The word accountability holds real power at our company.
At New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), accountability is the tremendous responsibility we feel with every customer’s flip of the light switch and every touch of the thermostat.
In Customer Service, where I work, it means efficiently resolving issues, keeping customers informed, and following through on promises.
Today, accountability means clearing up some misleading information that seems to be moving faster than the speed of electricity: smart meters, which we began installing in our Lancaster division this year, are not a problem. They are a solution.
At NYSEG and RG&E, we have upgraded more than 700,000 legacy meters to smart meters statewide, including here in our Lancaster division. We’re happy to report they are working exactly as designed. A smart meter produces a monthly bill based on actual energy usage, as opposed to an estimate. What you pay monthly will reflect the energy that you are using monthly. Smart meters are not causing higher bills.
NYSEG and RG&E send out two million bills a month, of those, less than half a percent lead to a customer complaint. In those rare instances, we encourage customers to call and speak with us because it gives us an opportunity to go line by line through their accounts and better understand what factors may actually be leading to billing variations. What we’re seeing right now when people do call us is that the high temperatures and severe weather we’ve experienced this summer have led to increased air conditioning use and other small appliances such as sump pumps or dehumidifiers. In addition, customers who were still receiving estimated reads before their smart meter was installed may have experienced a higher bill because their estimate, based on the previous year’s usage, was low.
Resolutions to customers’ concerns vary because each concern is unique. When they call us, we ask customers what type of appliances they are using. We track heating and cooling trends against weather patterns. We ask if there’s been any changes in their daily routine. We check account balances for partial payments and to see if carryover charges exist. We ask about their energy supplier. We monitor supply prices in the electric and natural gas marketplace, which incidentally, we do not control and do not make money on. The more information we have, the more effective we are in pinpointing the concern. We’re proud of our record, having resolved 96 percent of the inquiries we’ve received this year.
We know that accountability also means compassion. While a new smart meter may not be the source of a billing concern, we do understand that financial challenges can lead to customers falling behind on their bills, and we’re here to help them get back on track.
To speak with a customer service representative, call 800-572-1111 (NYSEG) or 800-743-2110 (RG&E). You can find more information on smart meters with FAQs and installation information on NYSEG.com/smartmeters, including Energy Manager, which will help customers access detailed energy use to better understand how they’re using energy in their home or business.