Maryland commission investigating complaints about BGE bills, customer service
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is investigating after hundreds of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) customers raised concerns about their bills and getting in touch with the company's call center.
On Wednesday, PSC held a hearing to discuss the concerns its Consumer Affairs Division received over the last few months.
BGE customer complaints
Stephanie Bolton, the Director of the PSC Consumer Affairs Division, explained that from July through the beginning of December, their department received more than 600 complaints.
"We started seeing an uptick in people describing their difficulty reaching BGE's customer service call center," said Bolton. "We reviewed our complaints, noting where complainants mention BGE, customer service, and inaccessibility in the narrative section of their complaints."
Bolton said many of the complaints are related to long wait times or frustration from customers who said they have not been able to reach BGE's customer service representatives to resolve critical issues like billing or turn-off notices.
"They reported that instead, an automated message advises that BGE is experiencing heavy call volumes and the option to getting a call back from a BGE representative is the only option offered," said Bolton.
BGE customers like Deidre Gross told WJZ that they have been trying to stay on top of paying BGE bills, but it has been a challenge to get help.
"Sometimes it's more than rent. That's not good," said Gross, a Parkville resident.
"You have to sit and wait," Gross said. "So, by the time you do get someone on the phone, they have probably heard so many stories that they're not trying to hear you."
BGE responds
Steven Singh, BGE's Vice President of Customer Operations, was transparent in telling board members on Wednesday that they have been facing many challenges, including call volume, and the strain that the winter months typically bring.
"While call volume is not up, complexity is up," Singh explained.
"Customers' needs have changed," Singh continued. "So now we have to respond to that, because the greater macro-level trends like this will continue."
Singh said they have a plan and hope to implement it soon. That plan includes hiring more employees, expanding customer service hours and improving their technology.
"These new emerging issues that we see, we already authorized back in November an additional 30 internal FTEs," Singh explained.
Some PSC members explained during the hearing that BGE's plan lacks immediate solutions, and they plan to issue a directive to BGE to follow up on actions they should take.
But for customers like Gross, they hope a solution comes sooner– rather than later.
"I don't know what I'm going to do at this point," said Gross.
