MPUC: Complaints will be resolved on case-by-case basis

HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) — The Maine Public Utilities Commission is assuring Central Maine Power customers with billing problems that each complaint will be addressed despite a finding by the PUC staff that there was no systemic billing issue.

The MPUC Consumer Assistance and Safety Division said the staff conclusion doesn't mean complaints will be ignored. Division Director Derek Davidson said every complaint is being investigated on a case-by-case basis.

He said most complaints occurred in late 2017 and 2018, when a billing increase coincided with a cold snap. He said 960 out of 1,082 complaints reported in that time period have been resolved. The division has directed CMP to issue more than $346,000 in billing credits.

The PUC staff said last week that CMP's metering and billing systems were not responsible for systemic overbilling of customers.

But the staff report did conclude that defects associated with CMP's new SmartCare billing system, along with human errors, caused delayed bills or errors for “tens of thousands of customers.”