Well, it would appear that it wasn't junk mail, was it? If something comes from my utility, I open it, period.

Yes, I have, and they did not. They even told me over the phone they had not sent one since the last one I thought I received.(June) My bill services also scan in 'notices'. I suspect they end up missing some, just like anyone else would, as they weed out the junk mail. I went back and checked notices from MGE this year and found the one telling me they would not be e-billing me since they could not confirm my email address dated June.

Well, I don't...but it seems I may have to start. Actually in my situation I seldom look at the scans of the actual bills if the amount seems right. I just look at the due date and pay it. In essence that carefree attitude is the summation of my negligence, and obviously behavior I need to change or risk another scenario like todays.

That in no way absolves MGE for their various transgressions, and I still suggest that in comparison, theirs are far worse.

No. A worse transgression on their part would have been cutting off your gas earlier or sending eleventy billion PSI gas into your home.

You made a mistake and they eventually found the mistake for you.

I'm willing to bet you can sign into MGE's website and view your balance due. Did you never attempt to do this?

I guess I am doing some kind of Olympic hurdles, checking balances if something seems awry

1. Their 'collector' doesn't follow policy and knock on my door to ask for payment, but just turns off my gas.

2. (As I have just found out) They say they are cancelling my e-billing and sending me bills via usps but do not. (until the final cutoff notice...which I pay promptly)

3. They recieve payment in full today, but cut off my gas anyway.

4. They lie about not being able to turn my gas back on today because of full schedules.


But I didn't:

1. Update an email address with a company that I don't use email to commincate with.

2. Notice that I had not paid a gas bill in months


And my trangressions are worse?

Wow...just fuggin wow.

Really, I do agree with you. I understand that the billing for gas during the summer months is hardly noticeable at all. It sucks that consumers must be so diligent to avoid being screwed over due to bad customer service. But what else are you going to do. I would rather make sure my ass is covered.

I suspect I did that years ago when they got the old email address...nothing seemed awry to me until today.

Did they put a lock on it?

Again, this all started with you giving them a bad email address. None of the rest would have happened if you hadn't done that.

Aye, and it was removed by the service guy who came back and turned it on.

Do you not get it, or are you just helping me with post count? :)

The email address was perfectly fine when I gave it to them many years ago. Since we NEVER communicate via email, it did not occur to me that I even needed to update it. I suspect I signed on originally to view a bill for some particular reason and they had an automatic option asking me if I would like to receive e-billing in addition to regular bills and I said yes. I couldn't tell you if I got emails from them 4+ years ago, but I wouldn't have paid much attention to them if I did since the regular bills came via my bill paying service. I can tell you the I have not received an email from them ever at my current email address.

So I did not give them a bad email address, nor is it unreasonable to see why I did not update it with them as a matter of course...hell I didn't even realize until today they had any email address of mine.

Big Dog, do you own a car or house?

Both Big Dog and MGE should accept some responsibility for the problem which Big Dog has, but once it was found out that the bill was paid he shouldn't have had to threaten to contact the media in order to get his service cut back on. This is the problem with big companies in general in that they should have promptly gotten somebody out there tonight without the hassle.

Anyway, I am done for the night....so this thread can die. :)

I have learned or confirmed 3 things from this post

1. I don't post much because inevitably discussions I end up in lack the satisfaction of having them face to face with people.

2. There are always people vehemently opposed to your point of view.

3. Some poeple's view of acceptable corporate behavior I find troubling.


P.S. Maybe a pipe dream, but wouldn't a win over Pittsburgh be cool?