Central Indiana, Indianapolis AES energy customers upset with price hike

INDIANAPOLIS – AES customers are unhappy with the billing system changes from 6 months ago and the issues it has come with.

Bonnie Bull has been an AES customer ever since she got her very first apartment at 18 years old, which was 55 years ago.

“I always tell them when I call them, look at my record, I’ve never been late with a payment, so this is why it’s so aggravating,” she said.

Bull has paid her bills every month. Although beginning in December, AES has no record of her payments, stating she still owes money.

“It’s right at $400 now,” she said, in reference to the amount due.

Bull has verified with her bank that the payments are going to the right account.

She said the issues began after AES changed its billing system in November. 

“I’ve probably spent five or six hours on the phone, on various dates throughout the past three months, in an attempt to find out where that money is,” said Bull.

Bull is just one customer having issues, but there are hundreds of complaints that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission gave us access to, from just within the last 6 months.

Last month, AES told FOX59/CBS4 that around 10% of users were seeing inaccuracies in their bills. 

“They cannot explain anything as to what’s going on with billing,” she said. “They have no idea, none of the customer service people and I’ve talked to a couple supervisors, and they’re telling me they don’t know.”

Even while complaints are piling up with no resolution, UIRC approved a rate hike for AES.

Monthly bills could be up to $17 more than their average. 

“My bill’s going up about $10,” said Bull. “I’m so excited to pay them more money for not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

AES provided the following statement on Tuesday:

“We acknowledge the challenges faced by some of our valued customers regarding billing discrepancies following the implementation of our new system. We understand the importance of accurate billing and are committed to resolving any issues promptly.

Since the rollout of our new system in Nov. 2023, approximately 2.6 million bills have been accurately generated for our customers. Large complex system implementations like this come with challenges and we are committed to a timely resolution. With over 400 dedicated professionals working within the new system, we have been actively addressing concerns and streamlining processes to ensure seamless service delivery.

Our team is working diligently to investigate and resolve each billing concern with the utmost urgency. At this time, AES Indiana is not disconnecting customers nor are any late fees being incurred. We have created a dedicated system upgrade number so we can help resolve customer billing issues: 317-261-2085.”

FOX59/CBS4 wants to hear from you. If you’ve experienced issues with your AES bill, you can fill out the form below.