YORK, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from Jan. 24.
Update, 3 p.m.: The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has launched a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding unusually high bills received by PPL Electric Utilities customers.
In a press release, the office stated that they will also investigate the accuracy and integrity of PPL's billing practices.
The matter has been referred to the PUC's independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement for investigation, which enforces the state public utility code and PUC regulations.
In addition to the investigation, the Commission continues to encourage customers to contact PPL with concerns about the size and accuracy of their bills.
Customers who believe that PPL hasn't addressed their issues or believe that the utility has not responded appropriately to their situation should contact the PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) at 1-800-692-7380.
Additionally, customers who are unable to reach PPL agents or do not receive a response from PPL should contact BCS to report those issues.
Previously: The president of PPL Electric Utilities on Tuesday issued an apology to customers who have been struggling to contact the company with questions about a sharp increase in their electric bills last month.
In a letter to customers sent Tuesday, PPL Electric Utilities president Steph Raymond said her company has "fallen short" of its standards in both its billing and in its responsiveness to customers.
"Today, I am reaching out to address these issues, including estimated bills, to share steps we're taking to support our customers, and to explain what it means to you," Raymond wrote. "I also want to take this opportunity to address higher prices for energy supply, which have been the primary driver of higher bills.
"While we don't control these energy supply costs, we are committed to doing what we can to help you in this challenging time."
Last week, FOX43 reported about the sharp increase in electric bills for some PPL customers, some of whom saw increases of more than $200 over the previous month.
PPL told FOX43 there was a technical issue that made customer meter data temporarily unavailable in the system which generates bills and displays customer usage data.
"In situations such as these, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) provides guidelines whereby a utility can bill using estimated usage data," the company said in a statement. "Some of our customers received estimated bills with a January or February 2023 due date. These estimated bills were based on the customer’s historic electricity use. We ask that customers pay the estimated bill amount, as any difference between the estimated bills and actual usage will be reconciled when the next bill is issued.
"We resolved the issue and began generating bills with amounts due that reflect customers’ actual electricity use. We expect customer usage data, including the historical usage, will (soon) be available on the self-service portion of our website."
Some PPL customers contacted by FOX43 described wait times of up to 150 minutes when they attempted to contact PPL's call centers with questions about their bills.
In her letter to customers Tuesday, Raymond once again acknowledged the technical issue that led to a significant number of bills that were based on customers' estimated electricity usage and not their actual usage—and that those estimates, based off historical usage, may have been higher (or lower) than the amount of electricity customers actually used.
She said the affected customers would either receive a corrected bill based on actual usage or an adjustment on their next monthly bill that would "ensure (they) would only pay for the electricity (they) used."
She also outlined other steps PPL Electric Utilities has taken to address customer concerns, including:
Addressing the original technical issue. Customers' detailed usage information is once again available on PPLElectric.com, Raymond said.
PPL Electric will not shut off power for customers and small businesses for non-payment through March 31.
All late fees for January and February have been waived. Any fees charged in January will be credited to customer accounts, Raymond said.
PPL's payment plans and assistance programs will continue.
In addition, Raymond said, PPL Electric Utilities will hire more agents to answer customer calls and reduce wait times at call centers.
"In closing, we make this pledge to our customers," Raymond wrote. "You depend on us, and we deliver. For some of you, we have not lived up to that promise in our customer service. I can assure you that we will do everything we can moving forward to provide you the service that you deserve."