NV Energy curtails some services
NV Energy customers can no longer talk to company officials or make bill payments at the company's headquarters.
The electric utility, formerly known as Nevada Power Co, stopped taking payments at the drive-through facility and in its lobby at 6226 W. Sahara Ave. after the close of business Friday.
Payments can continue to be made in person at 140 Shop & Pay locations staffed by nonutility employees.
Customers, however, won't be able to air their complaints or ask questions of NV Energy representatives at those locations. Instead, customers must now call customer service employees or send messages by e-mail, said Bruce Bullock, the utility executive for customer service.
Local customers can call NV Energy at (702) 402-5555 or send e-mails to customer service@nvenergy.com.
E-mails will be answered within two days. Phone calls will be answered within one to five minutes depending on how busy customer service employees are, Bullock said.
The three-member Public Utilities Commission has not been asked to approve the decision to close the payment office in the Sahara Avenue building, said Rick Hackman, manager of the consumer complaint division at the Commission.
However, NV Energy advised the staff, which didn't oppose the decision to close the headquarter's payment center, Hackman said.
Other companies handle all customer complaints and questions by telephone, Hackman said. The security and staffing make the customer service center on Sahara Avenue expensive, which leads to higher utility rates, Hackman said.
The utilities commission has received "only a few scattered complaints" about the office closing, Hackman said.
State consumer advocate Eric Witkoski said customers of a monopoly utility should be allowed to talk with a utility employee face to face.
Yet, Witkoski said lines of vehicles frequently create traffic hazards when customers line up to pay at the drive-through windows at the utility office on Sahara. His office is reviewing the matter, Witkoski said.
Former state consumer advocate Tim Hay said: "You're talking about a lot of people that are being inconvenienced just at the time the company is coming in for a big rate increase."
NV Energy is scheduled to file a general rate case increase application in early December.
Pacific Gas & Electric sought to close 80 utility customer service offices in connection with a rate case two years ago. The Utility Reform Network and other customer groups, however, negotiated a settlement that kept most of the utility offices open, said Hayley Goodson, the network's staff attorney.
Contact reporter John G. Edwards at jedwards@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0420.
