SmartMeter report leaves some PG&E customers skeptical

Though the much-derided SmartMeter program was largely absolved in a state report this week, some Mid-Valley residents remain suspicious about why their electric bills soared the first month the new meters were in place.

Frank Root of Marysville said a problem identified in the report commissioned by the state Public Utilities Commission — a need for better customer relations — fits with his experience.

After the meter was installed, his monthly bill rose from $100 to $472. Because he'd had a roommate move out during the period who qualified for electric bill discounts, he said, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials told him his bill would rise, but by no more than 60 percent, not the 372 percent he experienced.

"They didn't have a response, and they wouldn't say anything about it," Root said. "As far as customer service, they respond promptly, but they represent their own best interests."

The SmartMeter program, in which new meters installed on homes allow the utility company to check usage remotely rather than on site, has drawn more than 40,000 complaints since it began a year ago in Bakersfield.

Some customers said their bills dropped, while others said their bills rose even when they used less energy.

In the PUC report released Thursday, a private group from Houston found the meters were largely more accurate than the ones they were replacing. But PG&E's way of dealing with SmartMeter complaints, the report found, often frustrated customers with evasiveness or a lack of resolution.

PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said the utility took the criticism seriously and has launched an effort to educate customers on the SmartMeter program, touting both its benefits and potential impacts on their bills.

Thursday, the utility's Marysville office had an information desk available for five hours for questions and concerns over the program, though during a half hour in early afternoon, no one approached the woman stationed there. Smith said there will also be more emphasis on responsiveness.

"The most important thing to do is to listen to the customer and identify their concern," he said. While he didn't give a reason why so many customers reported higher bills after the meters were installed, the PUC's report suggested rate hikes and heat waves were likely to blame.

Some customers, like Root, have questioned whether increased usage could explain the bills, when this summer has been relatively mild in terms of air-conditioning demand.

The reality, he and other customers said, is absent other options, there's little they can do but complain.

"They're a business trying to make money," said Travis Grove of Sutter, whose most recent bill was $415 after previous owners of his home told him PG&E costs never topped $250.

"You can find better customer service at Sutter County Jail. It's tough, but what can you do?" he said.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com.