MPSC orders investigation into Customers Vitality 4G meter discrepancies

Following “persistent” complaints about malfunctioning pure fuel meters, potential overbilling, and delays in new service installations, the Michigan Public Service Fee (MPSC) introduced on Friday it was launching an investigation into Customers Vitality Co.

In a launch, the MPSC mentioned it had obtained quite a few complaints from prospects associated to Customers Vitality’s efforts to transition from utilizing now-obsolete 3G mobile phone expertise to 4G-based meters.

“In investigating complaints, MPSC Workers discovered that Customers was estimating payments for a lot of electrical prospects with 3G meters even earlier than mobile phone corporations discontinued working 3G service in January 2023, as a result of the meters weren’t working and exhibiting clean screens,” said the discharge. “That meant neither prospects nor Customers meter readers may pull precise readings from the meters.”

The MPSC mentioned its employees realized that way back to 2020, Customers had been conscious of the malfunctions, probably involving greater than 900,000 meters, which it blamed on battery contamination points.

Nevertheless, regulators allege Customers didn’t increase the problem in February 2023, when the utility was granted an extension of a 2019 waiver from technical requirements and approval of different testing procedures for the meters being faraway from service and upgraded to 4G expertise.

MPSC employees, involved about this and different discrepancies in reporting meter points, raised the chance that Customers could possibly be in violation of a number of sections of the MPSC’s Shopper Requirements and Billing Practices for Electrical and Pure Gasoline service, together with guidelines concerning the required substitute of failed meter tools, limits on what number of months payments will be estimated, and the shortcoming of shoppers or the utility to drag correct electrical use readings from damaged meters.

The MPSC says it obtained 177 complaints from Jan. 1, 2022, to Might 1, 2023, about Customers’ incapacity to satisfy Service High quality and Reliability Requirements necessities that 90% of latest service installations have to be accomplished inside 15 enterprise days.

When requested by the Michigan Advance to touch upon the order, Customers Vitality spokesperson Brian Wheeler, despatched the next assertion.

“Customers Vitality is dedicated to doing proper by its prospects and enhancing our efficiency and communications,” he mentioned. “We’ll cooperate with the fee on this effort and are targeted on delivering the service our prospects and the MPSC count on.”

Friday’s order additionally directs Customers to offer to the Fee by Aug. 4:

A proof of Customers’ efficiency historical past on meter studying from 2020 to current, together with the variety of prospects receiving consecutive meter readings past two consecutive months, the explanation why buyer payments have been estimated, who was held accountable for consecutive estimated readings, and who from Customers or its contractor offered workers to learn damaged meters.
A proof of Customers’ communications with prospects about estimated reads, the variety of complaints the utility has obtained, whether or not prospects have been offered data on the right way to learn their meters, and whether or not prospects have been receiving estimated readings due to the 3G problem or due to malfunctioning meters.
A proof of what Customers is doing with write-offs owing to prolonged estimated billing, together with the place write-offs may present up in a charge case, and the way the corporate can precisely invoice prospects when it’s unable to get an precise meter studying.
A proof of why, in Case No. U-20639, Customers didn’t disclose the variety of malfunctioning meters or inform the MPSC that prospects could be receiving estimated meter readings till new meters have been put in.
Knowledge on what number of 3G and 4G meters have been affected by contaminated batteries in annually in 2020 by 2023, and on what number of 3G and 4G meters have been affected by different points that induced them to not show readings.
A proof of the corporate’s course of for finishing numerous steps required to offer new electrical and pure fuel service, and the typical variety of days it has taken to finish installations in 2019-2023.
For brand new installations not being accomplished within the required 15 days, an reason Customers was unable to satisfy necessities and what steps it would take to make sure future compliance.

The Fee directed MPSC Workers to investigate the information Customers gives and make suggestions to deal with points recognized in Friday’s order by Sept. 29, 2023.