Columbia Gas of Virginia, Inc.

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Ms. [redacted]. It is alwaysour goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive.We have investigated the concerns of Ms. [redacted] about her recent...

gas service termination due to non-payment.When a termination occurs, a security deposit and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. The securitydeposit is determined by the two highest winter bills usage from the previous year. These processes, along withother fees, are outlined in our tariff which is approved by the [redacted] and can befound at [redacted]We encourage Ms. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted]. The BudgetPayment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs moreevenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customerssuch as Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] formore information.Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.Sincerely,

The business confirmed with Revdex.com that the power washing was completed on Wednesday, November 9.

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regarding the concerns of Mrs. [redacted] experience with the [redacted] rebate program. 
size="3">It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive.
It is disappointing to hear about Mrs. [redacted] experience and her frustration regarding the manner in which her rebate application was handled is understandable.  First of all, we will be honoring the high-efficiency gas furnace rebate Mrs. [redacted] applied for in the amount of $300.00. She can expect to receive this in the mail no later than September 9.
Second, an explanation of why the rebate was denied might be helpful, in hopes of providing some clarity regarding her experience.  The Columbia Gas rebate program is approved by the State Corporation Commission in three-year cycles. The authorized program includes limits on the number of rebates we can provide during each program cycle.  Columbia Gas ran out of high-efficiency gas furnace rebates in October 2015, close to the end of the approved program’s cycle (2013-2015).  In January of 2016, the next cycle of the rebate program began (2016-2018).  High-efficiency gas furnace funds were once again available; however, they apply only to furnaces purchased and installed during the new program cycle of 2016-2018. 
The rebate processing team uses the contractor invoice as proof of the installation date in order to approve rebates.  Since the invoice was not provided with the rebate application that was mailed in, the rebate processing team contacted Mrs. [redacted] for the required invoice, as well as for information to complete other fields left blank on the rebate application.  With the complete application and invoice, they were able to conclude that the installation was made in 2015. 
Please share our apology for this lapse in customer service with Mrs. [redacted].  With her feedback, we are able to continue to improve upon the service we provide our customers.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [email protected].
Regards,
[redacted]
I would like to let you all know this complaint has been resolved. Thank you.

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regarding the concerns of Mrs. [redacted] experience with the [redacted] rebate program.  It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. It is disappointing...

to hear about Mrs. [redacted] experience and her frustration regarding the manner in which her rebate application was handled is understandable.  First of all, we will be honoring the high-efficiency gas furnace rebate Mrs. [redacted] applied for in the amount of $300.00. She can expect to receive this in the mail no later than September 9. Second, an explanation of why the rebate was denied might be helpful, in hopes of providing some clarity regarding her experience.  The Columbia Gas rebate program is approved by the State Corporation Commission in three-year cycles. The authorized program includes limits on the number of rebates we can provide during each program cycle.  Columbia Gas ran out of high-efficiency gas furnace rebates in October 2015, close to the end of the approved program’s cycle (2013-2015).  In January of 2016, the next cycle of the rebate program began (2016-2018).  High-efficiency gas furnace funds were once again available; however, they apply only to furnaces purchased and installed during the new program cycle of 2016-2018.  The rebate processing team uses the contractor invoice as proof of the installation date in order to approve rebates.  Since the invoice was not provided with the rebate application that was mailed in, the rebate processing team contacted Mrs. [redacted] for the required invoice, as well as for information to complete other fields left blank on the rebate application.  With the complete application and invoice, they were able to conclude that the installation was made in 2015.  Please share our apology for this lapse in customer service with Mrs. [redacted].  With her feedback, we are able to continue to improve upon the service we provide our customers.

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia regarding the concerns of [redacted] experience with Columbia Gas of Virginia.  It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take any complaints we receive seriously. Below is a timeline of what...

