Annoyed clients say Nationwide Grid not complying with state order

Annoyed clients of Nationwide Grid — who have been hit with a number of months of payments suddenly — stated the corporate is not doing sufficient to adjust to a state order to waive outdated expenses.Questions on 1000’s of consumers, who went months with out payments from Nationwide Grid this winter, received state regulators to crack down.On Monday, the Massachusetts Division of Public Utilities ordered the corporate to not gather on expenses older than 60 days if it did not situation payments in a well timed method.Nevertheless, a number of clients stated getting Nationwide Grid to truly waive these expenses — or refund them in the event that they just lately paid a lump sum — hasn’t confirmed straightforward.Nationwide Grid didn’t invoice as many as 35,000 clients this winter. Some 3,000 clients nonetheless have not acquired any payments going again to the autumn. The corporate blamed various issues — from printing delays to meter readings — for the billing meltdown, which DPU referred to as inexcusable.In its Monday order, DPU stated it “can not tolerate such a systemic and uncorrected failure” and identified that “substantial invoice delays can wreak havoc with family budgeting, and it’s merely unfair to anticipate clients to pay a number of months’ value of payments that weren’t rendered well timed.”In response, Nationwide Grid issued an apology and stated it’s going to cooperate with the state order.Nevertheless, a number of clients stated that cooperation has not translated to the utility’s customer support reps.”Final week, I acquired a number of payments masking August 2024 by February 2025,” one viewer wrote. “I’m simply looking for out if I needs to be paying payments older than December 2024 or January 2025. Nationwide Grid customer support doesn’t appear to know concerning the coverage put in place by DPU. There may be no person at Nationwide Grid that appears to know something about this.””I simply noticed your information about Nationwide Grid. I used to be additionally affected and received hit with 5 payments inside a one month interval,” one other viewer wrote. “I simply referred to as Nationwide Grid about what you had stated for those who already paid an bill that was over 60 days outdated, they’d refund you. He stated that’s not true they usually can supply me a $50 one time credit score for the inconvenience. I simply wished to verify if that is really true?”It’s true. A spokesperson for the Division of Public Utilities confirmed that the corporate needs to be complying with the order.”Any Nationwide Grid buyer — electrical or fuel — that has been affected by the corporate’s unacceptable billing points and has not acquired their invoice for 60 days or extra is to not be charged by the corporate. The DPU is dedicated to defending shoppers’ rights, and we take this accountability critically,” a DPU spokesperson stated in an announcement Wednesday.DPU advises clients who weren’t billed on time by Nationwide Grid to begin by calling the corporate — the quantity is 1-800-233-5325 — and both asking for a refund of a latest lump sum fee or a waiver of expenses older than 60 days earlier than the earliest Nationwide Grid invoice you acquired.If Nationwide Grid doesn’t comply, clients ought to file a criticism with the Shopper Division of the Division of Public Utilities. That may be performed on-line right here: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/file-a-complaint-involving-a-gas-electric-or-water-companyCustomers may also file a criticism with DPU by calling 617-737-2836 or emailing DPUConsumer.Complaints@mass.govCustomers affected by the billing error who haven’t but acquired a invoice ought to solely be charged for the latest 60 days when that invoice does lastly arrive.After NewsCenter 5 reached out concerning the new complaints, Nationwide Grid reiterated its apology to clients, including that refunds and credit can be computerized.