Richmond Gas Works and the Department of Public Utilities

0 stars. I have sent multiple emails and called and sat on hold for hours. I was renting a townhome and needed to stop my service since I was no longer living there. It took me 3 weeks to finally get a hold of someone and that's because I called at 8AM on the dot. A month later and now I am receiving bills to me new address to pay for the old townhouse. So, after all that work it still hasn’t been fixed. Currently sitting on the phone for over an hour AGAIN hoping they can fix it this time. Couple thoughts.

- Fix your website links so we can do this online
- Hire more people to answer the phones
- Answer your email or take it off your website

Somehow Dominion Energy and Henrico Utilities have figured it out. They were so easy to work with. Thankfully my new house does not need gas. Just horrible.

Richmond Gas works is a joke and the fact they are funneled our tax dollars is infuriating. I rented a home from 2019 - 2022. I closed our account online in April of 2022 and have continued to receive bills for that properties gas usage since. I've called 3 times, each time being on hold for over an hour before ever reaching someone, and then assured we are "in the system and will be added to the service list". I have now received a noticed for the account being moved to "pre-collections" and have only received automated responses via email. I've now heard my only option is to go in person and feel like my time should be compensated to do so, taking off of work, to resolve an issue that is solely due to the ineptitude of this public utility!

As a property manager of 3 properties here in Richmond I am absolutely disgusted in how this place is ran, I have residents that need to get gas turned on for months. It has been so long that they stopped trying, as a landlord I feel horrible for my tenants. They would rather buy electric burners and skillets to cook and boil water, one of my residents have to boil water to have hot baths!!!!!!!!! I have tried to get ahold of them so many times through calling, email, and showed up in person but it was a holiday (I did not realize it was a holiday). As the manager I have had to call to establish service for units being renovated. It has been since JULY of 2023..... its a whole new year and I still don't have gas at the unit! I'm actually looking into what it takes to start a gas company at this point because as a necessity utility you can not go without gas here in a state that snows or has freezing weather. I honestly think they should be shut down... not fined... not "fixed"... not temporarily closed... this company needs to be FULLY SHUT DOWN. Thank you.

BTW- I have taken steps to insure my residents no longer need gas to shower after this situation. So please don't think I just let my residents take cold showers. Now, they just cant cook which we are looking into switching every one of our buildings from gas to electric stoves. That's over 120 units of gas this company will be losing. They already lost half of the services from the showers being changed from gas to electric tanks, next we will cut them out fully. I'm sure more places are soon to follow.

Online services are great but it costs you $2.25 for the “convenience fee”. Paying by phone also costs you $2.25. I’ve been paying this fee every month for over 3 years & at this point that $2.25 adds up. I tried calling multiple times to set up an automatic payment and every single time no one ever picks up my call. I’ve sat on hold for more than an hour every time. I truly don’t think anyone will ever answer your call.

Your best bet is to handle all business in person. However, please understand the person you speak to will likely be low information and unhelpful. I'm actually tempted to find out who is responsible for running this place. THEY ARE DOING AN AWFUL JOB. THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. It's honestly nothing short of a disgrace.

Also, using people's SSNs as an account number? What is this? The 70s? Be serious.

They DESPERATELY need more employees because I have been trying to START service at my apartment- I got a hold of someone and they took my social and all that and gave me an account number, only when I went to access the “pay my bill” online AND on the phone and each time; I was told the account number was incorrect. So NOW, I have been calling every day, since Monday, (it is now Wednesday) and I have waited on hold a MINIMUM of 45 minutes each day and obviously can’t spend an entire day on the phone so I gave up when I had to go to work, etc. For a vital utility company, they are absolutely horrible in customer service!!!

I relocated to Richmond for a job. Rented an apartment and, of course had to get the gas in my name. It took over a week of calling and being on hold for over an hour just to get disconnected …until I finally talked to someone to start my service or the apartment manager was going to charge a fee. 1/5/23, I finally spoke to someone to start service. She said service would start the next day. Approximately 3 months later, the apartment manager says they charged them for gas…so now I owe a fee. Here it is, November and I’m still trying to get proof that they started services back in January.
I’ve never lived in a city that allows their utility services to operate like Richmond gas. As of right now, I was on hold for 90 min until the call was somehow disconnected. I called right back and have been on hold for another 59 min…. with 20 min before they close. Let’s see what happens.

