Okay, so back in June of last year the power company installed a new meter because....well I don't know why, they just did.
In September they came out and changed it again, and I happened to be home when the guy showed up. He warned us to shut of computers, TV's etc, since he would be cutting power to the house.
When I asked why he said the new meter they'd installed way back in June wasn't working. He was right, I looked and it didn't show a single kilowatt used, not one.
He said they had several hundred here in town to replace, as they'd gotten a bad batch of meters. Okay, I'm thinking, how come it took so long to catch this?
Anyway, he installs the new meter and life goes on like normal, right?
Wrong!!
The end of October we get a bill from the power company for $1000.00. I just about shit a brick and called them immediately, demanding to know how my bill could go from $250.00 to four times that in one month.
"There wasn't a letter of explanation in the bill?" the dumb broad on the phone asks?
Now, if such a letter had been in there I wouldn't be calling asking why my bill went up so much.
So, long story short, the power company is allowed, by law they say, to "recoup estimated losses" whenever a meter malfunctions.
Since it wasn't working for four months, they estimated my bill at $250 per month, for a total of $1000.00.
Okay, lets hold on a second I say, as we payed $250.00 a month during those months and I have the canceled checks to prove it.
(We're on budget billing where we pay one flat rate year around. After five years here they have in set where at the end of the year there is very little difference between what we've paid for and what we've used.)
Yes, the dumb broad says, I can see that, but under state law we are allowed to collect any additional usage you MAY have used and that did not get recorded on your meter.
WTF!! So, since they installed defective equipment at my house, and took their own sweet time replacing it, they get to my ass? I don't think so!
So, I send in my usual $250 and told them I'll see them in court before I pay the thousand. Since then, every month, we've gotten a bill for $1250 and I pay the usual $250 and life goes on.
In January the phone calls started. I explained to them that I did not owe the money, as after five years of averaging my use they KNEW with 99% accuracy how much I used each month.
Doesn't matter they say, as the law allows them to collect the extra and they are going to.
Like hell I say, and if you want the extra, take me to court.
So they threaten to cut off our power. I tell them my wife is disabled and has electric adaptive equipment she can't get by without. They don't care. I call the state attorney general's office who calls the power company and tells them that they CAN'T cut off our power without a court order.
So finally I'll get my day in court I assume. Wrong again. We don't even get notification of the court date from the power company until the DAY BEFORE. Now I'm pissed, really really really pissed!!!
I call the courthouse and explain and they postpone the court date. Take that fuckers!
So now it's a stalemate, the power company keeps monkeying around, threatening to cut off our power with every monthly bill and I keep paying my preset amount and ignoring the threats.
Suddenly, when I open my bill today, my budget billing amount has jumped from $250 to $350 ("and adjustment due to an increase in usage"
. So, I dig out the bills from the last six months, which show the actual usage on them, even though we pay a preset amount.
An increase in usage? Hell, if anything we've had a decrease, although it was very slight. So I call them up and tell them I'm not buying it and they'll get the $250 like before.
The guy on the phone gets real smart with me, saying that since this isn't an issue of a "disputed bill" but a flat refusal from me to pay my full bill they can cut off my power if I don't pay the $350 each month from now on.
SOOOO, they wanna play hardball.
Fine, I tell the guy, I'll be at the local TV station first thing tomorrow morning with a copy of ALL our correspondence and audio tapes of ALL our conversations on this matter. This includes the threats to cut the power to a home that has a disabled resident who HAS to have electricity just to get by from day to day. Also, her Lifeline won't work without it, and if she should fall and get injured while I'm not home, she could die and no one would know until I got home that night and found her.
HE HUNG UP ON ME!
So, now I guess I'll wait and see what they do. Fuckers wanting double payment for four months just "because they can" is BULLSHIT!!!
Okay, rant over. BLUSH...I feel better though, LMAO!
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