| The WV Public Service Commission has ordered Mon Power and Potomac Edison power companies to eliminate estimated meter readings and do the actual monthly meter readings for customers.
A day later, FirstEnergy announced subsidiaries Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison will likely adjust an already-filed request to increase utility rates, in response to a Public Service Commission ruling requiring them to read customers' meters each month.
The PSC issued its final order in connection with a general investigation that began a year ago following numerous complaints about the companies' estimated readings and billing practices.
Mon Power and Potomac Edison, subsidiaries of FirstEnergy, said it got behind in meter readings following the 2012 Derecho and Superstorm Sandy.
It used its meter readers to perform other duties.
Mon Power spokesman Todd Meyers said,
"We want to make things right for our customers and we do understand that when you do have a number of consecutive back-to-back missed readings, many times due to inclement weather, it can lead to a hardship."
See THOUSANDS HAVE MON POWER BILLING PROBLEMS - Forum Held At Arnoldsburg, Consumers Should File Complaints
The two companies have 520,000 customers.
The PSC wants the actual readings and billing to take place "as quickly as possible, but no later than July 1, 2015."
Many customers said they had their bills underestimated and when actual readings took place the bills were way more than the customers could pay.
With the rate request, the companies haven't decided upon an adjusted increase to allot for the cost of fulfilling the PSC's orders, but that it would likely file something next week.
First Energy said it would cost $5 million for the company to not do estimated readings.
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