National Grid Energy Services

(I spent 20 minutes typing this before. I'm NOT redoing the complete version!) : ( Been a gas customer for 25+ Years!! 2nd time I called for help with Anything! Even Supervisors were Ridiculous and Rude!! I'm expected to be Off from Work - by the phone for a period of 16 to 24 Hours!! I shut off gas a a precaution to refinish kitchen floor. I got chewed out several times over the phone for doing this safety precaution. Was told if I didn't like taking a day off and having calls in the middle of the night for a 15 minute turn back on - "I" should call and Hire a plumber to turn it on. I spoke with about 6 people - and they all Need therapy. Rude - Ridiculous - Unreasonable!! I asked a couple of them for Their home numbers - said I wanted to call Them at Midnight to talk about a gas appointment. - Somehow - they found that to be outrageous. I can see why people would switch Back to using OIL.

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horrible.

. They are the company that services gas for all who live in Massachusetts. The service guy that came from this company serviced it and I was good to go. I had to however pay more money. Sometimes to get an appointment is difficult. They are pricey. But they do a good job.I would use them in the future.

This company is actually a gas company. They have a sub company that also works on gas furnaces. They installed a gas furnace that was too large for my home. IT began making horrible noises and it was intolerable. After speaking with several other companies, it was confirmed that the furnace was too large and actually caused damage to my pipes and the walls. I have had several issues stem from this and have had to replaster a lot of wall space. The company was very unresponsive, not helpful and have caused me so much trouble. The problem is that I have to continue to get my gas from them because I have no other option but would like to never speak this company again.

The workers who came to the house were pushy and brusk. They got halfway down the stairs and started listing the parts that would need to be replaced in the furnace without looking at the units. As a result their price for the furnace was more than four times that of other companies estimates and final repair costs. As for the hot water heater, they wanted to change the whole unit because it's old (very true) but we're selling the house and trying to save money, so we went with another company that charged much less for just the part that was broken.

I called National Grid for 'no heat' at around 9:30 pm on Dec. 23. What started as a small water leak around the water feed valve turned bigger and I had to stop all heating and water circulation in our water-baseboard heating system. My first phone call (after observing the small leak) resulted in being place on a schedule for Dec. 24 between 12 and 6 pm! My second phone call closer to 10pm (after observing the bigger leak) resulted in being told that they do not provide services after 10pm! A big news to me and simply amazing knowing that we are talking about a service contract, a heating emergency when it is 15 degrees outside, an appointment in more than 14 hours later, and a contract stipulating that "customers can obtain service under the Plan by calling toll-free 24/7 at 1.877.600.GRID." (I guess it just means 'calling' about the services, not 'getting' them.) I had a service contract with the local gas company when I lived in CT and they will give you service 24/7 in an emergency. Maybe that is the way National Grid's parent company in England operates but that is definitely poor customer service in this country. I had to call a local plumber to come and fix (he did it immediately!) the problem. I am planning to submit a complaint to the Better Business Bureau and I am also planning to not renew my contract under those false representations.

I bought my current 1 year plan in 6/09 to insure that my rental tenant would never lose heat. My first problem was that my account had been flagged as an asbestos danger during the previous winter so they couldn't renew the plan. I therefore spoke to Keith Miller, 781-359-2610, who instructed that I send a copy of the Boston Inspectional Services certificate confirming asbestos "abatement." I don't have a copier so I sent the original. My account was activated on 6/6/2009 and my payment of $277 was accepted in full. When I called in July to schedule the check-up included in the "Premier Plan," I was told I couldn't get it because of the asbestos. They had apparently lost the certificate. It was extremely difficult to reach a person to straighten this out, Keith seemed to have left, and I spent 4 days (2 hours phone time)getting a computerized telephone run-around but finally explained the situation to a supervisor. Then I left on vacation. Nothing happened and the company refused again to schedule the tune-up, though they had already taken my money. Finally I talked to Mike Maille,supervisor, who had me fax a copy of the paid asbestos abatement bill, which I did on 9/27/09. However when I called for the tune-up I was told yes, now my plan was finally activated, bu I would have to pay for the check-up myself as I hadn't set it up for July and August. More phone calls, (about 50 minutes)and in November I finally got a free tune-up. Tonight with 20 degree temperatures outside, my tenant, who has 2 young children, called them because the furnace was off, unresponsive, and gave no heat. The apt.was at 55 degrees and sinking at 3 pm, with the temperature dropping.National Grid said they couldn't come, they would come tomorrow! She reached my daughter by phone who told her how to check if there was enough water in the (steam heat) system and as there was not, how to let more in. Luckily this did it. During the previous winter I had called under the previous year's service plan, and asked the repairman National Grid sent me to replace a pressure release valve above the unit , because I noticed it was constantly shooting out steam which seemed to lead to the system running out of water and shutting off periodically(as described above.) He said it wasn't a valve covered in my policy, what's more because the steam had dislodged a circle of plaster from the ceiling just above it which had fallen on the unit, he was sure it was asbestos contaminated so National Grid wouldn't work on my furnace anymore anyway. He said the spouting valve was not defective, and he refused to replace the valve at my expense. He was rude, unhelpful, and condescending. Next I paid $1700 for asbestos abatement . Then I paid a plumber to replace the valve. He confirmed that it was worn out and explained how he diagnosed this.(It was Baker Ellman, wonderful service!) Replacing the valve has kept the automatic low water cutoff from turning the furnace off every 10 days, but it did turn off again today after 30 heating days,so obviously I still have a water loss problem, but an even bigger service problem! National Grid took over last year from Boston Gas, which for years sold a very satisfactory service maintenance plan for less money, which repaired promptly and competently and which I was very satisfied with.

The experience was very good, but there were some issues with trying to get our rebate.

Unfortunately, the technician gave me a suspicious recommendation. He said my water heater was not venting adequately. He found carbon monoxide at a level of 13 ppm. It turns out this is not that high. I researched it later. Also, my basement vents to the outside because it opens to the garage which is open a lot. There is also an a vertical air vent/duct through the wall to the backyard as required by code. He said I should get a chimney repair company to repair the clay tube (below ground at this point) which connects the gas heater vent to the chimney/fireplace in the next room. This would require breaking through a wall He wrote the name of a company that National Grid uses. When I asked about others, he said I could, of course, call anyone. He wrote "Chimney LIner Inc." with the phone number 774-248-4411. I looked up the name. It does not exist as a stand alone company in Massachusetts. I dialed the number which turned out to be a cell phone. A man answered and asked if I was the person that so-and-so (I can't remember the name) from National Grid said would be calling. He mentioned that his company was one of two that did work for National Grid. I asked where he was located and he said Bellingham, MA. I did a search on the web for chimney repair companies in that area and came up with Ultimate Chimney Sweep. This company has a very low grade on Angie's List. Does this seem odd?

They are very efficient and competent.

National Grid Energy Services is very satisfactory. They are the best that I have found. They are a large company and they charge a good price for emergency situations.

Decided to go with another company that could do the project the same day.