I read your blog daily and thoroughly enjoy it!
I remember reading your post regarding Delmarva Power and the increase in our electric bills. However, I cannot remember the date.
Even before you posted it, I had noticed such a dramatic increase and I have since realized that DP is definitely price gouging us. I am permanently disabled and receive SSDI and am on a fixed income. My budget was $40.00 a month which was doable...In October 2015, they changed my budget to $163.00 without notice given to me! Now, January 2016's bill, they increased it to $222.00!!! I only receive $1254.00 a month Disability!!! My housing (rent) is almost $400.00; how does DP think I am able to pay this RIDICULOUS amount?? I have already received help from Shore Up for the MEAP program.
I called DP and spoke to a rep and she kept repeating to me, "The amount was increased b/c it's "Based ON USAGE."" WHAT? I have lived at my residence for 3 years...so I have previous history to compare. When I audited MY invoices against each other, believe me...the statistics do NOT add up!
I sent an email to the Department of Energy yesterday. I received an email this morning from them and they have provided me with the phone numbers and link of whom to contact.
Please share this information with the rest of your readers!
I am sending my complaint to them TODAY! Delmarva Power NEEDS to be investigated/audited by the Public Service Commission especially since they implemented a "new" billing system last January. If you remember, our first bill in 2015 was based on 43 or 45 days due to the wait time. This would affect your annual usage amount and it would NOT be accurate!!!
I hope that we can overload the Maryland Public Service Commission with enough complaints AGAINST Delmarva Power to initiate a deep and thorough Audit of their "Insufficient" and "Price Gouging" billing policies towards the residents in Wicomico County!!!
Thank you so much for ALL you do to keep us honestly informed!
Here is the link to FILE a Complaint: http://www.psc.state.md.us/contact/
21 comments:
I really agree with the price gouging. My bill has gone up dramatically. The sad part is that I don't think anything can or ever will be done about it. If we complain it will just be swept under the rug.
the public service commission is worthless. do not get your hopes up that they will do anything but shuffle paper.
Here we go again,, "I am on disability and fixed income". Well, perhaps u should have planned for ur future better. It made better life decisions. Your budget problem is not everyone else's fault!! I'm sick of this same story over and over again.
They don't even really read the meter they estimate based on their budget shortfalls.
Same here. I have a 1200sq ft home with washer and dryer so I know we use electric but the claims that we use $300+ a month is ridiculous. I've even purchased two space heaters so I dont use my heat pump whenever possible. It is such crap
12:25--
Same here. And to add insult to injury, they send us letters periodically to tell us we are using more than other homes our size. It irritates the crap out of me, but I don't feel the need to explain to them that we have a garage & other outbuildings that have electric. Electric bill shouldn't be this high during winter temps, as we use natural gas for heating, cooking & water heater. Have caught them once so far with an incorrect meter reading, always check against bill.
Delmarva Power is a corporation that is in business to make money. They have no concern about individual customers even though they claim to.
They are doing everything to make their bottom line as small as possible and the only way to do that is from the pockets of their customers.
The public service commission is a joke and undoubtedly receive some kind of incentives from all the utility companies.
Andy, are you listening?
12:46, I hope you are never on a fixed income because then you will have to eat your words when you run out of money and have to buy food. If you can't say something nice then say nothing at all. Try walking in their shoes before you open your month.map
Anonymous said...
Here we go again,, "I am on disability and fixed income". Well, perhaps u should have planned for ur future better. It made better life decisions. Your budget problem is not everyone else's fault!! I'm sick of this same story over and over again.
January 30, 2016 at 12:46 PM
I am glad these people have something to live on. I am fortunate to have a reasonable amount of security for my family and probably will now that I am old. maybe more than many but anything could have happened on my way to this point that would have changed everything for the worst. 12:16 you lucky callous cad,I don't know this person's story but, you really don't seem to have a clue about the misfortune that can befall any of us through no fault of our own.
Somebody has to pay for all those Tessa charging stations and the free electric to charge the cars.
That would be us.
well if you fools would learn more about the idiots you vote into office. You would realize how the power companies have bought off your legislators! the power companies are one of the biggest contributors to the pigs in annapolis. so dont like getting screwed then learn to vote for people who actually give a rats ass about you and your families! you hold the key to your own security and are to stupid to realize the connection! idiots!
When did the Maryland Energy Commission authorize this rate hike?
dpl = robbery
Don't you realize that space heaters use electricity and are going to run constantly to keep the temperature up where you want it? Space heaters aren't going to save you anything.
We have not changed a thing in out house and all of a sudden out bill doubled over night. We were going to get someone to check the meter. This is highway robbery!!!
I totally agree. That Brat has no ideal what it's like when your on a fix income fue to a disability. I'm a disable and unemployed Veteran who lives on an income of $1162.34 per month. My mortgage paymentis $398.80. It's is difficult. I manage. But, a killer of a manageable income is high utilities bill. People are struggling this winter. The person above criticising the fix income individual, just need to shut the hell up.
How many countries will give someone $1254.00 a month for doing nothing but complaining??? Consider yourself fortunate.
Just remember that that those of us who work have to pay SSDI taxes so you can get it every month. We take home less money each paycheck you can get your check.....
Are you kidding? Two space heaters...do you realize they are typically 1200w to 1500w each, to run!
Let me guess... Electric stove, electric dryer, electric hot water heater. $300/month electric is not unreasonable, considering all that.
We switched to propane for cooking, installed a tankless hot water heater (also propane), and encouraged everyone to hang clothes on the line rather than use the electric dryer, if possible. Had Solar City's solar panels installed, and our total cost there, even including propane and the $86/month for Solar City, averages 20% less overall.
The tankless hot water heater was the first improvement we did, and that literally paid itself back in savings, in about 18 months. Granted, we installed it ourselves; it was remarkably easy. Took more time to drill through the solid brick wall for the vent pipe, than anything else.
The government is so focused on paying for young able-bodied people on the system than our senior citizens.
"Check the meter"?
Try checking your electric hot water, make sure it isn't set too high and running all the time. If a pipe cracks behind the wall or under the house on the hot water side, you could have a slow hot water leak, and that will jack up your bill quick.
Try turning off the main breaker in your house. Flip every single breaker off, too. Look at your meter. If it's still running, and there is no power going into your house (or any other outbuilding) by all means call the power company...there's a problem.
If it stops, flip the main breaker to the on position, and check again, with all the individual circuit breakers flipped to the off position. Check again. Meter still stopped? Good.
If not, call an electrician, before calling the power company. You may have a problem.
When you turn on the main breaker, turn each breaker on, *one at a time*. See how fast each one makes the meter spin. Some appliances won't draw heavily unless they are actually "running', for example the heat pump or electric hot water heater. Many, if not most electronic devices, especially tv's and game system, constantly use a trickle of electric, 24 hours a day, whether or not they are turned "on".
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