" How are we suppose to ever trust Aquila again? Does Aquila really think giving those effected three months to pay for the mistake their company made makes it right. Aquila........try to make it up to your customers with a real sincere apology or even better a credit to those accounts effected.

Sincerely,
A very unhappy customer who wishes they had another choice of a gas company in the area!!! "

" Since the employee read my gas meter on the high side for November, I asked Aquila to let me send them my reading each month. Is Aquila owned by Time-Warner?? "

" They didnt rob any body, they just undercharged. They just want you to pay what you owe. The problem has been occuring for the last 3 months, so they are giving us 3 months to catch up.

If your boss accidently underpaid you on pay day, you would want him to pay you what you deserve wouldnt you?

I cant figure out what you guys are mad about?
"

" Aquila and Time Warner think they can shove this down our throats, and we are to like it. I am tired of their lack of service. They tried this a couple of years ago with my in-laws..... we should have a independent company to oversee the billing process by Aquila. "

" Unbelievable!! On the kolnkgin coverage the other night, Aquila said we would be getting letters of apology. Instead we will be getting a larger bill as an apology. When I called Aquila to question the bill they acted like they knew nothing about a problem and even had me go re-read the meter. Now they state that they knew about the problem. Why didn't they have the courtesy to send a letter of explanation to the customer with the offer of having longer to pay the bill. Instead, when I called I was told that I would have to wait till my bill was past due before making payment arrangements!! Then what??? Have my gas turned off or face late charges, ect? We have no recource with Aquila because they are a monopoly.I think Aquila needs to accept responsibilty in this and make amends to the customer....not make us responsible for their mistake. How much stress are they causing people?? I own a business and if I undercharge someone on their bill I can't go back later and say "OOPS, I didn't bill you enough, you owe me more money." In Oct, Nov, and Dec we were billed for gas used during that time. They should not be able to go back and charge again for a time period that they already billed for. I think the state Attorny General should step in and do something about this. "

" This is a HUGE load of crap. A mistake was made by an EMPLOYEE. Hopefully he (or she) is no longer employed. But now the CUSTOMER has to pay for their mistake. There should be something that a customer can do to NOT have to pay for someone elses mistake. I can understand why the gas company feels the way that they do. But the EMPLOYEE should be the one to have to pay for THEIR mistake. After all, it's NOT the customers fault!!!! "

" Mistakes happen; that doesn't mean you should get free gas Seward. Aquila is a business and needs to be paid for what they provide. They would have to make up the difference by charging others extra. I for one am not interested in paying for your gas, thank you. "

" Bill, I see your point, but I also understand why people are upset too. I bought a bike on clearance from Walmart for my daughter a few weeks ago. It was $10. Now, if Walmart sent me a letter three months later and said that an employee had mis-marked the bike and that it should have been $100 I would be pretty upset. A lot of people live pay check to pay check and this hits them hard. I live in Seward and know some people who were effect by several hundreds of dollars. Their anger is completely understandable. Lastly, under your example, I am sure I would notice right away that I had been underpaid on my paycheck . . . I wouldn't take me three months to figure it out. "

" You didn't think something was up when you had smaller bills? It was perfactly OK when you were getting the benifit, but since they caught their error within the legal time frame, it is their fault. Errors happen. If your employer was underpaying you, you would want your money that they owe you. "

" If you don't like aquila go to a different gas company. Oh wait there is only one gas company!

