ComplaintsforPennsylvania American Water Company

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Harrassment. I own a vacation home. I’ve been receiving letter after letter threatening to turn my water off. They claim my meter must be broken or tampered with. I have offered them hotel bills, plane tickets and restaurant receipts showing that I was out of the country. I have my water bills in Philadelphia showing water usage in my primary home. I told them I’d be at the vacation home for a week in June. I was, and my water bill showed a week’s worth of usage. I was out of the country for the month of July. In August, they sent someone to my home to check the meter. He said that he could see the meter was working fine, he could pull up my usage for June and August. He also said that he worked in my area, and that he knew my house was almost always empty. A neighbor came over, and assured him that I was rarely there. I still just got yet another threatening letter. I’ve spent hours snd hours on the phone. I’ve been put my house up for sale, since I can’t use it for vacations if they turn off my water. I want the constant threats to end.

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water reviewed the customers dispute regarding non-access letters being sent to the customers property.

  A PAWC representative called and spoke to the customer 8/18/23 and was able to resolve the customers letter issue. The customer has called in previous to the employees call, 8/15/23 and updated their premise to show this was a vacation home. The company representative reached out to the appropriate department to ensure no further letters are sent. The customer advised they were satisfied with this action and this also satisfied their BBB complaint.

  Thank you,

  **************

  Pennsylvania American Water

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have an account with PA American Water for my home (that I just sold on 8/14/2023). For the 1.5 years that I owned the home, they only provided water estimates and never made an attempt until June 2023 to make an actual reading of my meter when I got a bill for $858.34 for back billing of under estimate of water usage. From my own research I found that in 52 Pa. Code § 56.262 - Meter reading; estimated billing; customer readings, that they should "render bills based on actual meter readings by public utility company personnel." But in section 2 it says that, for Estimates for bills rendered on a monthly basis, they should have provided me (the customer) with the opportunity to read the meter and report the quantity of usage in lieu of the estimated bill - which they never did... or in section 7, it states that (7) If a water utility has estimated bills and if the customer or occupant during that period has consumed an amount of water in excess of normal seasonal usage because of a verified leak that could not reasonably have been detected or other unknown loss of water, the customer is not liable for more than 150% of the average amount of water consumed for the corresponding period during the previous year. So I do not believe that I should have pay this bill because of their lack of doing their job for their company...

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water ( PAWC ) received a complaint from the customer. The customer states that they were a customer with the company for 1.5 years and sold the home on 08/14/23. The customer states that during the 1.5 years of service, the company only provided estimated water readings and never made and attempt until June 2023 to get an actual reading. Once this reading was obtained, a back bill of $858.34 was sent to the customer for underestimated billing. The customer does not believe they should have to pay the bill because they feel the company did not do their due diligence.
  
  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the customers dispute and found the following:
  
  Customer **** ***** established water service at ** ******** *** , Camp Hill , PA as of 2/16/22.
  
  On 6/13/22, the company sent the customer a letter regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 8/18/22, the company sent a second letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 9/1/22, the company sent the customer a third letter regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter. The company requested the customer to follow-up within 5 business days or advised services may be terminated due to non-access of the meter.
  
  On 6/8/23, the company sent a fourth letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter.
  
  On 6/19/23, the company sent a fifth letter to the customer regarding consecutive estimates at the property and requested the customer call in to schedule an appointment to check the meter. The company requested the customer to follow-up within 5 business days or advised services may be terminated due to non-access of the meter. The letter advised this would be the final notice. 
  
  On 7/4/23, a company field representative went to the home to post a shut off notice due to the non-access of the meter. At this time, the company was able to get in contact with the customer and make needed repairs. Repairs were complete and a reading was able to be taken and sent to the billing department for review of the billing to this point on the account. 
  
  On 7/20/23, a make-up bill was sent to the customer totaling $858.34 due to the customer being under billed due to the estimated readings. 
  
  On 8/1/23, the customer called into the company and requested a check for leak inspection at the property. On 8/11/23, the service order at the property was complete and no continuous leak was found. A small amount of movement was found on the meter at the time of the visit. The field service representative checked the bathrooms of the home and found one toilet that was over filling when flushed. 
  
