PSC gets earful from gas customer
A lawyer miffed to find out that her variable-rate plan with Georgia Natural Gas did not have the lowest per-therm rate received a $173 credit after complaining to the company —- and said others should get similar treatment.
Mary Irene Dickerson told the Public Service Commission on Thursday that GNG should issue credits to all its "legacy" variable-rate customers because it did not notify them a new plan had been created that might be cheaper. "It needs to be a settlement of 100 percent of the overcharge," Dickerson said. "Nothing less. Exactly what I got."
The PSC will decide next Thursday whether to schedule a formal evidentiary hearing on complaints GNG and another gas marketer, SCANA, overcharged loyal customers and should issue refunds.
Both companies created variable-rate plans with lower per-therm charges but left it up to existing customers to learn about the plans. GNG and SCANA say they are not required to send notices.
For months, many legacy customers were unaware of the new plan and thought they were paying the lowest rate. When they learned of the new plan through media reports, they complained to the marketers and the PSC that they felt ripped off.
The marketers argue those customers remained on the plans they signed up for and were not deceived. If they ask to be switched to a different plan, they are.
Nonetheless, GNG has issued credits to many consumers who have complained. SCANA has issued far fewer credits, according to documents obtained from the PSC.
PSC staffers have argued before the commission that customers were overcharged and are due refunds. The marketers say they've done nothing illegal or improper that would merit such a costly ruling.
Commissioner Bobby Baker, who chairs the PSC Energy Committee that met Thursday, asked GNG attorney Robert Remar, "Why would you give somebody a $173 adjustment if there wasn't a basis for that adjustment?"
Remar responded: "Trying to be customer-friendly is a long way from saying there's been a violation of commission rules."
In an e-mail sent after the meeting, GNG spokeswoman Terry Redman said: "It is standard practice in consumer-oriented businesses to offer accommodations to customers to retain their business. Historically at GNG we have given our customer service representatives the ability to make reasonable and discretionary decisions in an effort to retain customers.
"That practice is in no way an admission that our customers have been overcharged. In fact, we have repeatedly made clear that GNG customers have not been overcharged."
SCANA attorney James Skipper said: "Just because you've got a new rate plan doesn't mean everybody gets the new rate. That's how the competitive marketplace works."
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