Monday, July 17, 2006

Public Service Announcement

I think I drove one of the nice customer service ladies at my electric company, TXU Electric, a little crazy tonight. A little background. For May, my bill was $360.00 and my June bill is for $330.oo. After reading my bill and their "Terms of Service" which states that the more kWh(Kilowatt-hours) you use, the less you pay, I notice this little note on my bill..."The average price you paid for electric service this month was 15.07 cents per kWh." Hmmm, that is the HIGHEST rate and we used a whole shitload of kWhs, which should mean that I pay the LOWEST rate, right? RIGHT?! Sooo, I decide to call and get to the bottom of this little mystery.

CS: This is MeWithAVeryThickAccent, how can I help you?

Me: (Speaking very fast)I was looking at my bill, and I was wanting to know how it is calculated because it states that my rate is 15.7 cents and my usage is over 2000 kWh(2233 kWh to be exact), soo it should be 14.5 cents.

CS: Oh, ok...Can you hold while I research that?

Me: Sure. (Ha! Stumped her already!)

CS: (Back on the line after several minutes) Thank you for patiently holding. OK, what you do is multiply your 2233 by 14.5 cents.

Me: Uh-huh. Did that, it didn't work. It adds up to less than my bill.

CS: Ooohh. Ok.

Me: I multiplied all your listed rates to my usage and none of them adds up to my bill.

At this point she tells me to try several different things, all to no avail.

CS: Can you please hold?

Me: Sure, but for how long?

CS: (Laughs shrilly) 3 minutes.

Me: OK. (Let me add that as I'm waiting the muzak they are playing suddenly stops, there-by making me think I've been disconnected. It comes back on after about 20 seconds. I think they do this on purpose so the less determined people will hang up.)

CS: (After 5 minutes and said with great hope) Mrs. *******?

Me: (Sweetly) Yes.

CS: OK, multiply 0.1191033 to 2233.

Me: (Searching for this strange # everywhere) 0.1191033, where did that come from?......No! It doesn't add up either.

CS: Uhhhh.....

All the sudden she just disappears. She doesn't say anything, she's just gone. But she's not getting rid of me that easy, and after a minute, she's comes back on.

CS: Alright, multiply 2233 by 14.839 cents.

Me: (Multiplying madly) Ah-Ha! Got it! But how did you come up with that, it still should be 14.5, the lowest rate.

CS: That's your rate, 14.839.

Me: I heard you, but I still don't know why that's my rate and how you calculated my bill.

CS: (Sighing LOUDLY. Yeah, like I'm the idiot. You work there and it has taken you 30 minutes to finally get it right) You add the ON-Peak rate plus the Fuel Factor plus the Power Cost Recovery.

Me: What is the Fuel Factor?

CS: 5.570 cents

Me: I know how much it is, what is the definition of Fuel Factor?

CS: Blah, blah, blah. (At this point I'm not really listening, I just wanted to see if she knew)

Me: Oohh, OK. I finally got it(don't know what took her so long), but then these rates you have listed and that are advertised as "The Price To Beat" aren't really truthful.

CS: Umm. Well you have on-peak and off-peak rates and right now we are in the on-peak months.

Me: But you don't advertise the On-peak rates, so it's seems to me TXU is trying to fool their customers and customers-to-be. Shouldn't you advertise a range of rates, such as "From 14.5 to 14.839 cents"?

CS: Well, we don't want to confuse our customers.

Me: Haha! Oh, because we aren't already, right?

CS: Welll.

I did end by thanking her for helping me and told her to have a goodnight. So I wasn't a total bitch. Hey, she earned her paycheck. Do you think she'll blog about me?
Posted by Michelle :: 8:56 PM :: 6 People have brought me drinks

Bring me a Drink

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