'Right now, I'm desperate': BGE customers say they're unable to reach an actual human over the phone

Several Baltimore Gas and Electric customers said they have been having trouble speaking to a real person when trying to contact the utility company.BGE is using technology and online self-service options to address the issue, the company told WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates.”Right now, I’m desperate,” said Trudy Knight, a Perry Hall resident who has tried for more than a week to get through to a human.Now, Knight is at her wits’ end. She has proof that she paid her most recent BGE bill, but BGE sent her a notice saying she still owes money.She tried calling the service to straighten out the issue, but instead received an automated response telling her that it was experiencing a high volume of calls.”I tried four times in the last week and a half. Each time, they tell me they are putting me in the queue, and they would call me back when it was my turn. I have not received an answer to any one of those calls,” Knight said.Her desperation escalated when she received a termination notice in the mail. The notice said her electricity will be turned off on Nov. 24.”I got a termination notice that my electricity was going to be turned off on (Nov. 24),” Knight said. “I live in an all-electric house, and I am not doing well right now. So, turning off my electricity would just ruin me.”BGE reports its care center is getting swamped with calls because of the recent government shutdown, furloughs and billing questions.”We certainly understand the frustration that our customers are going through, and we are working to make sure we can improve our systems and our processes,” said Steven Singh, vice president of customer operations.BGE officials said it is taking several steps to address the high volume of calls. They are using technology to call customers back, and customers can also schedule a callback at their convenience.The company also encourages customers to use self-service options that can be found on its website. They are monitoring calls to perform evaluations on callbacks.Customers can opt to stay on hold until a human answers the phone. As for Knight, she still has not resolved her issue.”They are just saying you either pay this or they are going to turn off my electricity,” Knight said.BGE representatives will be at several community events through Dec. 17, including:United Way & BGE: Dinner on Us and Resource Fair on Dec. 1 from 4-6 p.m. at the Poppleton Recreation CenterSupport on Dec. 2 and Dec. 4 from 9-11 a.m. at the Baltimore City Eastern Cap CenterSupport on Dec. 9 and Dec. 11 from 9-11 a.m. at the Baltimore City Northwest Cap CenterSupport on Dec. 10 from noon-4 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Walbrook BranchSupport on Dec. 17 from noon-4 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Central Branch