NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. — Another group of Consumers Energy customers, frustrated with what they claim to be chronic billing issues, technical snags and other concerns have come forward.
13 ON YOUR SIDE has covered the issues extensively, beginning earlier this year, exposing a growing number of issues tied to an ongoing technological transition.
Several of the practices in question ultimately prompted an investigation by state regulators.
A Kalamazoo man in mid-July approached us with a Consumers Energy invoice claiming he owed in excess of $7,000.
Anthony Stafford, who lives in a small apartment, said the bill had him at a loss. Within under a week, Stafford’s balance, screenshots showed, had ballooned to nearly double the original amount—some $13,500.
The 13 Help Team provided assistance that ultimately led to the debt’s cancellation.
Other overages have been more modest. A bill some 10 times cheaper proved a burden for a Hesperia couple that recently turned to 13 OYS for relief.
“Who needs that when you have everything else going on in your life,” Nicole Curtis questioned, poring over a stack of invoices.
When the Curtis clan isn’t busy running their neighborhood food pantry or lending their church a hand…
“We kind of just—we’re busy,” Curtis laughed.
Especially at home. Nicole fills out the rest of her day looking after the kids or taking care of husband Jason, an US Army veteran left with permanent disabilities following two tours in the mid-east.
“I am his caregiver, but I also have my own health issues,” she related, having recently undergone a hip surgery.
Their recent back-and-forth with Consumers Energy, Curtis noted, wasn’t helping matters.
“Currently, our total… is $1,662.31,” she read from the most recent invoice they’d received from the utility.
The issues, Curtis said, began when the utility replaced their meter in April, worsening in the month of July, when an account history reflected what appeared to be multiple charges, assessed in ever increasing amounts and ending well north of $1,000.
“Because they back-billed us,” she related, recalling the explanation Curtis said a Consumers Energy customer service agent had offered her. “They were charging us more than we have ever used before.”
“How did you feel when you got that stack of bills?”
“Frustrated,” Curtis sighed. “How do they expect somebody to pay that, especially when you live on a budget and you know what your bills are every month.”
With the math not panning out in their favor, the family initially tried working with Consumers directly to determine whether a solution could be found. Instead, Curtis said, they hit only dead-ends.
“Are they empathetic? Are they understanding,” 13 OYS questioned.
“No not at all,” she said of the employees with whom she’d interacted. “Very frustrating.”
“We're able to pay our bills most of the time. Can't pay this one. But there's a lot of people that are not In our situation,” Jason added. “They're already struggling with their bills, so if they get something like this, it's going to set them further behind.”
“Don't treat people like they're the problem when we obviously know some of it is on you, because your machines weren't working and doing their job too,” she admonished.
In response to an inquiry submitted Friday by 13 OYS, a Consumers Energy spokesperson indicated the Curtis’ case would be referred for review.
The utility reissued a previous statement regarding the extensive alleged billing and other issues we’ve detailed, included below:
13 OYS confronted state officials during a scheduled meeting of the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding the regulatory probe’s status and potential outcomes. That exchange may be viewed here.
This story will be updated as additional details pertaining to Nicole’s situation are received.
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