has transpired. 03/27/17:  Company mailed the customer the monthly bill, which also indicated a termination notice.  The billing message stated "Termination Notice.  Your account is past-due in the amount of $231.45.  Payment in this amount must be posted to your account by April 7, 2017.  Your gas service is scheduled for shut-off on or after April 10, 2017."  (see attachment)  A courtesy call was attempted, however the company did not have a valid phone number on file for the customer, so the calls were unsuccessful.    04/10/17:  Company received payment of $231.45 (the minimum amount to stop termination on the scheduled day of shut off.)   04/26/17:  Company mailed the customer the monthly bill, which also indicated a termination notice.  The billing message stated "Termination Notice.  Your account is past-due in the amount of $102.73.  Payment in this amount must be posted to your account by May 9, 2017.  Your gas service is scheduled for shut-off on or after May 10, 2017."  (see attachment)  A courtesy call was attempted, however the company did not have a valid phone number on file for the customer, so the calls were unsuccessful.    05/15/17:  Company credited [redacted] to the customer's account as a result of the final order in Columbia's 2016 base rate case.  As a result, the customer's arrears balance is now $85.42.   05/22/17:  No payment was received, and gas service was terminated at 1:15 PM for non-payment.  A post termination notice was left at the premise.  At 4:18 PM, customer called to pay to have service restored.  Customer paid a total of $260.42 for restoration ($85.42 arrears balance + $100 initial security deposit installment + $75.00 pilot light fee.)  Company agreed to bill the $82.00 reconnect fee.  Company advised customer that first available appointment to restore service would be on 05/26/17, however to adhere to the three day rule the Company could override the schedule and offer 05/25/17 instead.  The customer stated that 05/26/17 would actually work better.  The order to restore service was scheduled for 05/26/17 for a time slot between 2:00 to 4:00.  Customer was satisfied.  Later the same day, at 4:56 PM, the customer called back in requesting an earlier date for service to be restored.  The customer was again advised that 05/25/17 was the first available, however service could be restored on 05/23/17 if the customer paid a $90.00 priority fee.  The customer agreed and paid the $90.00 fee immediately.  The order was rescheduled for 05/23/17 for an all-day appointment.   05/23/17:   Customer called Company at 4:08 PM inquiring into why tech has not yet arrived to restore gas service.  Company call center rep researched the account and found that the representative who took the call at 4:56 PM on 05/22/17 never updated the pending order from 05/26/17 to 05/23/17.  Company apologized for the error and advised the customer that the soonest available would be the next day, 05/24/17.  The call was escalated to a supervisor.  The supervisor reiterated the same.  The customer was very upset, but accepted the 05/24/17 date and requested a morning appointment. The customer was then advised that the order was notated, but there was no guarantee that it would be worked in the morning, it could be anytime throughout the day.   05/24/17:  Customer called Company at 7:20 AM wanting to know when tech would arrive to restore gas service.  Call center representative advised the customer that the Company could not guarantee it would be done in the morning, and the customer was very upset.  Customer called back at 10:27 AM wanting to know when tech would arrive to restore gas service.  Call center representative advised the customer that their order is to be worked ASAP, however there is an emergency in the area, the Company was not able to give a specific time. Customer requested the $90.00 priority fee to be refunded.  Company advised customer that $90.00 fee would be credited back to the account. Company supervisor attempted to call customer at 12:11 PM, no answer, left voicemail to return call.  Customer called Company at 12:33 PM stating he wants his services on immediately.  Company advised customer that the Company had numerous emergency calls today and are attempting to get to him ASAP.  Call was escalated to a supervisor.  Supervisor again apologized and advised that order is still scheduled to be worked today.  Company tech arrived on site to restore service at 2:59 PM, service was restored and appliances were relit. I sincerely apologize for Mr. [redacted]’ experience with Columbia Gas. The priority fee of $90 has already been refunded, and the Company has also credited Mr. [redacted] $100 atonement for the delay in getting his service restored. The situation is under review and retraining of employees will occur in the near future. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Kristine J[redacted] Manager – Communications & Community Relations

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted]. It is alwaysour goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive.We have investigated the concerns of Mr. [redacted] about his recent gas...

service termination. When a terminationoccurs, a security deposit and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. The security deposit is determinedby the two highest winter bills usage from the previous year. These processes, along with other fees, areoutlined in our tariff which is approved by the [redacted] and can be found at[redacted]. As a courtesy, we have waived half of the security deposit.We apologize for any inconvenience Mr. [redacted] experienced as a result of this matter and hope to have resolvedher concerns.We encourage Mr. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted] The BudgetPayment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs moreevenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customerssuch as Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] formore information.Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted] [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. We have investigated the matter and concluded...

that the customer contact center personnel followed all appropriate procedures with regard to a service termination on May 16. When Ms. [redacted] called in to restore her gas service on May 18, she was offered a 30-minute call ahead time in which she declined. We apologize for any inconvenience Ms. [redacted] has experienced as a result of this matter.We encourage Ms. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted] [redacted] . The Budget Payment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs more evenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customers such a Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] for more information. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.Sincerely,

Dear [redacted], Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Ms. [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. We have...

investigated the concerns of Ms. [redacted] over a service termination on January 14 and concluded that her gas service was shut off at [redacted] for non-payment. When a termination occurs, a security deposit and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. In addition to the security deposit and reconnection fee, there are other fees associated with reconnection such as an optional $87 priority fee to restore service the next business day. These, along with other fees, are outlined in our tariff which is approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission and can be found at www.columbiagasva.com. Further it was determined that we incorrectly entered the reconnection date which resulted in a delay in restoring her gas service. We apologize for any inconvenience Ms. [redacted] experienced as a result of this incident. As a courtesy, we have waived the $87 priority fee. We will continue to work to regain her confidence by continuing to deliver safe, reliable natural gas service. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Bob I[redacted] Columbia Gas of Virginia

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted].It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. This complaint was also submitted to the...

Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) and that complaint has been closed. [redacted] gas service was shut off for non-payment on 7/13/16. She paid the past due amount and the reconnect fee on 7 /15/16 and was scheduled for reconnection on 7/18/16. During the reconnection safety check, a potential safety issue was found and the customer was notified that the issue needed to be resolved before her service could be restored. Once the company was notified that the safety issue had been resolved, several attempts were made to contact the customer on 7/21 /16 and 7/22/16. Additionally, a representative from the SCC also attempted to contact the customer several times. After the customer returned the calls to the company on 7/22/16, service was restored that same day. The company takes any potential safety concern seriously and could not restore service until it was safe to do so. The repairs were to the customer's equipment and not to the company's equipment. Due to this, the company will not refund the cost of those repairs. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia withregard to the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possibleservice to our customers, and we takeseriously any complaints we receive.We have investigated the matter. Our investigation revealedthat when...

Mrs. [redacted], Mr.[redacted]'s wife, called Columbia Gas to determine jf the newtenant had called to transfer serviceinto their name, she was given misinformation. She was toldthe final calculated bill is correctbecause the company read it at the local distributionoffice. However, this was not accurate.Instead, when the new tenant called Columbia Gas to transferservice into their name, theyopted to have Columbia Gas use an estimated read, since theinitial service charge is $3,versus $44 if the Company physically goes out to the serviceaddress to read the meter.Columbia Gas has taken steps to resolve the inaccurateinformation with the representativeMrs. [redacted] spoke to, and will ensure they are properlytrained on this procedure in the future.An analyst in the [redacted] section of ColumbiaGas was able to talk with Mrs.[redacted] after this Revdex.com Case was received. The transfer ofservice process was explained to Mrs.[redacted] and she was informed that if she would like a physicalreading of the meter, instead of anestimated read, she can call the Company and request thatfor the additional charge. Additional,Columbia Gas provided Mrs. [redacted] with a $30 credit to heraccount, as a goodwill gesture forthe misinformation she was given.Should you have questions or require additional informationplease do not hesitate to contactme.Sincerely,[redacted]

Dear [redacted],
Thank you for contracting Columbia Gas of Virginia with
regard to the concerns of [redacted]. Our goal os to provide our customers
with quality service.
As requested by [redacted], we have updated her address to
[redacted]...

[redacted]. We have scheduled a technician to come out
to the property and verify the meter number.
It is our sincerest hope to have satisfied the concerns of
[redacted]. We will continue to work to regain her confidence by continuing to
deliver safe, reliable natural gas service. Please do not hesitate to contact
me should you have questions or additional information.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Dear [redacted], Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. It is always our goal to...

ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. During a review of the complaint on November 20, 2015, the $33.53 was removed from Mr. [redacted]'s account. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, [redacted] Columbia Gas of Virginia

