Some ComEd customers can't log in to access bills, get wrong balances during system upgrade

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Some ComEd customers said they can't log into their accounts to pay their bill and, when calling customer service have been told outrageous balances, while the utility's billing system undergoes an upgrade.

ComEd said it is in the middle of a billing system upgrade, and during the process some customers have had problems logging into their accounts. That has left them confused about how much they owe, when they should pay. Scammers are now taking advantage of this confusion, calling customers pretending to be from ComEd.

Bianca Washington said she is among those customers who can't log into their accounts.

"When I pressed log-on, I get an error message saying we're sorry this page is unavailable," she said.

The system upgrade will update account numbers, and as a result the self-service page is "temporarily unavailable."

"It's an inconvenience if I'm trying to pay my bill online because I don't want to get late payments or a late fee," Washington said.

The issue has left consumers confused and concerned.

"You know, I think what happened is, as you go into these transitions, you have to shut down your online technology," said Melissa Washington, senior vice president of customer relations for ComEd. "I think what's really driving this is, that was a five-day outage that was planned, and then when we brought the system back up, the digital is not back up yet. So I think it's compounding because of that."

ComEd said when customers couldn't get into their accounts, some called ComEd's number to get their balance or pay by phone. When they did, some customers heard their amount due is $9,999.99, leaving some shocked.

Washington assured customers this is an automated error.

"What we believe may have happened, someone may have, during the time that we were still down, made a phone call to get into an automated payment system through one of our vendors that had a default balance due, which was the $9,999," she said.

ComEd said scammers are already trying to capitalize on the confusion, calling customers to say they'll accept payment by phone.

"If someone calls you, even if they call you from a number that looks like a ComEd number, that could be spoofing. So please do not give anyone payment over the phone if they've called you," Washington said.

So what should you do about your bill?

ComEd said you can call their number, 1-800-334-7661 (1-800-EDISON), wait in the queue, and someone over the phone can assist you, but there could be longer than normal wait times. The utility said when you call you can opt for the virtual hold option, and a legitimate customer service agent will call you back to help with payment.

ComEd said customers will not be disconnected for nonpayment during this time, and they will not be charged a late fee. They are opening a call center Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to hep with the influx of calls. They're hoping to be fully back online soon.

Full statement from ComEd

"ComEd is aware that some of our account services are temporarily unavailable as we perform maintenance to our system. During this time, ComEd customers will not incur any negative impact, including the issuance of late payment fees, resulting directly from the system upgrade. Please note that ComEd does not, at any time, contact customers by phone, text or email to demand immediate payment - especially with a prepaid cash card, QR code, cryptocurrency or third-party banking app. If you believe you've been the target of such a scam, call ComEd immediately at 800-EDISON1 (800-334-7661). To learn more about energy-related scams, visit ComEd.com/ScamAlert."