I pay $140 a month to heat the 700 square foot home i rent and live alone in. That is only heat the water heater is electric. If I fall behind on the bill they shut off the gas. They don't care if I freeze. "

" okay,for all of the complainers...what if Aquila had been charging you TOO MUCH for 3 months...would YOU be fine with Aquila not paying YOU back? i don't think so...you'd want your money just like they do right now. "

" This is not the same thing as your employer underpaying you. This is a customer-service provider relationship, not employer-employee relationship. Whether people like it or not, the saying "the customer is always right" still holds true. I worked in customer service and if I accidentally undercharged somebody for the items they purchased, I couldn't go and send them a letter telling them that they had to send me a check to make up the difference. If however, I overcharged them, they had every right to come back and request a refund. That's called customer service. Perhaps Aquila has a legal right to bill us, but that doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do and it is definately not good customer service. "

" So your bill has been 1/2 as previous years the past three months and you didn't think anything about it?? You bet. All energy costs have skyrocketed the past year, but you thought your gas bill should be 50% lower?? You bet. Pay up and quit trying to be a freeloader. You got caught. End of story. "

" Geez, you used the gas and they undercharged you for it. They didn't steal from you or rip you off, they made a mistake and now caught it. I really doubt those affected REALLY believed their low gas bill was legit. Hopefully they also knew they weren't going to get gas for free all winter???

Pay what you owe and stop complaining. This is not like Time Warner at all. Time Warner gave us an inferior product at the same price of the good product. Aquila just made a billing error in your favor and now they're fixing it. If they'd made a billing error in Aquila's favor, you'd not have held your tongue about it this long, and you'd be expecting them to make it right. Exactly what they are doing, making it right. "

" They are expected to pay for gas they used...poor babies. Grow up! I have to pay for propane. $720.00 at the time of delivery. Waaahhh! "

" I have recently seen my meter readings being to high. You have actually charged me too much so I am sending you a bill for what you overcharged me!!!!! "

" possibly make a mistake! Sure I make them, but a business is not allowed to. It really chaps me that they gave me free gas over the holiday season and then they have the nerve to come back and ask me to pay for what I used! Sure if I ever found out that my employer was making a error on my paycheck I would demand that get returned to me, but this is different because I am not getting money. Nevermind the revenue they lost during that time frame (and interest on that money they lost!) or even the fact that they are giving me 3 months to pay something I used already - just out of line! We should pay more taxes to hire a company to oversee Auila so that I will never get away with free gas again! The more I think about it Aquila should give us that gas we used for free, because......well I think its my right to get something for free if I can come up with a complaint! Shame on you Aquila for asking for money that I would have paid you during those three months with out complaint! OOh how about getting the Attourney General involved - surely he will be on my side, otherwise I wont vote for him! "

" I'm sorry but if it is Aquila's mistake they should be eating it and not making the customers pay for it. Seems unfair. "

" We were overcharged by $100 one month last year, resulting in a few month's worth of reduced bills to credit our overpayment last spring (and our neighbor). You can bet your bottom dollar that they never would've noticed that little oversight and offered to make it right.

This news doesn't surprise me. "

" So customers have to go through the hardship of making up the bill for the meter reader error take it out of their salary dont punish the customer this is WRONG "

" It's amazing that people moan about "Aquila undercharged you, they deserve to get paid for what they provide you." But, when these same people go to a restaurant, and their order is messed up, they demand something free (meal, discount, etc.) You can't have it both ways. "

" You used it, you got away with not paying it for 3 months. Pay up, it's that simple. End of discussion. "

" It was a legitimate mistake. I agree the guy should no longer be employed, but to think you shouldn't have to pay for gas that you used is outrageous. Had you been overbilled I'm sure you'd expect Aquila to reimburse you--and they should. But since you've been underbilled, you don't think you should have to pay. Should those of us who were billed correctly receive some kind of rebate to make it fair? Of course not. Quit your whining and pay your bill. "

" Hardship??? They got gas they didn't pay for! They saved $ over the past three months. They are not asking for the full amount up frount, but over a peroid of three months. Sounds resonable to me. You use the gas you pay for it. I agree that wouldn't you notice if your bill was all of a sudden a lot less then the past months? Of course you did! But you are not going to call and complain or let them know there mistake. And now you want to complain? Another thing about Timewarner...they have done a very good job about fixing thier problems and if you still don't like them call Direct Tv or Dish..Come on. "

