Alagasco has 3 different ways to pay your bill online & NOT one of them gives me the same information. E-service shows NO UNPAID BALANCE OR BILLS, which is what I HAVE been using to verify I am current on my bill. I made a payment Aug 15 in the amount $50 to bring my account up to date according to E-service. This payment left my account showing a $ZERO balance. Now according to E-BILL my account shows a balance of $123.91 and does not even reflect my payment of $50. After walking out to check my mail and coming back I noticed a pink door hanger lying ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF MY GARAGE. I pick it up to find out that in the 10 minutes since I had been home my gas service had been disconnected. I immediately went to E-service to check my account. Nope NO UNPAID BALANCE OR OPEN BILLS! I called customer service to find out what was going on. The rude CSR told me service was disconnected with a balance of $83. I asked how this is possible when e-service shows a $0 balance. He said he had no idea but that in order to have service restored we have to pay the BALANCE in FULL, $50 RECONNECT FEE, and a $175 DEPOSIT. I asked what the deposit was for, he said since we have previously had a disconnection we were subject to a deposit. Our previous disconnection was due to a bill pay error ON ALAGASCO's part. They subsequently WAIVED THE DEPOSIT & RECONNECT FEE and came out IMMEDIATELY to reconnect service. I explained this and he said he couldn't help me because Friday was our due date and it was turned off because we owe a balance. After dealing with this rude CSR, I finally just said goodbye and hung up. Since it was close to 4:30 by the time I got off the phone with him, your Montgomery office was closed. Now, I am home with 4 kids and no hot water, or stove/oven.
I am extremely upset. I have no objection to a reconnect fee, if someone has to come back out to my house to turn it back on then fine charge me. However, the deposit amount is ridiculous. $175 for a deposit when my monthly bill averages between $30-40/month. This means for ONE past due month and the current bill, totaling $83 (which I was not aware of) I now owe you guys $308 just to have my gas turned on. I have 3 kids in school who will be forced into a maybe lukewarm or cold baths in order to not be ridiculed at school because I currently do not have $308 because I pay my bills on the first or fifteenth of the month and it is now 3 days til payday and I have kids in school which started last week. Thankfully, I have electric small appliances to cook on.
I have DOCUMENTATION showing my e-service balance as $ZERO and no unpaid or open bills. How can I be expected to pay a balance I am not aware of when neither E-Service or E-Bill have correct or even the same information. I just want this corrected and my gas turned back on. I am seriously considering filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, as I know from experience they get matters resolved quickly.
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