Thursday, Jul. 17, 2008

Letter: Dealing with PG&E

Editor: PG&E's recent outline of how they plan to steal from 5,500 Merced residents arrived in my mailbox recently.

After reading through their attempt to justify their greedy, underhanded actions, there is some information that is very important. If we do not respond to their letter within 20 days, they stated this would mean that we agree to being charged for not using their electrical power.

Each of the 5,500 Mercedians need to write the following, sign their name and address and mail to the two addresses shown, "I contest these charges from PG&E as being unfair and request escalation to a California Public Utilities Commission complaint."

Mail the letter to: PG&E Records Processing, P.O. Box 8329, Stockton, CA 95287-0825. PG&E Correspondence Management, P.O. Box 997315, Sacramento, CA 95899-9900.

This will not solve our problem and I will not pay their bill, but we need to be sure they do not trick us further.

However, since this greedy corporation enjoys creating a hardship for us, I would like to suggest that when you mail PG&E a check for your monthly gas bill, that you apply a dozen staples to attach your check to the statement. This will add extra work for them.

Also, if you are near a PG&E office, do not take your statement with you, but be sure to write your account number and take it with your payment into their office. Before you go to their office be sure to get the total amount of your bill in very small change. Not only will they have to count the small change, they will also have to provide a receipt.

These are childish acts, but anything we can do to annoy them gives me great pleasure.

PG&E has made no effort to collect from Sacramento Municipal District, San Diego or Los Angeles. It is obvious that they believed a small area like Merced would not bother to fight their unwarranted charges.

Also, it is easier to get a class-action attorney in larger metropolitan areas. We need to show them that we are not willing victims of their scam.

PENNY WOODLEY

Merced