Have filed 2 complaints with the CPUC within the last week, and have received nothing back in writing, not even a propaganda screed letter. No complaint numbers, nothing. My, but they must be getting overwhelmed. The second complaint complained of their total failure to respond to my first complaint in writing, apart from an abysmal telephone message they left me (see above).

They did, however, hand off their obligatory response back to PG$E. I was finally able to wrangle the following email from Brian Alexander in their Customer Relations Department: “The electric service to your address will not be shut-off tomorrow, 11/02/12, and you are not currently in the collection process.”

Here’ what Edward Hasbrouck surmised about my small victory:
“I suspect that PG&E and/or the CPUC backed down in this case because without an explicit opt-out, their only conceivable basis for a fee is the ‘deemed to have opted out’ clause in the Advice Letter which is the focus of my protest, and they know that they would be on shaky ground in trying to argue that it is in effect while my protest is pending.”

I think Edward is onto piggy’s sneaky Pete–“deemed to have opted out”. The Advice Letter referred to is #3278-G/4006-E, which PG$E submitted to the CPUC in order to “authorize” Opt-Out fees.

That might explain why the CPUC is dragging their feet on Mr. Edward Hasbrouck’s protest- Hasbrouck, SF resident and travel writer, has challenged PG&E’s right to force a smart meter onto private property and challenged their right to charge opt out fees- see his blog for details on how the CPUC is grossly mishandling his legal protest:

http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/001987.html
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/001997.html
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/002001.html
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/002006.html
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/002019.html

Following CPUC Marianne hanging up on me earlier this afternoon (no profanity was uttered), I got a message at 4:10 today from PG$E:

“Hi, this is Brian Alexander. I’m with PG&E. Per request from Marianne at the Public Utilities Commission. She asked me to contact you to advise you that your service will NOT be shutoff tomorrow. And you are NOT in any sort of current collection process. If you have any questions with this, you can call me at 415-973-8052.”

I tried calling back to have him put it in writing, but couldn’t reach him.

I recall months ago when Helen Burt sent out the certified letters outlining our “choices” and requesting our signature on their bogus form. That’s when I smelled something legally foul and fishy–I mean, when was the last time you received a certified letter from your utility asking for anything besides money? Underlying the charade of bona fide choices was a ploy to gain our consent to one of only two limited nasty choices by way of our signatures on that form.

I now believe the crux of this issue is the legal consent formally requested by PG&E. No consent has ever been given by me for either choice of Smart Meters or Opt-Out fees.

Right Ron,

However, cost at this time is of NO significance as I’m primarily
making an ABSOLUTE statement to the GREEDY utility that the
technology is mainstay & we DO have BETTER choices than to
have to KISS their phuckin a**es.

Marianne left no call-back number, and when I tried the number on her caller id this morning, it just rang & rang with no answer. Finally I reached her through the Consumer Affairs Branch of the CPUC. The first question I had for her was her last name? “Camacho”

The second question was about that form. I wanted to know whose signature was on it? She said mine. I asked for a copy. She didn’t have it yet, they (PG$E) had told her they have it and were sending it to her.

Second question: Can I get your whole response to my complaint in writing, like the CPUC had asked that I submit it? She said it would be forthcoming as soon as she received that signed form from PG$E. A real cliff-hanger here, folks.

Third question: Did her telephone threat constitute a 48-hour notice of termination? She insisted that no such notice was required, written or unwritten.

Fourth question: Why did you fail to address the substance of my complaint? Her bull-headed answer: “You only have two choices.”
When I then tried to cite CPUC Code Section 745 (d) (1) that specifies no opt-out fees to her, she suddenly interrupted with “Have a good day”, followed by a click as she hung up before I got to ask her who to send the money to?

What is the next level of appeal?

Marianne called today from the CPUC, and left the following message:

“My name is Marianne. I’m with the California Public Utilities Commission. We have received your complaint regarding charges for Smart Meter Opt Out. The form that was signed that was received by PG&E lists the opt-out fees which are a requirement. There’s only 2 stages of fees. If you opt out, you pay a $75 flat fee plus $10 a month, which is a requirement. The other is, you have a Smart Meter installed, which means you pay no fees. There’s no other option. If you don’t pay us before 11-2, you will be disconnected, and this has been approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. Thank you.”

Return calls to Marianne before 5:00 went unanswered, with no message machine picking up the calls. Among other problems, I wanted to discuss with “her” the following discrepancies, double standards, and deceptions:

1. When I first contacted the CPUC by telephone on Monday October 29 to lodge a complaint, the computer message there requested a complaint be filed in writing via their website, to which I complied. But their response is not in writing. No email has been received.

2. Rogue outlaws. The response totally ignores the substance of my complaint, namely CPUC’s duty-bound enforcement of CPUC Code Section 745 (d) (1)–see text in prior comment.

3. The “form that was signed . . ” What form, signed by who? I did receive an unsigned letter from Helen Burt, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for PG$E, outlining two nasty options concerning Smeters. It was accompanied by a form confirming my understanding of the two nasty options, with a conspicuous place for me to sign. The form commenced with some blatantly bogus hype about how “we fully support individual choice when it comes to the meter at your home.” But I still have that unsigned form, which I never returned. Instead, I replied directly to Helen Burt with a certified letter clarifying that I had never opted in, thus making it impossible to opt out–and that I furthermore refused to pay any opt-out fees.
So, I would like Marianne to produce the signed form to which she refers. If she can’t or won’t, she has either been misinformed or is committing fraud. However, since Marianne has no last name, she might just be a computer, in which case she can’t be held responsible, right?

4. “If you don’t pay us . . .” Whoa, who’s raking the money here, CPUC or PG&E? I don’t recall receiving any bills from the CPUC. Or has there been a corporate merger they didn’t tell us about, now they’re one and the same?

Let’s see now: woodstove for heat & cooking, propane for gas, generator for juice. All this in the same week as national hoopla?!
By the way, Ronny Rat, those Outback Radian GS8048 Inverters with tax come close to 5K, before installation. There are definitely more economical ways to go solar.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SMART METERS REPORTING WHERE OUTAGES ARE???

That was their sales pitch, wasn’t it?

Couldn’t spend a LOT LESS on some sensors that sit on some power poles here and there to tell them where the problems are?

NO!!! We have to screw the people over!