NYSEG and RG&E unveil online payment site for contractor and new service quotes

Online payments bring builders one step closer to complete online billing

New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) announced a new online tool to help both contractors and homeowners with construction or new connection quotations for service. This is the next step in the companies’ plan to improve customer service after pandemic-related challenges.

“The online payment option will ease the construction and new connections process,” said Christine Alexander, vice president of customer service for NYSEG and RG&E. “Our builder community has been asking for this solution for some time, and we are pleased to be able to provide it.”

This process has previously been completed by builders or homeowners sending a check to a manual processing vendor out of state, so the new site will increase the speed of the process of obtaining quotes for new service. When the individual pays online, they will get a confirmation email that it’s been received, as well. Quotations for new services include estimated material and labor costs for new service connections, service upgrades, or relocations.

This change comes as part of an initiative to improve customer service at the companies, including hiring in their call centers and meter reading departments; rolling out smart meters to significantly reduce estimated billing; and an online application and job status tool for new electric and natural gas service installations.

A press release noted, “The companies are also achieving high satisfaction with customers who contact customer service, and are consistently answering those calls within 30 seconds more than 80% of the time. More than 200,000 smart meters have been installed across the companies’ service areas so far.”