The day my electronic SMUD bill went out, I saw it and knew there was a serious problem. The amount was 8.5 times the average cost I have paid consistently for more than 2 years. I immediately called a representative who confirmed that the rates have not changed and that such a dramatic increase is very unusual. I live alone, am gone more than 12 hours a day, and hardly use the AC at night. For those reasons my bills stay low and I am absolutely certain that nothing has changed about my power usage. After confirming that the reading was correct and establishing some compelling reasons for a likely power theft in my condo building, I was told to wait 4 business days for someone to contact me. When that never happened, I called back to emphasize my concerns. My landlord is not going to hire an electrician until SMUD has ruled out any possible service issues.By forcing me to wait several weeks before checking into this, SMUD is essentially robbing me on a daily basis. When I turn off my breakers, wait 10 minutes, and find that the rate is still running through the roof, there is a definite problem. A representative told me that lots of people call during the summer about high bills. I have to question the validity of that excuse for refusing timely assistance in this situation. I can imagine there are plenty of people calling about (relatively slight) increases in their bills, but it should be common sense that if usage has not doubled, or tripled, or even quadrupled, but multiplied 8.5 times the usual amount, there is a major issue at play. One would expect some logical judgment on the part of representatives and supervisors when a truly pressing issue needs sorting out. Meanwhile, I am forced to wait for some semblance of decency from SMUD. The meter is turning, my wallet is draining, and SMUD says wait a few more weeks. That is not a fair way to make a profit off your customers.
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