The Waiting Game

I've written about my troubled relationship with Baltimore Gas & Electric before. Basically they charged me an exorbitant deposit, told me that amount was the average monthly bill, which prompted me to do my best to not use their product.

Actually, you can read all about it here and over here.

Well since I'd paid my bill, on time, for twelve months in a row, I decided to call BGE and find out what the deal with my deposit was.




Now since they're a typical business I had to navigate an auditory maze of menu options just to get put on hold.  During my time on hold I'm planning my attack.  If they give me a hard time should I go right in with indignation or keeps it cool?  Should I be outraged or the victim?

Fortunately I never had to cross that bridge.

The woman who answered the phone was polite and helpful.  She asked my name and account number and then kindly asked if she could put me on hold while she checked the status of my refund.

She got back to me and then she doled out the information as deliberately as someone writing a mystery novel.  Since I'd paid my bill on time for year I was eligible to get my deposit back.  BEG had looked over my account and found that not only was a eligible, but I would actually receive it.  The amount refunded to me would $434.  And that I should expect it within 14 business days.

That was Friday.

I've basically been checking the mail every day, twice a day looking for this bloody check to arrive.  I feel like, well, I don't know what I feel like.  I've never really found myself waiting on a check before, so it's an uncomfortable feeling.

Naturally the past six days have seen an increase in mail from BGE. For instance on Friday I checked and got excited when I saw an envelope from BGE. "How perfectly timed" I thought to myself. Of course it was a letter from another energy company telling me that I could choose who my energy provider was.

And on Monday I received something else in the mail from BGE. But this time it was just this month's bill. Swell.

Also, I'm kind of irked that I only accrued $2 in interest.  They held my money for an entire year. 12 months. 52 weeks.  365 days.  And I don't even get a penny day?  Poppycock.

Hopefully by the time you read this I'll have gotten my deposit back.  But I highly doubt it.