From Estimated Billings to Inexplicable Charges, Atmos Customers Are Angry

Even if you don't have a gas leak or you're not one of the families evacuated in northwest Dallas, you might be ticked at Atmos Energy.The Watchdog has heard from a flow of citizen watchdogs in recent months asking questions about Atmos' procedures and accountability.These customers say they believe Atmos takes advantage of its monopoly status. The Watchdog also talked to Atmos officials about these claims.Annual inspectionsDid you know that state regulations spell out that all gas lines leading to a meter are the responsibility of Atmos? Did you also know that we, as customers, are responsible for the maintenance of gas lines on our property from the point of the gas meter inward?"Your buried gas piping should be inspected annually for leaks," Atmos says in a promotional poster. "A licensed plumber or qualified contractor can locate, inspect and repair buried piping on your property."Nancy and Jeff Monson first alerted me to this. A gas customer here for 25 years, I didn't know Atmos' responsibility for the piping stops at the meter.Does anyone call a plumber and say, "Hey, come on over for my annual gas line inspection?"For the northwest Dallas households who've been evacuated, Atmos says it will have licensed plumbers on site to test each home properly before gas service is restored. There should be no charge.For the rest of us, we'd have to pay a plumber.  Continue reading...