A Queens tenant was paying for electricity that wasn't hers — a discovery that came after about a decade of perplexing rising charges, Fox 5 NY reported.
Here's what to know
Nicole Niceforo, a tenant in Queens, New York, discovered her payments had covered a neighbor's power usage through her Con Edison bill.
Reporter Kelly Kennedy covered Niceforo's experience in an exclusive video report on Oct. 29.
"For ten years, I was afraid to use my air conditioning," Niceforo told Kennedy, describing part of the billing glitch's impact.
More than a decade ago, the Queens tenant asked ConEd to dispatch a technician to inspect her meter, but the utility instead advised her to take it up with the building's management.
Eventually, Niceforo discovered that her bill "had been switched with the bill belonging to the apartment directly above her," Fox 5 NY explained.
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The finding left her "outraged, but also relieved that this was brought to light," she told Kennedy.
More background
Higher bills persisted despite Niceforo's sustained attempts to bring them down. She rarely used the air conditioning and washed her dishes by hand.
Although Niceforo ultimately identified the cause of her high bills, it took extensive measures and cost her money she cannot recover.
"I spent a lot of time and energy repeatedly calling them… It's frustration beyond belief," she admitted.
What can be done?
Tenants whose electric bills don't reflect their usage can ask the utility whether the electricity they're being billed for is actually serving their own apartment.
Asking that question could help address an unexplained bill and being persistent with your communication can help. At the same time, it's unfortunate that, like what happened with Niceforo, not every company will take inquiries seriously the first time.
While ConEd acknowledged its mistake in a letter, the company only did so much to fix the situation.
"The utility has since issued Niceforo over six thousand dollars in refund checks," WNYW reported, adding that the sum "only accounts for the past six years, leaving nearly four years of potential overcharges and interest unaccounted for."
According to the outlet, a state statute of limitations prevents Niceforo from recouping losses from more than six years ago.
Where can I learn more?
Other renters have also faced electric bills that left them questioning whose power they were paying for.
• A Hawai'i renter's $550 HECO bill revealed two homes sharing one meter.
• A renter in Texas cut electricity use, but a $300 bill raised fears of a meter mix-up.
• A New Jersey tenant's bill doubled, with a meter showing triple the neighbors' draw.
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