  On 8/16/23, the customer filed the BBB complaint due to the back billing.
  
  On 8/17/23, a company representative contacted the customer directly regarding the complaint. After hearing the customer dispute regarding the back bill as well as the toilet leak in which the customer did not know it was ongoing since the usage was estimated. It was confirmed that the customers leak was addressed by the field service representative at the time of the visit on 8/11/23. The company representative advised the customer that they would apply an adjustment for a high bill after estimates due to the leak. This adjustment amount would be approximately $700.00 and the customer was satisfied with this. The representative advised once the billing department got the exact adjustment amount, they would follow-up by sending a utility company report letter and also advised that any balance after the adjustment could be transferred to the customer new open account and a monthly installment plan could be set. The customer stated they were satisfied with this resolution. 

  Thank you,

  Lauren C

  Pennsylvania American Water 

  *************************************************************

  Customer response

  08/22/2023

  That is fine - with the exception that all of the "communication" that was "sent" in 2022 was never actually sent - not by mail nor was it sent electronically... I am satisfied with the outcome, but they are just trying to cover their tracks...

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have had numerous visits to our home due to water and sewer bills that are now more than double the past, even with decreased usage. American Water refuses to adjust bills or investigate the problem, even after hiring private plumbers and sewage companies to show a different and less usage amount.

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) has received a dispute from the customer. The customer states they have had numerous visits to their home due to water and sewer bills that are more than double the past bills, even though their usage has decreased. The customer states PAWC refuses to adjust bills or investigate the problem even after they have hired private plumbers and sewage companies that show a different and less usage amount.

  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the dispute and found the following:

  Customer ******************** established ********************** and *************************** service at ********************************, Coatesville , PA on 07/08/22.

  Since the initial move in date, the customer has called in on a few occasions regarding the usage at the property. On 7/19/22, the customer called into the company to advise they had found a running hose at their premise. A company representative went over the usage with the customer and at that time they were satisfied. On 10/17/22, the customer went onto their online ************************ account and placed a request for a leak adjustment due to a running toilet at the property. The system declined this request due to the fact that the usage was not out of line and did not show it was affected by any increased usage. On 11/2/22, the customer called in to inquire about the approximate price to fill a pool and was given the information and was satisfied. 

  On 12/8/22, the customer called in to dispute the meter reading at that time. The customer informed the company representative that they had filled a pool on 10/25/22 and the usage was 6100 gallons. The customer's dispute was that the next bill for the following month was the same usage of 6100 gallons and the customer was not aware of any current leaks at the time. The customer requested a read be taken to confirm the usage. On 12/19/22, the customer called into the company after the requested service order was complete. The service order found that the usage was in line with what the customer was billed. The customer advised she was told that the meter was stuck. The representative advised that the case would be sent to billing for review. 

  On 1/11/23, the billing department completed their investigation and contacted the customer to inform them that they found that the meter readings were in line and that the usage had decreased by the following bill cycle after the disputed time frame of 11/9/22-12/6/22. The representative created a service order per request to update the meter at the property to a newer model to be able to show daily usage. A courtesy adjustment was given at this time for $25.00 due to the customers unexplained usage for the service period of 11/9/22-12/6/22. The customer advised they were satisfied at this time. On 1/13/23, the meter at the property was upgraded per the previous request. 

  On 7/24/23, the customer created a service order to inspect for leaks via their online mywater account. On 8/1/23, the service order was completed, and no leaks were found to present at the time of the site visit. On 8/9/23, a utility company report letter as well as account statement were sent to the customer to advise of the service order findings. on 8/10/23, the customer called in to request a data log of their usage. On 8/11/23, the customer submitted their dispute to the BBB.

