LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Many affected customers will get a pass on this month's power bill, owing nothing due to a refund credit. That could continue for customers who will have a zero balance until the full refund, plus interest, has been applied.
The refund rollout is just beginning, coming four months after the Public Utilities Commission approved NV Energy's plan to repay customers it overcharged.
WATCH | 13 Investigates' Darcy Spears breaks down what impacted customers should look out for:
As 13 Investigates first uncovered in January 2025, NV Energy pocketed tens of millions of dollars from customers who didn't owe it — in a decades-long pattern of overcharging. A state investigation confirmed the utility had been billing certain customers the wrong rate for their property type, improperly classifying multi-family buildings as single-family homes.
"Accurate billing is one of our most important responsibilities," said NV Energy president and CEO Brandon Barkhuff. "While this affected a small percentage of our customer base, we take any error involving our customers seriously. We committed substantial resources to identifying affected customers, correcting the issue, and implementing safeguards to help prevent it from happening again. We are very pleased to provide refunds and bring this matter to resolution."
The utility said only 3.5% of residential premises were affected. But that small percentage led to more than 100,000 Nevadans being overcharged about $63 million. NV Energy claims the overcharging did not result in financial gain for the company, explaining, "Although the error affected how costs were distributed among customer groups, it did not change the total amount NV Energy could recover from customers."
One overcharged customer sent us a screenshot of her account dashboard showing no payment necessary on the current bill, a zero balance due, and a note at the top about the refund credit being applied.
If your refund is more than what you owe on your current bill, the remaining balance will be applied as a credit on future bills.
Affected customers won't see the full refund credit amount displayed directly on their account dashboards. The dashboard message is just to alert you that a credit has been applied. Customers will get a separate letter in the mail detailing the full credit amount and any associated interest.
The letters are being mailed in batches, and all affected customers should receive their letters within approximately one week. Former customers will receive refund checks by mail, which NV Energy will be sending to their last known address.
NV Energy was waiting to start sending refunds until a third-party audit being performed by CBIZ was complete. CBIZ found that NV Energy identified and corrected customer classification issues "with a high degree of accuracy." Click here for the full report.
NV Energy also said it has strengthened its internal processes and procedures to help prevent similar issues in the future.
The utility is continuing to review individual accounts for any "isolated exceptions" as it works to earn back customer and community trust.
"Rather than wait until the September deadline established by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the company chose to issue customer refunds while this review work continues," the company said in a Wednesday press release.
Southern Nevada customers with questions about a specific account or refund amount can contact NV Energy's Customer Service Center at (702) 402-5555.
Click here to learn more about residential rates and classifications.
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