Electricity question.. (Crazy high bill)

[Dinger]

I'm just curious what others think about the situation and what you would do.

My dad has bought a house about 4 years ago that he uses for the lot it sits on to store extra cars.. No one lives in the house or uses it. The only thing that is on is a light on the front porch that we hope will deter theft. And the AC is set to 85 or so just to keep it somewhat cool if we go over there.

Anyway the normal bill usually runs $25-$30 a month and has been paid on time every month. Then last month June of 2013 he gets bill for $1100 from August 2011 saying that they have found evidence of tampering on the meter. My biggest issue is the fact that its from 2011.. and they claim they have just now found the tampering and traced it back to 2011. Sounds like BS

He has told them that he did not tamper with it no one lives there and its a mistake and they pretty much told him to bad.. Pay it of we shut it off.

Just looking for feed back..

[stevo]

Ask for them to show proof of the investigation. After that is done, start escalating the issue to employees higher up in the company food chain.

Stevo

[talisman]

Sure a squatter hasn't moved in?

[Vertnut]

Sure a squatter hasn't moved in?

...or someone has run a couple of extension cords next door to power all his tools and A/C his garage?

[stevo]

What it sounds like to me is that the company has been 'estimating' the meter reading all of this time, and then found that someone had made an error in their recording. Our local company did this to me, and when I saw the bill I called them and had them send another meter reader, who was able to verify that the last meter reader was an idiot who was either blind or illiterate.

Stevo

[bcoop]

Ask for them to show proof of the investigation. After that is done, start escalating the issue to employees higher up in the company food chain.

Stevo

This. Provide factual proof, or I'll see you in court.

[Forever_frost]

What it sounds like to me is that the company has been 'estimating' the meter reading all of this time, and then found that someone had made an error in their recording. Our local company did this to me, and when I saw the bill I called them and had them send another meter reader, who was able to verify that the last meter reader was an idiot who was either blind or illiterate.

Stevo

I've had this happen on my water bill several times

[bonnie&clyde]

I've had this happen on my water bill several times

So do u still have to pay it since they fucked up???

[stevo]

So do u still have to pay it since they fucked up???

I can't say for him, but when the city sent us a bill that showed we had used 80,000 gallons of water above what we normally use monthly, I didn't have to pay it, nor the electric bill that was $550 above the usual. Both times it took going several steps up the management ladder though, it was a lot of my time wasted for mistakes on their part.

Stevo

[Forever_frost]

So do u still have to pay it since they fucked up???

No, I paid less considering they were wrong, but I had to prove I was right. If you have the light bills that show the usage and their new bill can't show where they get their numbers, fight it

[Sleeper]

My gas readers try and jip me a few points here and there. I gotta call them every few months. I go out and look at it after they come. It only get used 3 months a year so it sits idle. But yet i get usuage, walk out to the meter and it hasnt moved.

I dont think my electric bill is ever right. Jumped a 100 bucks from last month no extra usage.

[Ted]

I'll assume it was Oncor. You do have a fight on your hands for sure. They will claim that even if you never knew of the tampering, that you still benefited from the tampering. The tech that was sent out should have all pictures of the tampering they found. Your retail energy provider will also have those copies. I personally haven't seen them go back that far. Also, hey will put a switch hold on the account meaning you can't switch providers while this is going on. I would say start with filing a PUC complaint. It is definitely not easy to have these removed.

[Ted]

No, I paid less considering they were wrong, but I had to prove I was right. If you have the light bills that show the usage and their new bill can't show where they get their numbers, fight it

Since they "determined" it was 2011, they estimated what they believe to have been the correct reads, and usually tampering charges, and travel charges for the tech having to go out.

[NorthwoodDavid]

^I can see them pulling a stunt like that. But it still can't be easy to calculate what you have spent since it hasn't been reading correctly(according to them). Very speculative I would say.

Keep us updated man.

[Ted]

^I can see them pulling a stunt like that. But it still can't be easy to calculate what you have spent since it hasn't been reading correctly(according to them). Very speculative I would say.

Keep us updated man.

Since I haven't asked where they get their calculations for estimating, I would assume they probably use usage history.