" if you pay 140 a month for a 700 sq. ft house for gas then something is wrong. My house is 1800 sq ft and I don't pay more that 150 or so, and my thermostat is set at 68 all the time, with three kids using hot water and the dishwasher. You might want to check your insulation, or your furnace. "

" Some of you people trip me out. If a cashier gives you the wrong change do you keep it? That's an employee mistake. I'd hope that all of you would give the money back, because you have no rights to that money. This is the same thing. You received the goods and services (in this case, natural gas) at a price agreed to by the company and the regulatory agencies. The service provider wrote up an invoice (bill) for the wrong amount. It is a correctable mistake. It has now been corrected. Pay for what you use. And if you think your gas bill is too high (a) go all-electric, (b) turn the thermostat town or (c) move. It's a free country. For the whiners amongst you, let me make it easy for you - MOVE. "

" This same thing happened early last year in the Hickman and Holland areas. Aquila needs better employees. "

" If I were one of these people, I think I'd feel like it sucks, but it's just one of those 'that's life' things, and move on. The difference that it will add to three months of bills can't be THAT high. Suck it up. "

" I know its kind of a strech, but follow me here.... Imagine your writing a check for $81 to Aquila and your thinking about your $300 car payment. For some reason you accidently write Aquila a check for $381. A week later you discover your mistake and you call Aquila to get your $300 back. Would you guys think it would be right if Aquila said " Sorry sir, its your mistake. Take some responsibility. We are keeping your money."

You guys would be outraged. So why are you doing the same thing to Aquila?
"

" So you go to the store, get overcharged, and don't want your money back? Well, the cashier just made a mistake, so that's OK isn't it? Some people complain just because they have a keyboard in front of them. Nebraskans are ignorant! "

" i highly doubt that if aquila had been overcharging for gas, that they would offer cash back/credit for their mistake. a business needs to take responsibility for their screwup, this meter reader's supervisor should have noticed something was wrong. just one more reason why we need a separate gas company, prices go down, service goes up. "

" If you are affected by this and not on a fixed pricing option, make sure that you get charged the appropriate monthly rate for each month in which you were underbilled. The unit cost of gas is generally higher in February than in November, so if they charge for all the unbilled therms at the current rate, you're getting robbed. Say gas was $0.80 per therm in November, is $1.00 per therm now, and you were undercharged by 100 therms in November. Then you should be paying $80 for that usage, not $100. "

" I live in Lincoln, and it was determined in December that Aquila had been undercharging me for my gas for 6 months. I didn't know-I just figured my bills were low because I am one person not using much gas and my thermostat is set at 61 degrees to be economical. Well, I just got the bill for 6 months worth of back charges with no explanation, nor did I get any extra months to pay for it. My only option was to go on the budget plan. Wish I could have been extended the same courtesy as these people! "

" CS took the words right out of my typing. I also live in a house about 1800 sq ft and have gas furnace, gas water heater, and gas stove and am paying about $150 during winter months. Harrison, you need to check your furnace, insolation, windows, doors, etc. cause thats way to much for a 700 sq ft home. Check with Aquila too, maybe there's a mistake and you are being overcharged and would be due some credit. "

" Lets break this down - Aquila provided the customers with gas at the same rate, but figured the bill wrong by not accounting for the proper usage. The 'smart' people of our community come back with this -
- I bought a bike on clearance from Walmart for my daughter a few weeks ago. It was $10. Now, if Walmart sent me a letter three months later and said that an employee had mis-marked the bike and that it should have been $100 I would be pretty upset - - - Not really, Aquila did not change thier price per, you would be closer to say you bought 10 bikes at the advertised price, but only got charged for 5, Walmart catches this and wants money for the other 5. If you cant afford 10, then dont buy 10! But you cant use this excuse, it would make you sound not so bright when you put it in that context! OR
-But now the CUSTOMER has to pay for their mistake. There should be something that a customer can do to NOT have to pay for someone elses mistake. - - - Your not, your paying for what you used, Aquila is paying for the employees mistake by dragging revenue out over 6 months they should have had with in 30days.
-This is a customer-service provider relationship, not employer-employee relationship. Whether people like it or not, the saying "the customer is always right" still holds true. - - -Really, sounds like the customer got what was promissed (GAS!). If I walk into a bar to drink, at the end of the night I say - I dont want to pay my bill because I am always right. Good luck in your business future!
-"Aquila undercharged you, they deserve to get paid for what they provide you." But, when these same people go to a restaurant, and their order is messed up, they demand something free (meal, discount, etc.) - - - (My personal favorite!) - Aquila did not mess up the gas service, just the invoice...ever been out to eat and the waiter got the ticket wrong & how many times do you say I want a free meal because you added (or forgot) one beer - never you would sound like a moron! "

