CenterPoint Energy review: Reconnect Fees 14

I had a similar issue with them. You can read my complaint at www.complaints.com/2007/september/14/Centerpoint_Energy_Gas_152172.htm

I must say that I am amazed at the similarities between our stories...

Man : "F" Centerpoint! They should not be the only game in town because that is a Monopoly. You are 100% right in saying that they really don't give a fling "F" about there customers because just last week I called them to ask the the status on 3 cases that I had opened and all the said was that they didn't know and hung up on me. I am up for voting on having a second choice in a power provider just let me know where to sing up. You can reach me at djsoss@juno.com thanks.

We had a similar issue today. Please contact the Railroad commission in Texas if you are here (in Texas). Otherwise contact the regulatory authorities in your state responsible for gas utilities.

Like the original poster, I can't say my service was wrongly disconnected, but I can and do take issue with how it was implemented. My service was cut off on the 16th of February, a national holiday. My wife came to the house to pick up one of our children to take her to the doctor between 1:00 and 1:30 in the afternoon. There was no note on the door, or she would have let me know that it needed attention. By the time she got home that evening and let me know that the gas was off, my phone call to customer "service" revealed that they can only issue same-day reconnect (after past-due balance + $40 reconnect fee + $75 "deposit" was paid) if everything was taken care of prior to 2:00 p.m. This wouldn't have been a problem had they left a notice on the door, but I'm assuming that was inconvenient for the serviceman who disconnected us.

As it is, I'm awaiting a phone call, hoping that I won't miss a full day of work over this, after having no heat, hot water, or stove overnight with two sick children (11 years old and 8 months old) in the house.

I understand the concept of a "natural monopoly, " but isn't our public service commission supposed to protect us against blatant abuse by these companies? What is my recourse? Electricity is neither as efficient nor as inexpensive as natural gas, propane costs more, and either option would require me to change out my central air unit, my stove, and my water heaters.

Companies like Centerpoint know they have you by the throat, and they miss no opportunity to exert that power over their "valued customers."

I'm in Mississippi, and have sent a complaint to the Public Service Commission, though I don't expect any action on their part. Maybe if enough stories get out and in the public eye, we'll see some reform, though.

Yeah, I just found out our reconnect fee is $65. We have 3 children and it's going to be in the 30's tonight. I don't know how a gas company can leave people disconnected overnight knowing the people they cut off are going to be sleeping in temperatures in the 50's in their home. The reconnect fee is absurd and a slap in the face. I could understand maybe $20. I don't remember the fee being $65 not that long ago; I think it used to be $40 last year. If I had extra money laying around, I would have been able to pay my bill and wouldn't have been disconnected in the first place. Most people who get disconnected couldn't afford to pay it in time, so how does demanding such a large reconnect fee make any sense? Like if they bully me, I'm going to magically make money appear in my bank account. I agree there needs to be more providers to choose from to create competitive pricing.

Seems there is a lot of complaints with Centerpoint energy Today i was sitting on my sofa and saw the service man for Centerpoint Energy go around my house .I walked out the back door and ask him what he was doing .He looked up and told me I didn't pay my gas bill.I told him to wait I paided my bill.He contiued to take out my gas meter as I was showing him the bill I had paid. i got on the phone and called the gas Co.He stood and watched as I talked to the lady on the phone.I told her I had paid the budget bill they sent me in Fed of 2010. The bill I got told me to pay the $70. and i would be on the budget plan for the yr so I thought that was it. I paid my bill in full for Jan, 2010 in full and the letter told me to pay $70 for the month of Feb .I did as they explained and paid the $70. for March 2010 also . I have never been behind or had my utilities cut off before so why did they cut off my gas when i paid the budget amount for the two months ? I was told I have to pay $270 . plus connection fee of $50. so They will turn on my gas again .The sevvice man that cut the gas off didn't even wait to see what was going on before he cut it off .They told me on the phone if he hadn't cut it off and took the meter they would have left it alone .I told the lady I told him to wait and he smiled and continued to take the meter off while I was talking and telling him to wait .Now I am without heat and my 86 yr old Mother with Alizheimers and a bad cold is in the house without heat .What are we to do are they taking everything from us, they have no heart only interested in making money .We are at their advintage they are the only gas co around .Its not like shopping at Walmart we can't go elsewhere .

I was late paying my bill due to being on unemployment. It would have been nice if the service tech had knocked on the door before disconnecting . I had $100 in the bank to last us 4 days, but would have called and paid the $73 bill and avoid the disconnect. Nobody gave me a courtesy knock on the front door. Now I have to pay the bill, a reconnection fee and a deposit. I don't have the money for the reconnection fee and the deposit, but CenterPoint Energy could care less. Money is their God and that is all that matters to them. I had to borrow money to pay the fees to get my gas back on. Like I don't already feel low enough due to being unemployed and fighting to pay the bills. I really would like to have a choice in service providers. Until then CenterPoint Energy will screw us as they please.

I work two jobs and I overlooked paying my gas bill. Centerpoint Energy is a scam. They charged me a $20.00 chip fee, a $40.00 reconnect fee and a $47.00 same day service fee to have my gas turned on for same day service. What is a chip fee? I had to pay $107.00 for a $63.00 bill. And the customer service dept is very rude . I hate this company.

You don't have to take the rubbish that Centerpoint Gas dishes out. The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) regulates gas companies. I recently had a problem with Centerpoint, and am filing my complaint today. Here is a link to the RRC website: http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/

I live in Minnesota it is -7 outside December. I had never had problems with this company. Last month I was sick for 2 weeks and missed one month payment. Since I overpaid (as I do often with this company) I owed $50.69. The CenterPoint Energy policy is that if your payment is late and is over $50 they will shut off your services. My next payment was due on December 14, they shut off my gas in December 11 in the morning. Amazing, I was given less then a month to catch up and they shut me off in December in MN over .69 cents. And now charging me reconnection fee. And amazingly enough first said it would be $22, but then I get a reciete and it says $50. Amazing!

so the company have the right to do this and nothing said, they take your money expecting service the next day because i paid for all fee and service to be turn on next day, recevie no service unless i pay extra service to come out on the day that was told to me next day service, machine only gave confirmation number to restore service .the city of houston his stealing money from the citizen that have natural gas and this not right.iThis have to end

CenterPoint is a big money scam I had lost my job and my gas got cut off and I found a company to help me and now I have to wait till Monday to get it cut back on and the [censored] don’t work on the weekends witch is crap and they want on top of that a same day BS reconnect fee CenterPoint can stick it up there [censored] lol