  Per the information stated above, the company's final determination is stated below:

  Per review of the customer's account, the company found that effective January 28, 2023, new rates approved by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) were made effective. The customers rates for Wastewater went from $1.949 per unit to $2.875 per unit and for Water went from $1.31 per unit to $1.6108 per unit. All rates are monitored and approved by the PUC previous to being placed into effect. This may account for some of the customers heightened bills after the effective date.
  Pennsylvania American Water The Pennsylvania American Water tariff 4.9 states customers are responsible for installation, repair, replacement and maintenance of all lines in their home. See below:
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe 
  
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe The Customer shall have full responsibility for the installation, repair, replacement, and maintenance of all Service Pipes, including full responsibility for metered water usage attributable to a leak in the Service Pipe; The failure of a Customer to properly install and maintain a Service Pipe, including replacement, shall constitute grounds for the Company to initiate action to terminate service to the Customer and seek recovery for any damage to the Company’s facilities caused by an improperly functioning Service Pipe. Where an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak is found in a Customer's Service Pipe, the Company shall credit the Customer with a one-time bill adjustment equal to forty percent (40%) of that portion of one month's consumption that exceeds the average monthly usage, based on the prior twelve month period, upon proper verification that the leak has been repaired. The Company shall require documentation to establish, to the Company's satisfaction, the existence of such repaired leak at the Customer’s premises. Such bill adjustment will be provided only to the extent the Customer has not received a bill adjustment for an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak at the same premises in the past five (5) years 
  Also, according to the Pennsylvania American Water tariff, the Company is not liable for loss or damage to the Customer’s own internal plumbing or fixtures:
  15.1 Liability for Damages
  The Company shall not be liable in any action where the loss or damage involves an act of God or does not involve a duty of the Company, including breaks or leaks on facilities that are not owned by the Company, such as breaks, leaks, defects or condition in the Customer’s own service line, meter vault, pressure reducing valve, back flow prevention device, check valve, pressure relief valve, or any other control valve, internal plumbing or fixture, or due to the materials out of which those facilities are made. 
  Per a further investigation of the customers usage, it was found that the usage spiked on two occasions this year. The usage spiked 6/16/23 and was found to have all day consecutive usage and then again on 7/5/23 to 7/6/23 where again it was shown to have consecutive usage. This report has been attached to show the daily usage from 1/13/23 when the new meter was placed until current. Please see column J titled flow as this column shows the per day usage in gallons.
  According to the investigation completed on August 22, 2023, no adjustment is warranted as all bills are based on actual usage reported from the customer's meter. Thank you,

  **************

  Pennsylvania American Water

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  Please see the attached usage document. The original attempt to upload it stated the document was too large to upload.

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  Please see attached

• Initial Complaint

  08/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid my water bill on 7/31/2023 via electronic payment from **** bank. It has not posted to the account. (Proof of payment attached). All other payments sent electronically from my bank on this date have posted to all other accounts. I called *** bank and was told as of 5:02am 08/03/2023, the water company refused my payment and issued it to be returned. The bank is holding the returned funds for 10 days. This is a MAJOR issue with PA American water as 2 billing cycles ago, the water company did the same thing with that payment. 2 months ago, only after filing a complaint with the BBB, did the water company credit my water account. I did try to resolve this current issue with the water company today via telephone call. I spoke with **** (she was wonderful), and she stated nothing was showing on her end as pending or even returned concerning this payment. She placed a 30 day hold on the account to prevent late fees and sent a notice to the billing sector of PA American water to "find the payment". This is totally unacceptable for a business to be run this way. This is the second time in 2 billing cycles that my payment was "lost". This needs to be expedited as the billing sector of the water company is slow and I am fearful the next will post with out the current balance being zero'ed out.

  Customer response

  08/10/2023

  Good Afternoon,

  PA American Water updated my account balance to 0$.  I wish I knew a way to get this to stop happening to my account with them.  Please consider this matter closed.

  Best, ********************* ************

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This references business accounts. On 5/4 the property was sold. On 5/4, services were transferred into new owners name. The following week, I called to ensure that the services were transferred accordingly. In June, the old owners received a bill for the full month of May. The new owners received a bill for the full month, but at a fraction of the cost. On 6/9, I called to dispute the bill. There were issues within the account and someone would call me back. No one called back. On 6/16, I called to report the same issues. Cases were created (********** and **********) and I was told that I cannot speak to anyone in billing over the phone and it would take 30 days to resolve the issue. The agent stated that she would hold the bill for the prior owners so they would not be charged in error. The older owners were charged and received yet another bill for the full month of June. On 7/10, I called and spoke with a supervisor demanding answers. Again she was not able to assist but assured me that she would call by 7/14 and give an update. No call was received.On 7/18, I called as they originally promised a resolution. The case is still open and the line was 'disconnected' as I was being transferred to a supervisor.The company did not transfer services correctly. They do not call back as promised. They do not follow through with the things that they promise. A simple transfer to have the full services placed under the new owners name has caused two months of headaches and left me with NO ONE who can help resolve it.

