Another Alberta Direct Energy customer goes public with billing problems

More than a year after the Alberta government said it was "reassured" Direct Energy was fixing its erratic billing practices, people are still contacting the CBC with complaints.

If that headline looks familiar, it's not a case of déjà vu, just a case of ongoing complaints about reoccurring problems with Direct Energy's billing practices.

Janine Blaise of Edmonton is the latest customer to contact the CBC looking for help with billing problems. And within hours of a call from a reporter, the company offered her compensation.

The single mother of three is on a tight budget and said she wanted to clarify if she had a credit or if she owed money to Direct Energy.

"I really had no idea what was going on," she explained, citing several conflicting statements she had received from the company.

According to Blaise, it all started in August 2015 when she got a statement indicating she had a credit.

"It was for $826.52, and then the statement also said there is a balance for a credit for $1,800.96 and then electricity charges for $1,000," said Blaise. "I was a bit confused trying to figure out what that credit was about, so I phoned Direct Energy."

After a 45-minute phone call with a customer service agent, Blaise said she still didn't have clarification and believes the agent was also confused.

"They weren't quite sure what was going on," she said.

A short time later, Blaise said Direct Energy mailed her 12 different statements in separate envelopes. Still confused, she call the company back, looking for answers.

Charges didn't make sense

"They again looked into it and then they sent me another 10 statements in the mail, all in separate envelopes laying out the credit, but then laying out the charges."

She said the charges weren't in chronological order and didn't make sense.

Then in December, Blaise got another statement indicating she had a credit of $1,200, so she called the company again.

"They said that they were just going to keep that on the account and [told me] not to pay for a couple of months," she recalled.

But it was Christmastime, so she felt she could make better use of that money rather than just leaving it as a credit on her account.

"So I asked them, 'Well since it's Christmastime, could you send me a cheque rather than me having this big credit on my account?' They said they would send me a cheque for $1,200, and I never received the cheque, and I waited until February and then I received a bill that I owed again."

Blaise said she thinks part of the problem might be the billing program. She pays a set amount each month, and at the end of the year the difference is settled depending on market prices. That means she might get a credit, or she might owe the company money.

Blaise said that — coupled with the type of product being sold — makes it difficult to keep track.

"Because it's electricity and natural gas ... you don't have a tangible thing that you can say 'this is the product,' " she said. "I'm kind of taking their word for their meter readings, that kind of thing. So I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be paying."

Confusion continued despite phone calls

Blaise said the confusion continued despite repeated phone calls.

"When I phoned them and talked to them the other day, they said that I owed $571.96, and so all the numbers are all different. I'm a single mom, I've got three kids and my budget is pretty tight. It's just adding a lot of stress."

She also worries what the billing confusion might be doing to her credit rating.

A call to Direct Energy by CBC prompted quick action from the company. A representative called Blaise within hours of our request for an interview.

Blaise was told she would be compensated for the confusion, something she asked for in writing and received.

In an email to Blaise the company writes "a credit has been placed on your account in the amount of $571.96. This credit is compensation for the frustration we have caused you over the past year with billing delays." 

Direct Energy Spokesperson Jessica Michan also sent an email to the CBC:

"After investigating Ms. Blaise's account, we have found that although her account is currently accurate, we acknowledge the stress and hardship that multiple invoices has caused from a previous system error. Direct Energy have reached a resolution to her satisfaction, apologizes for any inconvenience this has caused, and sincerely appreciates her business."

This is not the first time the company has responded favourably to a disgruntled customer after a call from the CBC.

In February, Sean Harrington contacted the CBC about similar billing problems and again the issue was resolved within 24 hours of the CBC contacting Direct Energy on his behalf.

It was a similar outcome in March 2015 for Andrea Daly of St. Albert.

She had been fighting with the company for nine weeks over an electricity bill of more than $500 for a house she doesn't own, in a town she's never heard of.

Direct Energy cancelled the bills after Daly told her story to CBC.

At the time, CBC raised the issue with the Alberta government. A spokesperson said the consumer advocate was "reassured" the issues were being resolved after meeting with Direct Energy's senior managers.

It seems they are still working to resolve billing issues more than a year later.

Cabinet minister assigns deputy to look into 'options" 

Service Alberta Minister Stephanie McLean has only been in the portfolio for about two months, but Direct Energy is definitely on her radar.

"This is not by any means the first time I've heard of this kind of thing going on with Direct Energy," said McLean. "Direct Energy keeps doing this kind of thing over and over again, it's absolutely ridiculous."

As of January 2016, the province had already received more than a thousand calls about the company. And they're still coming in.

"It's about Direct Energy failing to provide a low-threshold, adequate customer service and it's not OK," said McLean, adding that complaints about the company dwarf those filed against other utility companies.

Unlike the previous government, McLean said she is not confident Direct Energy is addressing the problem.

"I'm far from assured that they're fixing anything, so I've asked my deputy minister of Service Alberta to come back to me with options to improve customer service this spring, so we can assure that Albertans are protected."

After receiving the most recent statement from Direct Energy, the CBC again requested an interview asking for details on Blaise's "system error" and if someone might be able to explain to customers how they can accurately determine what they owe.

That offer was turned down:

"Thank you for the opportunity, but we do not have anything to say beyond the statement we've provided for this particular situation," the company's statement said.

Blaise said she will be moving in the next month and she plans to sign up with Epcor for her electricity needs.