I have never experienced such terrible customer service. I called Customer Service three times last week and was told my address for new service is unserviceable…even though the home is currently serviced by Richmond Gas Works. I then emailed Customer service, twice, following all directions, but have yet to receive a response. I did reach someone on Friday via phone, who informed me she was “just answering phones” and could not set up new service. Why is an individual answering phones if they cannot actually address customer needs? The employee suggested I wait longer for an email response, or “call again next week.” I have called three times today and have been on hold for over TWO HOURS, collectively. Is the customer service center unstaffed? Are there no employees to respond to emails? What are your customers supposed to do?? If you could please contact me, Richmond Gas Works, I’d greatly appreciate it, as I’m concerned at this point that our family will not have gas upon moving in to our new home!

Scheduled a representative to come out to read the meter was told between 8am-4pm they would come and no one ever showed up. I called and waited 40 mins to speak to a representative then their system disconnected the call . Waited another hour and it happed again bet my bill my bill shows up perfectly on time tho. 🗑🚮 Seriously considering converting my appliances to electrical since I could get my electricians certification in the time it takes Richmond gas works to answer a phone

Reading these reviews as I sit on hold for over an hour since the email I sent over a week ago still has not been responded to….this is absolutely absurd and needs to be addressed RICHMOND GAS WORKS. This is absolutely ridiculous and no one should be getting charged vacant service fees if you are making it damn near impossible to reach out to anyone.

The customer service reps have always been super nice. But just to echo what every other review is saying, the hold times are ridiculous. Every time I've had to call, it has been over an hour on hold. Occasionally, I have been on hold for over an hour and then the call drops. When I try to call back in, it says I can't join the queue because of "high call volume." PLEASE implement online services and hire a few more customer service reps.

Customer service with Richmond City Gas is very disappointing. This is what happens when a non privatized entity takes control over a service that the public needs. There are no competitors to turn to and no options. The billing mistakes are never ending and you cannot even speak to a supervisor when you call in. I was told it would take about 30 days for a supervisor to even review my complaint. I haven't even owned this home since the end of May and I still can't get it out of my name nor can I get the billing mistakes taken care of that even the customer service reps cannot explain. Just horrible. I'm filing a BBB complaint but I don't know what else to do.

Don’t bother calling, or even trying to get your gas turned on. You are better off setting a fire in your kitchen to cook and to keep you warm 👍

Wish I could give half a star rating called to set up an account and gas at my new apartment, gave them all my contact info followed. All the correct steps was told. I’m all good then I show up to the apartment and No gas…. After being on hold for an hour plus every time I try to call if I don’t just get disconnected is there one employee for the entire city of Richmond?

Would give 0 stars if I could. On hold for over 40 minutes 2 days in a row with no answer. I even called as soon as they opened at 8am.

Going to have to take time off of work to go in person, who knows if I will have luck there either. I have been at my new apartment for several days now with no gas to use my stove or water heater.

There is no online form. If you are the only gas service in Richmond and you don't want to answer the phone, create an online form. This is unacceptable service. A joke.

Moved in august 19th. Here I am august 25th still no gas. Cold showers are the best. Sit on hold for 3 hours to be told someone can be here 4 days from now between 8am- 4pm and they never show. This is ridiculous. Someone needs to open up another gas service and they would put y’all out of the market. This is a monopoly.

I have been trying to get service set up for months. No one responds to emails and no one answers the phone, even after an hour of being on hold.

I recently moved to richmond and I have trying to call to activate a gas line for two days, I have been on hold for a long time. This is ridiculous

Called 3 times in one day and after waiting over 30 minutes each time, I get hung up on.
Nowhere to complain except here.
Even emailed them to start service at my new address and they never responded.