Pepco Investigates Over Billing Reports
One of the top issues on the mind of Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner at his Oct. 8 press conference was Pepco.
Berliner said he recently learned that at least one Montgomery County resident was over billed as a result of an estimation process by Pepco. It happened after some old meters were swapped out for smart meters.
Pepco spokesperson Myra Oppel tells us today that the issue appears to be isolated to one Silver Spring neighborhood, Northwood Park – Four Corners, and appears to involve dozens of customers. She said Pepco is on top of the mistake and customers are being re-billed. Pepco is still investigating, Oppel said, and she does not know if this was a computer glitch or human error that caused customers to be over billed.
According to Oppel, there is no correlation to the billing mistake and the actual usage of smart meters.
One resident reported his bill was double the normal monthly rate. He notified a local grassroots group of the issue, which is how Berliner learned about it.
According to Oppel, if you think you were overcharged you should contact Pepco for a review and possible readjustment. Pepco’s number is 202.833.7500.
The fact is – PEPCO IS DIRTY. They are doing everything they can to get ‘smart’ meters installed before residents notice. PEPCO started sending me an ‘estimated’ bill out of the blue in an attempt to force me to get the new smart meter a couple months ago. They claimed they could not get a reading from my home since my fence was locked. The fact is, my fence has been locked for over 5 years and I had never received an estimated bill during this time because I already have the “less smart” ERT meter (which allows them to read remotely). The new smart meters (which neither I nor many residents want or need) will come at a greater cost to residents (dollars and privacy). Residents have complained, and the county has temporarily halted PEPCO from installing these if a resident opts out through their website. We will lose though. It’s about money, and the politicians in MC will fold to PEPCO and residents will pay. WAKE UP PEOPLE! PEPCO IS ABOUT TO SCREW US AGAIN. And don’t get me started on COMCAST. Anyone else think renting a cheap modem for eternity is any different than renting a phone from Ma Bell? HELLO!! Where are all the lawyers in MC? Class action now!