More issues with gas bills
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (47489)
Staten Island, New York
August 28, 2025 1:22pm CST
A new gas meter was installed at my mom's house in November 2024. In September 2024 I got rid of the ESCO (Energy Service Company) that was supplying the gas. I wanted both the delivery and supply to be from the same gas company.
Since the new meter was installed, the bills have been issued every two months instead of monthly. Each time there was no gas usage displayed. It kept saying we have a credit on the account (from previous adjustments) and we do not need to pay.
I finally decided to call the gas company to find out what's going on. From what I understood it seemed like our account was on hold for some reason, though have no idea why that is. They were going to look into it.
Shortly after, a normal bill came. The billing period for it was July 3, 2024 to October 2, 2024. With the applied credit the amount to pay was $58.26. A week later another bill was issued. It included the $58.26 plus new charges from October 2, 2024 to February 4, 2025 for $679.88. The new total to pay was $738.14. Then another week passed and another bill was issued. It included the amounts of the past two bills plus new charges from February 4, 2025 to June 4, 2025 for the amount of $614.72. The grand total to be paid was $1352.86.
All the bills said the meter readings were estimated. It still showed that our supplier was the ESCO and not our gas company, even though I got rid of it September 2025. And the supply charges were for the ESCO rates and not the gas company rates.
I called the gas company again to find out what's going on. I was told the meter readings will say they are estimate because they are doing the adjustments for estimated readings based on actual reading during the meter change. This makes absolutely no sense to me. If the new meter was installed in November 2024 it shouldn't take till mid-2025 for things to be back to actual readings. They said the bills still say I have the ESCO because adjustments are still being made. I was told not to pay any of the three bills until a bill with actual readings is issued.
I got a text a few days ago that because I didn't pay the first bill of $58.26, which was due August 23rd, I will get charged a late fee. The only reason I didn't pay was because I was told not to. I called the gas company again and told them about the text and mentioned why I didn't pay. I was told no one should have told me not to pay the bill. And I should pay all the bills, even though my mom is being charged for ESCO when she no longer has it. If we overpaid adjustments will be made later.
I wasn't able to get a clear answer of why ESCO charges still exist. I called the ESCO company and they don't know either why we are being charged. They have to investigate and I have to call back September 5th to find out the answer. They did confirm that the account was indeed closed September of last year.
In the meantime, I paid the first bill yesterday and the second bill today, which was due September 3rd. The third bill is due September 7th. I will pay that next week. The meter will be read September 8th. Will see how that bill will turn out. It will probably be for the period from June 4th to September 8th.
6 people like this
6 responses
@celticeagle (179186)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Aug
Jiminy Crickets! That would be driving me crazy. We have electric here and pay a level pay of the same amount each month. It had gone up to triple digits last year, but now it is even less that it was before. Weird isn't how these companies work? Ugh! I hope you get it all straightened out and it doesn't break the bank.
1 person likes this

@celticeagle (179186)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Aug
@lovebuglena .......And how could you check. Hard to just take their word for it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
@celticeagle Definitely no way to check.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
They were not issuing bills for many months and now my mom has this huge pile up of charges to pay at once, which is crazy. And she is probably overcharged but no way to know for sure.
1 person likes this

@YuleimaVzla (1810)
• Maracaibo, Venezuela
28 Aug
Hey, all of that sounds like a meter malfunction. It's really irresponsible to also provide terrible service to customers even when they do their research and assume that The error was mechanical and not due to consumption as such, and not even an apology would be enough because it has caused multiple inconveniences. I hope everything goes well.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
The last bill that I paid was either in October or September of last year. So up until now no normal bills were ever issued, even though gas had been used all this time. My mother owes for almost a year worth of gas. Can't know for sure if she's actually being overcharged and by how much.
The meter is working fine. We can go up to it and get a clear reading. Not sure why they are having issues, if they are having them.
1 person likes this
@YuleimaVzla (1810)
• Maracaibo, Venezuela
28 Aug
@lovebuglena Oh yes, but in any case, the ideal is that we have a service where the monthly fee corresponds to the use we give to the service, that it is not an inconstant one that this This month you pay something and the next month you don't know how much you're really going to pay, which is a hassle.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
@YuleimaVzla Always want to pay for actual use, not estimated. It should not be hard for them to do actual readings, especially if the new meter is designed to be read remotely.
1 person likes this

@DaddyEvil (158520)
• United States
28 Aug
When the adjustments are made and they owe you money, make sure you ask them for interest on the money they're holding for you. They're getting paid interest on it while it's in their bank account so they should pay you interest on it, too.

@DaddyEvil (158520)
• United States
28 Aug
@lovebuglena True, they should... But that money is still yours and they're getting paid interest on it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
I have no idea who actually owes who money at this point. But I can't just not pay the bills. Will pay the third bill next week. I hope that when the meter is reading in September that things will be back to normal but I have a feeling that won't be the case.
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
28 Aug
Being charged for ESCO as the supplier when we no longer have it, they should credit us that and charge us the gas company rates. Or at least just charge us (or credit us) the difference.
1 person likes this

@RasmaSandra (88533)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
28 Aug
Astronomical rates, There is no gas here just water and electirc and I am glad these are included in my reant, I ahve no idea how all this works,
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
29 Aug
I don’t know if from July 3, 2024 to June 4, 2025 $1352 is a lot or not but it seems like it may be.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (199578)
• United States
29 Aug
Can you check the reading on the actual meter? Compare it to the bills? I hope someone is able to straighten this out for you.
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
29 Aug
The readings are for past time periods so can’t do that. The only thing I can do is ask my mom to see what the reading is now and see if the last bill is lower or higher than that number.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (199578)
• United States
30 Aug
@lovebuglena Yes to just give you some type of perspective.
1 person likes this
@2ndchances24 (10863)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
29 Aug
that's crazy, sounds like some shifty sh$t to me 

1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
29 Aug
These charges are from July 2024 to June 2025. Not sure if my total is too high or not for almost a year of gas.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (47489)
• Staten Island, New York
29 Aug
@2ndchances24 Will see what happens when we get a new bill. But it’s screwed up when I am told to pay the currently issued bills when we are charged for a supplier we no longer have.
1 person likes this
@2ndchances24 (10863)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
29 Aug
@lovebuglena Hopefully they will get it all in order
& you will come out better than you think, just try &
use kindness over rash words as hard as that may
be, but sometimes that gives you a better chance.
1 person likes this

