Sacramento Man Says Promise To Lower His Gas Bill Instead More Than Doubled It
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Sacramento man says an attempt to lower his utility bill backfired, more than doubling his bill.
The 35-year-old man who doesn't want to show his face says a representative went door-to-door claiming he was with Pacific Gas & Electric and could save him money on his bill.
It turns out the man who showed up on John's doorstep was with an independent gas supplier. PG&E says there are 25 that are allowed to operate in the area, but last year, it received more than 4,000 complaints about them.
"When they said they could save me money, I of course, who wouldn't want to save money?" John said. "They said that they were representatives of PG&E."
He said they told him they could lower his bill, but they just needed him to agree to some new terms.
"When they start writing their information as far as what they can save, and everything was on this piece of paper. They didn't have any documentation," he said.
Now what was once a $200 bill is now $500. Not only does he have to pay the third party for gas, but he has to pay PG&E to deliver it. It's money he says he can't afford to pay.
"I feel like I was scammed into this. And I can't afford to pay for this bill," he said.
PG&E spokeswoman Brandi Merlo said California allowed third-party suppliers to market gas to its customers in the 1990s.
Two years ago, Call Kurtis investigated the same thing in Elk Grove.
"We do know that at times they can have aggressive marketing tactics," she said.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission, there's only one way aggressive becomes illegal.
"As of Sept. 2, 2014, all new and current CTA's were required to register with the CPUC before providing service. And if they're found to have any misrepresentation, the CPUC can take action against them," she said.
While John believes he was misled, he says he's learned a valuable lesson—buyer beware.
"I don't want anybody to go through what I'm going through," he said.
He's planning to reach out to the PUC to see what his options are.
PG&E says there are some customers who save money this way, but point out it has no control over the rates once customers go with a third-party supplier.
