City leaders in Richmond, Virginia, are addressing widespread utility billing errors and surging call-center wait times following the May launch of a new customer service system.
After the May rollout, customers began facing steeper bills, trouble making payments, and confusion over account changes.
Here's what to know
Richmond saw a sharp jump in utility customer service calls after introducing its updated system, 8News reported.
July brought 38,744 calls — up from 13,686 in June — with residents citing unexpectedly high bills, uncertainty around the new 10-digit account numbers, slow service activations, and problems receiving or paying bills.
Mayor Danny Avula said the administration accepts responsibility for the troubled rollout and intends to correct it.
"When we miss the mark on something that we are going to own it, and we're going to fix it," Avula said, according to 8News.
More background
The problems are part of a broader pattern of utility-related complaints for Richmond residents and business owners.
Customers had already voiced concerns about unusually high charges, and the city's attempt to modernize billing added to that frustration instead of clearing it up.
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The updated Richmond system was meant to swap out the older setup, give customers a clearer billing experience, and improve both service-request tracking and payment options.
What's being done?
To deal with the complaints, the city says it has brought on additional staff to answer customer concerns, expanded training, and changed how issues are escalated so they can be resolved faster.
City officials also say they expect to add call-center hours and launch customer feedback sessions and open houses.
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Where can I learn more?
These stories look at fights over utility affordability, corporate billing tactics, wildfire cost disputes, nuclear bill concerns, and heat-pump policy impacts.
• In Virginia, Dominion customers say bills have become unaffordable despite affordability promises from executives.
• Across the U.S., major utilities used tactics against customers while pushing households to pay more.
• In the West, PacifiCorp sought to bill customers for $1.7 billion in wildfire damages.
• In New Jersey, residents warned monthly bills could rise under a nuclear subsidy proposal.
• In California, experts warned it could impact power bills as heat-pump plans advanced.
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