How bad is CMP, really? (Portland, Augusta: power lines, camp, live)

[hennirl]

Moving to the area and I've heard nothing but bad things about them. Press Herald recently ran a big investigation on them and their screw up with the implementation of their new billing system: https://www.pressherald.com/2019/06/...illing-system/


I was thinking if it was really that problematic, then it might be wise for me to get a meter (like this one: https://sense.com/) to be able to monitor my own electrical usage to make sure it's in-line with what CMP bills me for.



How many of you have had problems? Are they resolved now, or is CMP still having issues with its billing?

[Vance Mack]

They are lying, thieving, conniving bastards.
Among the lowest form of self serving, imperious, greedy corporate tools known to humankind.
Just my opinion. YMMV.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Back in the day, they were service oriented and quite reliable. I was working at St Regis Paper Company in Bucksport and we used to get calls that Wyman Dam could trip off because of thunderstorms. That would dump the mill. A paper mill can minimize the inconvenience if they have a chance to plan. CMP was in tight with the legislature and in 1949 the legislature gave them the right of eminent domain. They developed corridors for future power lines. Those corridors still exist.

Later the legislature decided that big companies were bad for Maine and the legislature broke up a lot of big companies. They figured that the company that makes electricity should not be able to sell direct to a customer. There had to be a middle man. This flawed logic went from the largest corporations all the way down to farmer Jones and his cows.

The Augusta cabal caused Maine business to be a poor investment. I can't think of a paper mill that was running in 1973 that is still running under the same name. IP at Jay could be the exception.

What we think of as Central Maine Power is owned by a Canadian subsidiary of Iberdola which is a Spanish company. That's the five minute factual history of big business in Maine.

[dubthang]

I've been in Portland for almost 20 years, and I have had zero issues with them. This might be because I am in Portland though.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by Vance Mack

They are lying, thieving, conniving bastards.
Among the lowest form of self serving, imperious, greedy corporate tools known to humankind.
Just my opinion. YMMV.

Add sneaky, tricky, threatening, intimidating, and rude. A friend has been fighting with them for months over a payment they say she didn't make. They refuse to even take the confirmation number they gave her and look it up. She's on disability for a weak heart. She doesn't have it in her to stay on hold for over an hour and then be shuffled around to different employees. I'm going to take over for her starting tomorrow.

[Maineac]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Back in the day, they were service oriented and quite reliable. I was working at St Regis Paper Company in Bucksport and we used to get calls that Wyman Dam could trip off because of thunderstorms. That would dump the mill. A paper mill can minimize the inconvenience if they have a chance to plan. CMP was in tight with the legislature and in 1949 the legislature gave them the right of eminent domain. They developed corridors for future power lines. Those corridors still exist.

Later the legislature decided that big companies were bad for Maine and the legislature broke up a lot of big companies. They figured that the company that makes electricity should not be able to sell direct to a customer. There had to be a middle man. This flawed logic went from the largest corporations all the way down to farmer Jones and his cows.

The Augusta cabal caused Maine business to be a poor investment. I can't think of a paper mill that was running in 1973 that is still running under the same name. IP at Jay could be the exception.

What we think of as Central Maine Power is owned by a Canadian subsidiary of Iberdola which is a Spanish company. That's the five minute factual history of big business in Maine.

Yeah. 1949. The year CMP took the town of Flagstaff as a "more cost efficient option" for their corporate pockets than building a dam in The Forks. They're just as bad as they ever were. Worse.

[seasallyttle]

They are bad. And dishonest. I have lived in about 10 different states in my life and never lived somewhere where you can run your electricity the same and one month your will be one rate and the next month, twice the amount. For no reason. They have no accountability and charge the customers for all business costs so they are all profit all the time at the cost to their customers - most who cannot afford wild and unaccounted for variability in their rates.

[mainebrokerman]

I’ve been sending my monthly
Electric checks to camp for
Over 30 yrs

I’ve been fortunate never had an issue
My monthly bill is around
70-80 month

[399083453]

CMP has always charged me what I use. Never a billing error.

Yes, rates fluctuate, but are still cheaper than other states I've lived in.

Only issue I've ever had is when I changed to electricity maine as a supplier, and then wanted to switch back to standard offer. Electricity maine wanted $200 cancellation fee. I found out when I could cancel and called back on that date. Crooks. But nothing to do with CMP.

Super easy to pay less to CMP......use less electricity. Look for ways to save.

[seasallyttle]

Originally Posted by 399083453

CMP has always charged me what I use. Never a billing error.
Super easy to pay less to CMP......use less electricity. Look for ways to save.

This is not to say that billing errors have not occurred for others, though. One does not make a group. It is not easy to get classified as a class in order to pursue a class action suit. To discount what others have been through just because it has not happened to you personally is short sighted. It may or may not happen to you in the future.