  Customer response

  07/20/2023

  I am the accountant for both OLD and NEW owners. As the accountant, I have to make sure that all accounting affairs are in order for both companies.
  
  On 5/4 services were transferred from *** ****** to Nazareth *** with an effective date of 5/5.
  
  *** had two accounts.
  ****-************ (service address ******************************Nazareth PA ********) was successfully transferred to new ownership (******** ***, accnt #****-************) with no issues.
  
  ***s 2nd account ********************** also supposed to be transferred in the same manner.
  Service Address: *******************************Nazareth PA ********
  The new account for ******** *** is ****-************, with same service address of **********************************Nazareth PA ********
  All 4 relevant bills are attached for the 2nd account.
  
  ALL SERVICES attached to ****-************ were supposed to be transferred to the new owners (Nazareth ***, accnt ****-************) effective 5/5/2023. However, seemingly, only a portion of the service was transferred or there are some issues of double billing.

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) received and reviewed the dispute from the customer's accountant. It was stated that on 5/4/23 a property under their review was sold and the account was to be transferred into the new owners name. I June, the old owners received a bill for the month of may and the new owners received a bill for May but for a lesser amount. On 6/9/23, a call was made to PAWC regarding the issue and they were advised the account was under review. On 6/16/23, the same issue was again reported to PAWC and two cases were created to assist in resolving the matter and the customer was advised it would take 30 days to be resolved. On 7/10/23, another call was made to PAWC regarding the status of the issue. The customer was advised they would get a call back and they did not receive one. As of the time of this complaint the case is still open and the customer is seeking resolution of their issue, 

  PAWC has reviewed the complaint and found that a company representative contacted ******** and explained the final resolution of the disputed issue. It was advised the issue was resolved and that they will received a new/corrected invoices shortly. The representative answered the customers questions and gave direct contact information should it be needed. The customer was asked if this resolved their BBB complaint and they stated it does.

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pennsylvania American Water sent a letter to me that there was a leak in water main in front of the house line. I have to mention that there are no visible signs of the leak on the oitside nor the PAW individual, when at the house, could locate where the leak was along the line. I was given a very short notice (2 weeks) to find a plumber, to shop around for best quote and to fix the supposed leak before PAW shuts the water off as stated in the letter. The first estimate that I got was for $4,200 to replace the line as nobody knew where that leak was. I called PAW in attempt to negotiate the time frame and was disconnected once. Second time I called I was treated like an intruder and reminded that "Yes! We can shut the water off". No discussion. PAW being a monopoly in the areaforces clients into expensive fixes done in extremely short period of time. No discussion. Also, clients are not treated equaly. PAW repairs leakages for some clients and pays for those repairs and some clients have to pay out of their pockets. Not sure why. I spoke to two plumbers who mentioned that.

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  Hello, can you please provide the address or account number in reference? It seems that was cut out or not included on the original complaint. thank you

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

  The address is ***************************Pocono PA
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************************
  

  Business response

  08/08/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water has received the customers dispute. The customer stated that they were sent a letter from the company, PAWC, that there was a water main leak in the front of the house line. The customer stated there was no visible leak nor could the PAWC field representative locate where the leak was exactly on the line. The customer was given a 2 week notice to make repairs or service would be shut off. The customer contacted PAWC in an attempt to negotiate the time frame for repairs and was disconnected once. The second call the customer states they were treated like "an intruder" and was reminded of impending termination if repairs were not made. The customer is disputing the short time frame given for repairs and also states customers are not treated equally as they were told by two plumbers that PAWC repairs leaks for some customers and not others. 
  