" Some of the folks affected by this had logical reasons for low gas bills. One person had not lived in her home for four months - you'd expect a low bill. Another had made energy saving changes - again, you would expect a lower bill. It sure isn't like any of the folks affected wanted to heat their homes for free but gracious - how would you handle a gas bill quadruple the previous WITHOUT ANY NOTICE or in one case, 20, yes 20 times higher than the previous month. I don't know many whose budgets can handle that. We set our winter budget based on the first few bills - then the "Aquila Nightmare" comes.....you freak, you panic, you cry, your lied to (by Aquila) - any way you look at this, it isn't okay. NOt the way Aquila treated the affected CUSTOMER and not the way they misled customers. They have the monopoly and they are using it!!!! Monopoly and democracy don't go well hand-in-hand. Now there is a lot to think about! "

" If you over pay, the gas company will typical give you a credit on you next bill unless you really goof and do the car payment mix-up. Then you can get a refund.
Harrison - I used to pay 180 per month for a 900sf home with a 55 year old furnace. Now I pay 130 per month for a 1500sf home with a 20 year old furnace. Furnace efficientcy is the key. "

" What kind of training does Aquila provide??

Apparently not much typical of alot of companies cutting corners

May be Aquila out to just eat and call it :the cost of doing business" but I know better "

" This seems to be an ongoing problem with Aquila. A couple of years ago, we were paying what seemed to be "normal" gas bills; then, boom, we get hit with a huge bill one month, with no explanation, just an adjustment shown on our bill. When I called, I was told our meter had been malfunctioning, for several months, and when they finally got it fixed, we owed the arrears. I asked why it took months to fix, and was informed that on any given day, several hundred meters can have a problem, and Aquila doesn't have the manpower to fix them any faster. I don't mind paying for what I use, but when have passed, I have no way to go back, read the meter, and see if what they are now telling me is true. And the person who posted about the mistake in Aquila's favor-Aquila will NOT refund the credit, you have to use it up over the course of your monthly bill, even if it will take in excess of a year to use up the credit. "

" yourself! Maybe you should check your meter each month and compare to your bill - anyone can do this! To the person that budgets off their first few bills of the season - who's fault is that! Its 100% a case of- ya, it sucks but pay it and suck it up! This is not a case of pay it all now, they are allowing 3 months, the same as if you paid it from the start! Im sure this happens often, do you have any idea how many accounts they handle! "

" No Aquila forme. My home is all electric and costs about $100-$150 a month for heating/cooling, hot water, and lights. Sorry to say I do not had the honor of paying a gas bill for the last 5 years. "

" Most of you act like you have never made a mistake in your life. If that's the case, let me bow down to you, otherwise realize that mistakes happen. Like the article says, you have three months to pay it.

