Great PPL Swindle of 2023
January’s mailbox is filled with bad news -
Credit Card Statements — Did I really spend that much on Uncle Charlie? I don’t even like the guy.
2023 County and Township Taxes Due — Seriously? The year has barely begun.
2022 IRS Tax Return — The W-2s and 1099s trickle in, but the IRS sends me my 1040 right on schedule.
We expect these every year, but January, 2023 had a surprise for some of us. Pamela Handwork (Love those Dutch names) expected her January electric bill from good old PPL to be higher. The company that built the only skyscraper in Downtown Allentown (for no apparent reason eighty years ago and never had the workforce to fully occupy it. Good planning, PP&L) raised its residential rates for the third time this year in December. Pamela’s December bill was $180. Imagine her shock when her January bill came in at $550.
Pamela knew just what to do. That Computer Literacy Course at Community College was about to pay off. She accessed the self-service option on PPL’s website. She had her user name and “secure” password (at least seven digits, both CAPS and lower case, some numbers and some dicritical marks). She got a boilerplate message from PPL’s ombudsman (motto “We constantly strive for complete customer satisfaction”)
The message was something less than satisfying. “A technical system issue resulted in estimated power bills that may seem higher than you normally pay. We ask that customers pay the estimated full amount. If there is any difference between the estimated bill and actual usage, it will be reconciled on the next bill.”
What PPL didn’t say is “If you are unhappy with us, you can go with the other power company that serves your neighborhood. Oh that’s right. There is no other power company. Pay that $550, Pamela. We’ll make up the overcharge in our own good time, likely next summer.”
Approximately 70,000 PPL customers received incorrect bills this month. This is a big deal.
Computer literacy and the ability to go to a company website are all fine and dandy, but the Great PPL Swindle of 2023 demonstrated the power of good old fashioned ink and newsprint. The Morning Call printed a statement from the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. Customers submitting a formal complaint to the PUC need not pay an exorbitant bill and cannot have their power shut off while the complaint is active.
Computer-literate Pamela can do that. I wonder how many old farts without computers will get swindled by PPL’s “technical issue”.
By Ed Dufton
