LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New documents filed with Nevada's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) are calling for increased accountability over NV Energy and full refunds for more than 100,000 overcharged customers. The filings represent the latest development in an investigation that began after a January 'Darcy, what's the deal?' report exposed systematic billing errors spanning more than two decades.
Consumer advocacy groups and state investigators remain skeptical that the utility will fully address the scope of overcharges, which now total more than $17 million. The system failures went unchecked for decades, prompting Las Vegas residents and their advocates to demand the PUC prioritize customer interests.
WATCH | Stronger oversight of NV Energy urged amid overcharge investigation
"This isn't just about my household. It's about every customer and every consumer who pays their bills and relies on this utility to get it right."
The overcharge story first came to light when NV Energy customer Carlin Dinola discovered she had been billed the wrong rate for her property type for six years.
WATCH | NV Energy overcharged me and I only got a partial refund
"I was robbed. That's what it feels like," Dinola said.
Initially, NV Energy offered to reimburse Dinola only $96 for six months of overcharges, despite the six-year billing error. The utility claimed it was only required to provide six months of reimbursement regardless of how long the overcharging occurred.
However, new state legislation passed in response to the investigation now requires the utility to make customers whole. Some customers may still not receive full refunds if NV Energy's current proposal is accepted.
Pruitt received only a partial refund for 12 months instead of the nearly five and a half years she believes she is owed since purchasing her townhouse.
"We deserve full refunds, clear answers, and assurances that this won't happen again," Pruitt said.
NV Energy filed comments with the PUC acknowledging "significant process errors" and stating the company "deeply regrets these failures" and recognizes "the impact on affected customers." The utility said it is "committed to taking the necessary steps to regain public trust."
Camalot Todd, representing the Nevada Conservation League, criticized the utility's handling of the situation.
"What they did for 23 years is absurd! This wasn't just a casual mistake," Todd said.
The Nevada Conservation League filed new comments with the PUC challenging NV Energy's claim that it can only issue refunds back to June 2017 due to lack of records. The overcharges date back to 2001.
"That is a ridiculous way to shrug off the responsibility of your mistake," Todd said.
PUC investigators agree with the criticism. In their new filing, they state that "NV Energy's records retention policy is irrelevant to its legal obligations" and that the utility's "proposed remedy would only refund customers for seven out of 20-plus years of overcharges using an impermissible (and low) interest rate."
The investigators say the new state law requires full refunds with the required interest rate, which is nearly three times higher than what NV Energy is proposing. They argue that anything less "would allow NV Energy to shortchange innocent customers during economically difficult times and threaten to undermine the public's trust in the Commission."
The Nevada Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection also submitted comments, asking the PUC to require NV Energy to keep all customer billing records indefinitely to ensure data availability for accurate investigations of customer complaints.
Both the Bureau of Consumer Protection and Nevada Conservation League want the PUC to require NV Energy to conduct annual audits of all new customer billing records and make the results public.
"Show that NV Energy can't just bully everyday Nevadans," Todd said.
The Bureau of Consumer Protection remains skeptical about how NV Energy will pay for customer refunds, audits and record retention. They want written assurance from the PUC that all costs will be paid by shareholders, not ratepayers.
The Nevada Conservation League says the utility should be fined for its negligence, with the money supporting programs for customers facing high energy burdens and potential disconnection.
A public workshop in the ongoing overcharge investigation is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 11 a.m. in Hearing Room A at the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, located at 9075 W. Diablo Drive, Suite 250. Members of the public can attend in person or access the workshop via the Commission's livestream link on its website. There will be a public comment and discussion period. Public comments are limited to three minutes per person.
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