The biggest question I have is why aren't people on the budgeting that Aquila has? Especially if you are complaining about how much you are paying, and trying to budget based on one or two months? I am on a really tight budget too, barely having enough money for food, yet I pay all my bills? I pay $46 a month for my gas, but then I have plastic on my windows, etc.
"

" How fair is that? It wasn't the customers fault, it was an employee's fault. They should not have to pay that difference because of an error on Aquila's part! How do they expect people to come up with an extra couple hundred bucks to compensate for their mistake? It's not like Aquila can't afford it. "

" I have 1000 Sq Feet and only pay 73 a month and set it at 74 degrees... i think you all have issues lol "

" The company made the mistake and does NOT deserve to get the money it mistakenly did not charge for. It needs to be accurate when it SHOULD be accurate and be held accountable for its own mistake. "

" We live in Seward and have been affected by this. We have kept our home unusually cool this winter 60- 62 and expected to pay smaller bills which we did. When I received our last bill I about fainted! Over $300. I need to get this right if the reader mis read the last 3 months didn't they adjust the difference with this last bill or are we going to get an even higher bill this next month. It's confusing, however I still owe it....Mistake or not but they really need to have a better plan in place. "

" Nuts & Bolts . . . my Walmart example does apply because the point of my story was to point out employee error. But let's use your example. It would be more correct to say that you bought 10 bikes but only got charged for 5 and neither you nor the store caught it at the time of the purchase, but three months later the store comes to you wanted the price for the other five. Now, personally I think the right thing to do would be to pay for the difference, however, I understand how some people could be upset by this. That is all I was saying so please do not imply that I am stupid. "

" So the next time you make a mistake at your job, you should be fired? Give me a break! And seriously "Customer from Seward", you think they should credit your account?!? What world do you live in? "

" If you don't like the gas company, who else can you go to? Aquila has you right where they want you. Unless you go all electric, you can't do anything but put up with their abuse and over charging. They call the shots and they will let you know that. Have you ever had to deal with the office people here in Lincoln? There's no dealing - they are rude and in control. I plan to go all electric because at least the electric company is respectful! "

" Sue them and make Aquila PROVE IT IN COURT!!!!! "

" this is just a tax scam for aquila this will go down and revenue and profit for 08 instead of 07 and whats up with the not so bright people trying to use the pay check analogy what do you only get paid once every 3 months i think only farmers get paid every three months when the checks from the govt. show up "

" After numerous phone calls, I talked with someone "at the top' today. She told me that Aquila was refiguring all the bills because we were charged Jan prices for gas used in Nov and Dec (when it was cheaper). We will all get letters of apologies and the new bill sent out on Monday. She told me all EFT would be stopped (if they hadn't gone through...or $ replaced in the bank account if it had). She told me not to pay on the bill until we receive the new one. She assured me that no late fees would be charged, nor would my credit be tarnished. She was very apologetic and good to work with. Customer service had, prior to this, not been accomodating and told me I would have to wait till the bill was past due to make payment arrangements (which would be after my EFT had gone through). I was not treated well by them. I wish Aquila had made this known to the public and their customer service reps immediately so that people could stop worrying about coming up with the money or having their gas turned off. I don't want free handouts...I just want the same 3 months to pay that I would have had if I had been billed correctly "

" If you are all so upset about the way Aquila and other utility companies are doing business, why don't you go apply for a job the job and try to fix the problem, hmm? You all seem to be experts! You're just being asked to pay what you owe. If they would have been charging you MORE, wouldn't you want to be reimbursed? Mistakes happen - get over it. Complaining about it is going to get you.........NOWHERE! "

" This is a prime example of what has changed with our morals in the last 50 years. You used the gas you should pay for the gas. It does not matter at all that there was a mistake made!! The fact is that you used it you should pay for it. Stop trying to get something for free. Start setting a better example for your children. If the shoe was on the other foot would you say "oh my fault don't worry about paying me"..You people are unbelievable. I'm floored that some of you think you shouldn't have to pay. "

" Aquila made an error on bills sent out in November, December and part of January. That does not mean you should receive free gas. You used it, you pay for it. However, Aquila does need to have safeguards in place and when billings are considerably higher or lower than they normally should be, they need to check into it at the time of the billing. Giving three months to pay for the mistake is fair and hopefully, they will take appropriate steps to insure this doesn't happen again. Also, when we were on their budget plan, they miscalculated how much we would owe and we ended up with a $900 credit, which I requested and they sent a refund check. Their budget plan was never accurate and every year I would call and ask how they had determined the amount. My theory was that if you take the prior year's usage, divide by 12 and add the estimated increase, you would have a good budget amount. I found they used different math than I did. Two years ago we went all electric and have saved over $1800/year with that change. Last year we averaged $140/mo. on a 3000 sq. ft. home. Best move we ever made! "

