CHARLESTON, W.Va. — FirstEnergy says it will work with the state Public Service Commission’s investigation of meter reading and billing practices of subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison.
The PSC announced the general investigation last Friday. The companies have to submit information by July 1.
FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Meyers told MetroNews Tuesday a series of unexpected circumstances caused a number of customers to go without actual meter readings for several months.
“You don’t want to have too many consecutive estimates because then, when you have true-up meter readings, it can be difficult,” Meyers said.
Power companies are supposed to alternate actual and estimated meter readings month to month.
The PSC has received a number of complaints from Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers. Meyers said it appears the major issues have been in the eastern panhandle, the Potomac Edison service area.
Meter readers got behind in counties like Morgan and Jefferson last fall after Superstorm Sandy. There were also a number of vacancies in meter reader jobs and, according to Meyers, FirstEnergy reconfigured some areas when meters would be read, causing some customers to have an extra estimated reading or two.
Meyers said the companies have been aware of the issues and will assist the PSC.
“It’s just an exercise that we need to go through, and hopefully, when we come to the end of the investigation and the recommendations and everything else, we can be stronger for it and have a good outcome for our customers,” Meyers said.
FirstEnergy has also simplified the duties of meter readers in recent months from what they used to be with the former parent company Allegheny Energy.
“Under FirstEnergy all meter readers do is read meters,” Meyers said. “Now that they’re just reading meters, we’re trying to put all of the meter readers in a certain area of a county. And if one meter reader needs help to finish their route, it’s likely another meter reader nearby will have finished their route for the day.”
Mon Power and Potomac Edison are also offering no-interest payment plans for customers with larger bills.
Meyers said the companies are working to rebuild the public’s confidence.
“We want to satisfy our customers and resolve these issues,” he said.