Washington Gas, a regulated monopoly serving 513,000 Maryland customers, continues to close customer service on weekends despite a $1.14 million fine in 2022. A disabled customer shares his documented case, revealing systemic failures that regulators have not adequately enforced.
The Customer's Ordeal
On Saturday, May 16, 2026, a customer service operator named Deborah told a customer on a recorded line that customer service is closed on weekends. The emergency line is "only doing gas leaks," and supervisors "cannot do anything." Response time is 28 to 48 hours.
The customer, temporarily disabled after major foot surgery, found a Gas Bill – Discontinuance Notice dated the same day as his surgery. Washington Gas turned off his gas meter on May 6, but never called, never sent a notification via its customer portal, and even sent a payment reminder six days after the shutoff.
The 2022 $1 Million+ Fine
On March 17, 2022, the Maryland Public Service Commission fined Washington Gas $1,147,600 for "consistently failing to meet industry standards." Before the 2018 AltaGas merger, 77% of calls were answered within 30 seconds; after, it dropped to 43%. Abandoned calls rose from 11% to 28%, and hold times grew from 41 minutes to 67 minutes (industry average: 8 minutes).
The Commission ordered a disconnection moratorium until Washington Gas met customer service metrics for three consecutive months. The company claimed it had fixed the problem, but the Commission has not publicly confirmed compliance.
Continued Bad Practices
- August 2025: A customer on ConsumerAffairs wrote: "They cut my gas off with no notice, no announcement that they were at my house, which is illegal."
- December 2025: Washington Gas responded to a BBB complaint confirming weekend service gap as company policy: "Service appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday."
- May 2025: The Maryland Office of People’s Counsel accused Washington Gas of "disregard, if not contempt, for the interests of its customers."
Deceptive Marketing
In a separate case, Washington Gas distributed bill inserts claiming natural gas was "clean energy" and cost one-third as much as electricity. A Utility Law Judge ruled these statements misled customers and violated state utility law. The Office of People’s Counsel now seeks a $5.9 million penalty.
Executive Accountability
- Michelle Musgrove, VP of Customer Experience, was hired in 2021 to fix customer service. Four and a half years later, the same patterns persist.
- Donald “Blue” Jenkins, President, has led the company through every failure.
- Vern D. Yu, AltaGas CEO and Board Chairman, earns CA$9.9 million annually—67 times the median Maryland household income.
Regulatory Gaps
Governor Moore appointed Kumar Barve as PSC Chair in 2026, promising to be "very aggressive" for ratepayers. The Utility RELIEF Act passed in April 2026 but failed to address weekend service obligations or disability protections. The notice framework outside winter remains a single mailed paper bill.
Questions That Remain
- Why did Washington Gas use only the slowest contact channel?
- Why did the automated system send a payment reminder after shutoff?
- Is weekend closure official policy?
- Has the company been certified as compliant with the 2022 order?
"A Miner Detail will continue reporting until each question has an answer."
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