Unfortunately there is not another option to have gas for your home and you have to use this company if you are living in my area. The customer service representatives are rude, they do not put everything in the computer that was discussed, they try to double charge you fees so KEEP YOUR CONFROMATION NUMBER!!!!! They are very unwilling to assist or help out in any way, hopefully you can get your situation resolved during the business day because if not they cannot do anything on the weekends but tell you to call customer service back at a later time. Honestly the worst utility company I have ever had to use. Despite not receiving any notification of shut off, having the wrong account number on the shut off notification, having a first time issue with this company, they still charged me a $217 security deposit and $75 turn on charge. The gas was shut off sometime Thursday, I paid as soon as I got home $280.99 stating that the notice I received on my door was a quote. I was told that someone was coming out Friday, no one showed up I was able to be home all day due to having the day off of work. Then Saturday comes around, I have my daughter’s birthday party I figured that they said the gas was restored perhaps I just had to light the pilot or something. I call the company Sunday realizing that still no hot water and that someone failed to show up Friday but the payment was made and they told me I had to wait to call customer service during normal business hours. I called first thing Monday. If I wanted someone out today I would have to pay another $85 to have it turned on today if not sometime between 8am and 4:30 pm tomorrow. Wow that is almost a week from when I paid to when I can get my gas turned back on. I received ZERO prior notification despite them telling me they “sent it” and yet we didn’t even have the correct information on the shut off notice. Regardless of being pregnant and in the hospital for food poisoning that week, the first time asking for a monetary break from the company in regards to their outrageous fees and trying to stay calm I still received rude “service” from extremely unhelpful an understanding people. If this was a company I could chose to cancel without hurting my family I 100% would. Good thing for them that they are more of a monopoly or I would take my business somewhere else immediately! Sorry if you live in our area and have to use them.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Sadly, it's clear Columbia Gas is a company with policy as crooked as they come. They currently have OVER 900 complaints against them for customers I'd say that speaks for itself. Clearly dates arent something they keep either.. the gas was shut off on 7/14 and was paid on 7/15.. yet Columbia Gas would not schedule a reconnection until 7/18/2016.. we were told the tech would arrive between 8-4..... THE TECH NEVER SHOWED!!!! The plumber sat and waited for Columbia Gas until AFTER 6:00PM.. Columbia Gas also has NEVER ONCE contacted me.. they didn't contact me even when the guy was TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATE!!!! I got charged by the plumber that was here to light the pilot light who wasn't able to because Columbia GAS showed up over two hours late.. THIS IS NOT MY FAULT BUT THEIR FAULT!!!! The guy came out finally refused to hook up.. the issues were fixed immediately.. we called again and scheduled reconnect and we're TOLD BY COLUMBIA GAS REPRESENTATIVE IN A RECORDED CONVERSATION THE TECH WOULD CALL FROM A 1800 NUMBER PRIOR TO ARRIVAL... NO TECH EVER CALLED FROM A 1800 HE CALLED FROM A CELL PHONE.. I contacted columbia gas 4 minutes after getting his message and was told you missed his call it will have to be rescheduled... by columbia gas standards the customer can wait on them for HOURS WITH NO COMMUNICATION BUT SOMEHOW THEIR TIME IS PRIZED!! BULL!! Best part I was told later that it's AGAINST COLUMBIA GAS POLICY TO CONTACT A CUSTOMER FROM THE PERSONAL CELL PHONE (ALSO RECORDED).I did file a complaint with the SCC whom was told by Columbia Gas that their tech showed up and no one answered which was false as this home is also a business.. the ONLY REASON the gas FINALLY got turned back on after EIGHT DAYS was because the REPRESENTATIVE WAS APPALLED THAT WITH 5 CHILDREN IN THE HOME ONE OF WHICH IS DISABLED THAT COLUMBIA GAS WOULD BE SO CRAPPY!!!! SHE CALLED THE LOCAL SUPERVISOR HERSELF TO ARRANGE RECONNECT FOR THAT DAY... WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYONE ELSE AT COLUMBIA GAS BUT HER!!!!! After columbia gas and all their lies I think I know have a strong case to build on and a phone record to boot!! With alot of recorded conversations. I'm finally going to an attorney. 
Regards,
[redacted]

The exorbitant fees that this company charges if a customer is late are absolutely ridiculous. This is a utility that people depend on for the care of their families. I had been a customer of theirs for more than a year. I was one day late on my bill and they shut off my gas. I expected to pay a reconnection fee of $50 or so, but they charge $75. A snow storm was expected to hit my area that night, and I thought my service would be restored that day after paying the past due amount and reconnection fee. They would not restore my service for three days unless I agreed to pay an additional $85. In addition, they wanted a security deposit of $409 dollars, but adjusted down to $140, which is still ridiculous. They also wanted $75 to start the pilot light on my water heater. A $195 gas bill ended up costing almost $550. The customer service representatives showed no care or concern that my family would be without heat during freezing temperatures. I would do anything possible not to do business with this company.

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. We have investigated the matter and...

concluded that the customer contact center personnel followed all appropriate procedures with regard to a service termination on May 16. When Ms. [redacted] called in to restore her gas service on May 18, she was offered a 30-minute call ahead time in which she declined. We apologize for any inconvenience Ms. [redacted] has experienced as a result of this matter.We encourage Ms. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted] . The Budget Payment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs more evenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customers such a Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] for more information. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.Sincerely,

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear [redacted], Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia regarding the concerns of Ms. [redacted]. It is always our goal to...

ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. We have investigated the concerns of Ms. [redacted] with regard to a service termination. Ms. [redacted]' s gas service was terminated for non-payment on March 14. When a tennination occurs, a security deposit and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. In addition to the security deposit and reconnection fee, there are other fees associated with reconnection such as an optional $87 priority fee to restore service the next business day. These, along with other fees, arc outlined in our tariff which is approved by the VA State Corporation Colllmission and can be found at www.columbiagasva.com. Ms. [redacted]'s gas service was restored on March 16. As a courtesy we have waived the $87 priority fee. We apologize for the difficulty Ms. [redacted] experienced as a result of this incident. We will continue to work to regain his cooiidence by continuing to deliver safe, reliable natural gas service. Sincerely, Columbia Gas of Virginia