I would like to express an extreme displeasure with the way I am
currently being treated by our common electric service provider,
namely, Allegany Power. I, like many others, am on Allegany Power's
Budget program, as a requirement to receive assistance with my
electric and heating. Well like a responsible homeowner I am always
looking for a way to lower my budget. Last year my family decided to
supplement our current electric heating with a propane heater so we
would not use so much on our electric bill. Now I am assuming because
I used a lot less electric this year as opposed to the previous year,
the budget I was on did not have the usual effect. I now have a
difference between my actual balance due and my budgeted bill of over
$700.00 (witch are advance charges for estimated future usage, not for
actual usage). Now on the advice of OHEP I called Allegany Power to
see if my budget could be reset since there was such a huge difference
in my billing (this was once something that was done, automatically
each year, by their computer systems to most likely prevent this kind
of issue). I was told, in slightly more professional terms, "we don't
do that your budget will adjust itself and you will eventually use up
the $700.00+ in future usage, by the way, since we looked at your
account here is a deposit of $347.00 we are going to add to your next
bill, because of your payment history." Also as a courtesy they did
lower my budget amount from 270.00/mo to 200.00/mo. Now by my
calculations, we take 200.00 X 12/mo= 2, 400.00 subtract my yearly
usage of $2, 253 for the most recent 12 months= $147 in additional
credit (part of which will be paid by grants from OHEP, because I am
on energy assistance) and I will show as having a past due balance if
i don't pay the budget amount upfront. and they add a late fee every
month of about $3.00. Some way to be treated for trying to do the
right thing, What do you think?