DTE Energy company

DTE Energy company

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to let you know that the way DTE treats their customers is absolutely awful. In the area that I live, which is Traverse City, they are the only gas company available. They have a complete monopoly over the entire area.

Recently I was forced to pay a bill that my father left after I purchased my house. My gas was shut off for eight days in the fall when the average temp was in the 40's during the day. I called them to try and figure things out but they said that it seemed my father was putting the bill in my name to avoid paying his past due bill. I had to fight with them for eight days to restore heat, hot water and gas for my stove. Meanwhile, I was carting two children to their grandmothers for showers and hot meals that I couldn't make in the microwave.

I had no option of a different gas company and the local electric company wouldn't allow me to put up a propane tank on my property. So after calling some Michigan consumers help line I was finally able to restore gas. But the whole run around required me faxing them the deed to my house proving that I owned it and that my father no longer lived there.

And this wan't the first trouble that I had with DTE. Before that my fiance and I had moved into his grandparents house after they both passed away. After repeatedly calling them to put the bill in my name they still hadn't done it. I kept paying under his grandfather's account because I couldn't not pay my bill. So they finally got the bill in my name but told me that I owed them $1500.00 because the money was applied to the previous owners account and not mine. So essentially they wanted me to pay a year and a half of gas twice. And that time I had to send them the death certificate of the deceased grandparent who had the account.

I am feeling completely and totally victimized by DTE. I have no choice about the kind of people I have to deal with to recieve gas service at my home. I think that it is unfair that I should be reponsible for someone else's bill not only once, but twice. Should they be able to run people's lives like this legally? I think that there should be some compotition for them because right now there is nothing that I can do to better my situation witht these people.

Thank you for your time withthis matter

SIncerely-

Elizabeth Click this link to e-mail the message author: Email User