California resident Ken Wilson paid for his neighbour electricity bill for over 15 years without knowing it. He came to this realization when he found himself footing enormous electricity bills despite all attempts at reducing energy usage.
Living in an apartment complex in Vacaville alone since 2006 Wilson had cut back sufficiently in electricity, by reducing his use and buying a device that keeps track of the wattage of his appliances. However, his utility bills were prohibitively high. Wilson said to local news station KMAX/KOVR. “I kept going outside to check my meter. Even after I turned off my breakers, I couldn’t believe it.”. The meter was still running,”
When he called the utility company PG&E with his concerns, the utility company immediately opened an investigation. They confirmed Wilson’s suspicions: He had been charged for his neighbor’s electricity since around 2009, three years after moving into his apartment. According to a spokesperson for PG&E, our preliminary investigation discovered that the meter number for the customer’s apartment was being billed to another apartment since possibly 2009 and the company apologized for the oversight, regretting the inconvenience the length of time caused.
PG&E has acknowledged its mistake regarding the billing error and promised to cooperate amicably to address the situation. However, it has yet to detail how it will redress the situation or pay Wilson for the overpayment made.
This incident is very rare, but this is also an excellent reminder for the residents to check the utility bill at least once or twice in a year. For customers, it is advised to see whether the meter ID numbers are really those reflected in the monthly statements so that they can avoid such incidents in the future.
Utility companies require billing, managing, and other complexities, but they should have accuracy and transparency so as not to offend the trust of the consumers.
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