  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the complaint and found the following:
  
  The customers property encompasses two addresses, * ********** *** ***, Mount Pocono, PA and ** *********** *** ***, Mount Pocono, PA. These addresses are the same house and is a shared service line. A customer side service leak was discovered on 6/11/2023.   A local office representative spoke to the customer on June 11th and the customer was aware of the leak. The customer got a Consumer Service Pipe Leak notification on 7/3/2023 and did call in about it on the 6/6/23 stating she no longer had a leak and would like it confirmed.  On 7/14/23 a service order was created and the company came to the customers home to verify that it was repaired.  At that time, it was still not repaired. On 7/17/2023, a  ten day notice of shutoff due to required service line repair notice was sent out advising the customer that the leak was still present and that services would be disconnected if repairs were not made. The customer called in on the 7/17/23 and stated she could not get the repairs completed by 7/27/23 which was the repair date referenced in the shut off notice. The company extended the time frame for the customer for 10 more days.  On 7/24/23, PAWC got a notification that the leak was fixed and created a service order for the same day to check the property to ensure the leak was repaired. The field representative did go out and confirmed that the leak was fixed. 
  
  Per PA code 4.9, customers are fully responsible for their own service line. This includes all installations, repair, replacement and maintenance. Please see below:
  
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe 
  
  4.9 Customer Responsibility for Service Pipe The Customer shall have full responsibility for the installation, repair, replacement, and maintenance of all Service Pipes, including full responsibility for metered water usage attributable to a leak in the Service Pipe; The failure of a Customer to properly install and maintain a Service Pipe, including replacement, shall constitute grounds for the Company to initiate action to terminate service to the Customer and seek recovery for any damage to the Company’s facilities caused by an improperly functioning Service Pipe. Where an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak is found in a Customer's Service Pipe, the Company shall credit the Customer with a one-time bill adjustment equal to forty percent (40%) of that portion of one month's consumption that exceeds the average monthly usage, based on the prior twelve month period, upon proper verification that the leak has been repaired. The Company shall require documentation to establish, to the Company's satisfaction, the existence of such repaired leak at the Customer’s premises. Such bill adjustment will be provided only to the extent the Customer has not received a bill adjustment for an undetected, non-surfacing, underground leak at the same premises in the past five (5) years 
  
  The customer was contacted on 7/31/23 by a company representative after inquiring about a possible leak adjustment. At this time, no adjustment was given as the outside service line leak did not effect the water usage nor the billing on the account as it did not pass through the meter. The customer was advised of this. 
  
  In reference to the customers claim that PAWC makes repairs for some customers and not others, the customer may be referencing the water line protection program that is offered to all customers through a third party provider. This can assist customers with repairs. PAWC does not make repairs for customer leaks as the customer is fully responsible for their own repairs. 
  
  Thank you,
  

  ****************

  Supervisor, Customer Advocacy

  ****************
  Supervisor, Customer Advocacy
  Pennsylvania American Water

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sold house on ************ *** on Dec 21st 2022. I owed money the seller mentioned agency sent 435 dollars. I only owed 206. I have called and called for over 7 months and still not got refunded. But a run around from employees.

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water reviewed the customer complaint. The customer states they sold their home on December 2nd, 2022. The customer owed money and the seller agency sent $435.00 for the account balance but the balance was only $206.00. The customer states they have called for 7 months and still have not received a refund.

  The company has reviewed the complaint and found the following. A refund check was sent by the company for $224.68 to ****** ****** LLC whom sent the initial check. The check for $224.68 was cashed on April 27, 2023. The customer should reach out to their seller agent as the refund check was sent to them as they were the ones who sent the initial payment of $435.00. All business between the customer and their seller agent is not the responsibility of the company. 

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I  would like the check number and copy of cashed check that ****** and ****** cashed from pa american water. I have been emailing trying to get one for weeks. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 6/19/23 there was a water main break on our street (**** ****** in Coatesville, PA). This leak was patched and water was shut off for about 6 hours during the repair. On 6/26/23 a second break occurred further down the street, requiring the water to be shut off for an extended amount of time while it was repaired. On 6/27/23 a third break occurred near the second break, again requiring a shutoff for repair. Later on 6/27/23, a fourth break occurred near the third break, again requiring a shutoff for repair. Today, 6/29/23, a fifth break occurred near the fourth break, and it's undetermined how long the water will be shut off for. At this point, it's obvious that these breaks will keep happening unless the entire water main is replaced.

