AmerenUE: The devil’s utility company
29 May
I hate AmerenUE.
First, it took them nearly two weeks to turn on utilities to an apartment I was already living in when I moved to St. Louis in December 2006. Two weeks. Lucky for me, the building has a central water heater, so I had hot water. And I was on the ninth floor, so didn’t get too terribly cold. I charged the battery of my laptop by stealing electricity from the hallway. Showers by candle-light? Only fun for so long. Watching movies on the computer by candle-light? Only fun for so long. Eating only food that can be microwaved or, before my furniture was delivered, eating out every meal? (Did I mention I’d just moved and was, therefore, broke?) Only fun for so long.
I called Ameren’s customer service every day to get power connected. They always had an excuse. (What it really came down to: The service tech couldn’t find the room marked “utilities” on the eighth floor to flip a switch. Literally. Even though I told each of them — yes, there were three on three different days — where it was.)
I hate AmerenUE.
Still, that was more than a year ago, right? Fast-forward to now.
I have a simple philosophy about bills. If you send them, I will pay them. No bill, no pay. It works out pretty well. When I moved in January, I paid an Ameren bill twice — the one they sent to the old address, and the one they sent to the new address, which also included charges from the previous address. So I didn’t have to pay a utility bill for awhile.
Yesterday I got a bill from Ameren with a disconnect notice because I hadn’t paid my past-due bill. That I’d never received. That they were sending to the service address, not the mailing address. (It’s weird — the service address is Washington Avenue, the front of the building, but the billing address is Lucas Avenue, the back of the building where the loft entrance is.)
I paid the bill. I called and complained. I had them change the mailing address, even though “that’s not what the Post Office told us.” I threw a (minor) fit. I didn’t even get a sympathetic operator of the two I talked to — because not just anyone can change an address.
I hate AmerenUE.
Also? Missouri has approved a gas-rate hike.
I hate AmerenUE.