" In our case, when Aquila made the mistake in their favor and we called on it ($140+ charge on a 1700 sq ft home in the spring when we'd shut the furnace off for at least half the month) they actually told us "Well sir, it WAS cold this month." Yeah, not that cold. We simply asked for a re-read and they argued with us about it. They didn't want to do it. We persisted and, like the other poster said, never got a refund, just credits on future bills. "

" It is always someone elses fault. Our grandparents must be so proud of use. Everybody wants something for free. "

" When our electric meter failed, we took the initiative to alert the company that something was amiss, because it was easier and better for us to pay as we went, instead of eventually being backbilled after letting the situation go unreported. OPPD asked if we would consider it fair if they figured the month's average use based on a 3-year history of that month's previous usage. This was fair; we were pleased for doing the right thing, and they were pleased that all it took was a meter replacement, instead of a big mess to figure out later on. Maybe those involved in the Aquila error (on both sides) could consider being honest, pleasant and helpful to each other. "

" Ok, maybe this redneck is just stupid, but aren't credits on future bills as good as a refund?? I mean, they are taking money off your future bills, so you don't have to pay so much, right??? So why are you complaining? I'd prefer to have the credits, because I'd spend the cash, and then worry about how I'd pay the future bills.

You people don't make any sense to me. When someone else makes a mistake, you are all mad. But when you make a mistake, you expect everyone to say, ohhhh, it's all ok, we aren't mad at you. "

" This is insane. I feel that Aquila should just eat these charges and train thier employees a little better or maybe just start double checking things. Im not sure why everyone is bringing employment into this. Your gas bill and your job are two different things. If it took you 3 months to realize that your employer had been underpaying you its as much your fault as it is thiers. In this case the customer is supposed to be responsibe for Aquilas error -- I dont think so. "

" It was a mistake and we are all human. Act like adults and accept that it happens. You used a service, you should pay for it. Grow up. "

" you can easily keep track of you gas usage. Be thankful that they are giving you three monthes. They could ask for it all at once. If you make the gas company eat the cost they would just increse the rates of everyone to make up for it. Why should I pay for your gas!! "

" Okay, Aquila made a mistake, well than why is the customer's problem, your telling me this company does not have the means to absorb the cost of their own mistake being the only gas co around here. Three months that could mean a lot of money they are asking folks to come up with. I don't think the consumer should have to pay, at least not in full. The co needs to take some responsibility. "

" There is a solution for those you effected by Aquila ram rodding their bill down your throat, other than switching to Electric. Its called the Nebraska Public Service Commission. You can go online and file your complaint with them. They are in charge of regulating utility companies and making sure they don't treat you unfairly. Go online and make them aware of how you were treated. Not only will they contact you but Aquila will contact you as well. Its the only way! "

" maybe weavers can take a play from Aquila's book and send bills to everyone who has bought chips and tell them they didn't pay the full amount they where undercharged so pay up now "

" simply put Aquila blows time to run them out of town along with time warner
"

" We have been looking into this and we suggest that everyone effected please call your State Senator. Inform them, that you feel you would not used as much gas as you did this winter, had you known what the price was going to be. The only case we feel we have against Aquila is that these people should not be held accountable for 100% of the bill. Some low-income families base the gas usage on the cost of their bill. They were mis-informed of how much gas they were using at the begining of winter and throughout. Then at the end of winter they recieve a bill for the remainder. This has happened accross the country at this time of year to numerous communities. Please call your State Senator and Rick Shwartz at Aquila. You should not be held accountable for 100% of the usage. "