Atlantic City Electric’s (ACE) smart meter initiative continues across Cape May County. For some, the installation of the new smart meter was followed by a shockingly high bill for that first billing cycle.
Permit me to illustrate the problem with my own experience.
My new smart meter was installed Dec. 7. The billing cycle ran from Dec. 1 to Dec. 28. When I received my bill for December, it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. The amount owed was higher than at any time in the last two years that I checked, and not by just a little. It beat all winter heating seasons in that two-year span, as well as the hottest summer months when the air conditioner is in almost constant use.
A more detailed check of the bill showed why. While I had an actual reading for the week of Dec. 1 to Dec. 7, when the meter was swapped out, for some reason, I had estimated usage for the three remaining weeks of the billing cycle. That estimated use was more than the actual use of the previous two months and the one actual week of December combined. What reason could there be for that kind of estimate, and how many others got bills like mine?
When I contacted ACE, I had the same problem that we all experience, with voice response systems designed to try and solve the problem without recourse to an actual person at the company.
Within 30 minutes – due to high call volume, I was told repeatedly – I had a customer service agent who looked at my account and said immediately, “Yep, you had an overestimate.”
She said she had handled more than a few such calls.
I was promised a revised bill and new due date. A few days later, I received a revised bill and due date. The problem was it was for the same amount and was based on the same incorrect estimate.
Three is the charm and a third bill for the December cycle arrived the next day and used an actual reading of my new meter for the period. How that was done given that the billing cycle was long over, I do not know. The bill now said it was based on actual usage and was less than half of the amount owed on the first bill.
According to ACE, my experience was not unique. A spokesman for the company said, “Approximately 740 customers in the Cape May area received estimated bills.” Whether that was just for this billing cycle, or a longer period was not specified.
The company said the estimated bills were a result of “scheduling challenges” with the meter reading vendor.
ACE acknowledged that “many of the estimated bills were higher than they should have been.” The company went on to say, “Those estimates were higher than a customer’s typical energy usage.”
What led to such high estimates free of any past history of use was not clear. The company did say, “We have addressed this issue to ensure potential estimated bills are more reflective of a customer’s traditional energy use.”
The company advised that “customers impacted by this issue should see the issue resolved in their next bill.” For those unable to pay the higher bill and wait for resolution in the next cycle, a call to ACE customer service will probably result in a more immediate revision.
The ACE spokesperson added that by mid-2024, more than 560,000 meters will be upgraded. He added that the benefits of the new smart meters will include “a better experience with improved and more frequent usage readings, nearly eliminating the need for estimated bills.”
We are told, “The activation of the new technology and the expanded benefits of the smart meters is expected in Q3 2023 (third quarter of 2023).”
