More than 4,000 Wyoming SourceGas customers using the direct debit payment method weren't credited for last month's payments, a company representative said Tuesday.

The new billing issue, which affected customers throughout the state and in Colorado and Nebraska, occurred because of a data error, according to corporate communications director Len Mize.

"The payments were taken out of their account correctly but the files were suspended, so those payments didn't post," Mize said.

Some customers received disconnect notices "because it didn't look like they had paid the last month's bill," he said.

Hillary Wardlaw, a customer with SourceGas accounts in both Casper and Wheatland, said she thought her bank account wasn't being debted correctly.

"At first I thought maybe it was a mistake, but then I realized they had already taken the money out of my account and they still said I hadn't paid," Wardlaw said. "Eventually I got an automated call saying this wouldn't affect my credit. Well, I'd certainly hope not. I'd paid it."

Having dealt with SourceGas billing problems over the last nine months, Wardlaw didn't think arguing with customer service representatives would help her situation.

"It's ridiculous," she said. "I even have them taking the money right out of my account and they can't get it right."

Mize said Wardlaw and other direct debit customers don't need to worry. The data error was fixed as of June 27 and all payments have been posted to customers' accounts.

"This was an unanticipated data error, but we fixed it so it shouldn't suspend everyone next time there's a problem with one account," Mize said. "Of course, we apologize for the error."

He said the company has back-dated payments related to the issue to ensure customers won't be fined or experience credit problems.

"The problem pretty much got fixed pretty quick," he said. "All of those were back-dated to the correct date so customers got credit for when the money was taken out of their accounts."

SourceGas representatives will report to the Wyoming Public Service Commission about this and other billing issues during a public meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday in Cheyenne.

Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com