrocious_1 t1_j6suyod wrote

"we investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong"

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PregnantSuperman t1_j6svjus wrote

Unless I'm mistaken, PUC is a completely separate regulatory body, I'm not sure why you would say they're investigating themselves.

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Atrocious_1 t1_j6swb58 wrote

I mean, ok, sure, I guess you can take things at face value and ignore the incestuous nature between regulatory bodies and the organizations they oversee

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PregnantSuperman t1_j6syubj wrote

You want to give any examples of what you mean in the case of the PUC? I'm not coming at you, I just think it's lazy and cynical to automatically dismiss something unless you have evidence to back it up. Admittedly I don't know much about the PUC so if there really is an example of a conflict of interest in action I'd be interested in knowing.

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Atrocious_1 t1_j6t3lyq wrote

Specific examples of PPL and the PUC, no. However there's been multiple historic examples, plus the fact that when the rate increases were first proposed thousands of citizens, businesses, and legislators wrote in saying this would be detrimental and the PUC basically told all of us "too bad lol"

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fireXmeetXgasoline t1_j6s8cf6 wrote

I got this email yesterday:

“To our Valued Customers,

You have a right to expect excellent service from your electric utility. We know that delivering reliable electricity – keeping the lights on for you – must be matched by exceptional customer service. In recent weeks, we’ve fallen short of this standard in both our billing and responsiveness to customers.

Today, I’m reaching out to address these issues, including estimated bills, to share steps we’re taking to support our customers, and to explain what it means for you. I also want to take this opportunity to address higher prices for energy supply, which have been the primary driver of higher bills. While we don’t control these energy supply costs, we are committed to doing what we can to help you in this challenging time.

While estimated billing and higher prices are unrelated, together they have fueled a sharp increase in customer calls, resulting in long wait times for many who have tried to contact us. If you received an estimated bill or have had difficulty reaching our call center, I apologize. Simply put, you deserve better, and we are committed to regaining your trust.

Actions we’re taking to support our customers:

First and foremost, we’ve resolved the technical issue that resulted in a significant number of bills that were based on estimated electricity usage. This issue involved bills sent from December 20 through January 9. Estimates based on historical usage may have been higher or lower than actual usage. If this impacted you, you have either already received a corrected bill with actual usage or an adjustment on your next monthly bill to ensure you only pay for the electricity you used. By fixing the technical issue, we have restored customers’ access to detailed usage information online at pplelectric.com. We will not shut off power to residential and small-business customers for non-payment through March 31. We are waiving all late fees in January and February. Any fees already charged in January will be credited to customer accounts. We continue to offer payment plans and assistance programs that can help if you are struggling to pay your electric bill. This includes self-service options that are available to you online at pplelectric.com/billhelp or by calling 1-800-DIAL-PPL. We are adding more agents to answer your calls and reduce wait times.”

There was more afterward telling me how to compare prices and shit.

This strikes me as a very “oopsie doodle!” and not genuine.

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PADemD t1_j6u5bu6 wrote

Why is PPL doing estimated bills? I have Met-Ed, and they installed new meters which record actual usage. No one reads our meters anymore, and we do not get estimated bills. Since the new meters were installed, our bills are much lower.

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Kristin2349 t1_j6ueeso wrote

It was an IT fuck up, PPL installed smart meters before Met Ed.

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kaneda32 t1_j6s4yqd wrote

>PPL still hasn't explained exactly what happened. Be nice if some news media would press them on it, but most news outlets simply regurgitate whatever a company or official says.

PPL did not have interval data (15min usage) in their billing system for the days between 12/22 and 12/26. Without usage they were unable to calculate invoices and charges. This also overlapped the cold weather around Christmas, which included extreme spot market prices. The data has been recovered, but there are still issues, not sure what is taking so long to resolve.

PPL is in the business of electric distribution. They do provide electric supply to those that opt not to select a 3rd party supplier. Their strategy to set utility supply rates involve purchases in April and October, with various terms and percentages. These costs are averaged and trued up every six months. Needless to say, October was a terrible time to secure commodity, hence the high price to compare.

3rd party suppliers for residential customers is typically a bad idea. Most people sign up and forget to re-shop at the end of the contract. The supplier is not responsible to return your account to the utility supply, but rather starts billing at a variable rate. This is all spelled out in the contact, but everyone wants to file a complaint. The responsibility is on you. I encourage most people not to shop for their home.

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artificialavocado t1_j6rwpav wrote

Well of course they have to just repeat what was said. It is a new outlet what you think they are reporters or something?

/s

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CltAltAcctDel t1_j6rwzhl wrote

It’s not PPL job to shop for the best rate. That’s on you. PUC sets the PPL rates for generation and distribution. The consumer can shop for the best generation rate

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