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  Pennsylvania American Water received a complaint from the customer. The customers dispute is regarding multiple main breaks that have occurred in their area and has effected their service. The customer is requesting that the main be replaced to prevent any further breaks from occuring.

  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the dispute and found that a local office supervisor attempted to contact the customer on July 5, 2023 to discuss their complaint. The supervisor left a voicemessage for the customer to return their call and as of today, no return call has been made by the customer. The most recent main break discussed in the customers complaint was repaired promptly and services were restored within 7 hours of the initial main break. If the customer has any additional questions, please contact the field supervisor at the details left via voice message. 

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and even though there has been an additional (6th) break since the complaint was filed, I find that this resolution (eventual replacement of the main) is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  account #*************** june 14.23 the water was turned off of my name and reentered to my mother name is she is not a owner this problem has been happening since feb 23 as the water company keeps changing the name back in to her name , this has cause me problems and i have sent them documents to provide them with a more recent court order that i sue my mother in maryland which it also stated about the water but they wont accept it . I have tenants in this property and they tried to shut off services that i paid for .....

  Business response

  06/30/2023

  Pennsylvania has reviewed the customer dispute. The customer states that on June 14, 2023, the water account at the listed property was turned off in their name and opened in another persons name. The customer states that this should not have happened as they are the owner of the property. Due to the account being off in their name, it has caused them problems as there are tenants in the property and payments have been made. The customer claims that the company will not accept documentation that has been given to them and wants the account placed back in their name. 

  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the complaint and found the following:
  
  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) received a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Complaint under BCS #*******  filed by ****************************************** referencing the same issues detailed in the BBB complaint received.  The customers complaint is within the jurisdiction of the PUC and PAWC will address ***************************************** concerns in the response submitted to the PA PUC.  

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to file a formal complaint against Pennsylvania American Water regarding a recent billing issue that has resulted in an unjust and excessive charge of $1,025.74. I believe this charge is unfair because it is a result of their own negligence and failure to accurately bill me for wastewater usage over several months. In reviewing my billing history, I discovered that Pennsylvania American Water failed to account for wastewater usage in my monthly bills for a significant period of time. This error on their part went unnoticed until a recent billing cycle when they retroactively applied the charges for the unaccounted wastewater usage. As a result, I am now being held accountable for their mistakes through an exorbitant back-billing charge. I would like to highlight the following points to support my claim: 1.Negligence in Billing: Pennsylvania American Water failed to accurately bill me for wastewater usage over several months, indicating a lack of proper monitoring and billing procedures. This oversight is entirely their responsibility and should not result in such a significant financial burden being placed on me. 2.Unjust Back-Billing: The decision to retroactively charge me for the unaccounted wastewater usage is unreasonable and disproportionate. It is unfair to hold me financially accountable for their negligence, especially considering the substantial amount being demanded.3.Lack of Communication: At no point during the period when they failed to bill me for wastewater usage did Pennsylvania American Water communicate the issue or notify me of the error. This lack of communication prevented me from taking corrective measures earlier and resolving the matter in a timely manner. I kindly request that the Better Business Bureau intervene. I would like Pennsylvania American Water to waive all charges entirely. Additionally, I urge them to improve their billing procedures and communication channels to prevent such errors from occurring in the future.

  Business response

  07/05/2023

  Pennsylvania has reviewed the customer dispute. The customer states in their complaint that they do not agree with a recent back-bill for the amount of $1,025.74 due to unbilled usage. The customer does not agree with the charges as they feel they should not be held liable for the company not accurately billing wastewater usage for several months. The customer is seeking a full adjustment on the back-bill charges. 

  Pennsylvania American Water has reviewed the complaint and found the following:
  
  Pennsylvania American Water (PAWC) received a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Complaint under BCS #*******  filed by *************************** referencing the same issues detailed in the BBB complaint received.  The customers complaint is within the jurisdiction of the PUC and PAWC will address ********************** concerns in the response submitted to the PA PUC. 
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