A Florida retiree paid as much as $15,000 to replace appliances that still worked to lower her soaring electric bills. The problem, however, had nothing to do with her appliances: Her electric utility had mistakenly been charging her for electricity used at a much larger home.
Here's what to know
The utility's representatives maintained that the meter worked correctly and that the problem lay within the home. Janice Doll, a homeowner in Largo, Florida, spent 57 months disputing charges for her 1,500-square-foot house, according to Fox 13.
Moving became a possibility for Doll as she confronted the expense. Her August bill totaled $970 even though she had been away for 28 of the month's 31 days.
The identification number printed on Doll's bill did not belong to the meter at her home. A utility technician discovered that discrepancy during a mid-September visit.
Her payments had instead covered electricity at a Treasure Island home that the technician estimated at roughly 4,000 to 5,000 square feet, Doll said.
More background
An electrician found no electrical defect during six to eight visits Doll paid for over three years, Fox 13 reported. Following the utility's assurances, she also replaced her air conditioner, pool pump, washing machine, dryer, microwave, and garage refrigerator — purchases she estimated cost $12,000 to $15,000.
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"We even called Duke (Energy) for an energy audit, and they came out and said everything looks great," Doll said, according to Fox 13. "Well, obviously it didn't because then we got a $600 bill the next month."
Utility executives blamed transposed numbers for the account mix-up, she said. She traced that error, which linked her account to the other property's electricity usage, to meter replacements on consecutive days: January 26 and 27, 2022.
What's being done?
An Oct. 1 email to Doll put the utility's acknowledged overbilling balance at $10,939.29.
"We recently discovered that you have been billed for electric usage on a meter that does not serve your location. We regret this mistake and have made corrections to ensure that the correct meter is now registering your electric consumption," the company wrote.
Doll said she received slightly less than $10,000 as a refund, FOX 13 reported.
The utility apologized and explained that its correction process involves assessing both customers' energy usage during the affected period. Customers who overpaid receive a bill credit, the company said.
For other residents facing unexplained increases, Doll recommended checking the serial number on their electric statements against the physical meter serving their home.
Doll also expressed frustration over the years she spent trying to get help.
"All the frustration and the anger and the money — just all of it," Doll said, per Fox 13. "And that nobody would help me in those 57 months that we have been saying there was a problem. And they wouldn't address it."
Where can I learn more?
Other utility customers have also faced surprise bills and meter mix-ups.
• A Houston homeowner recovered $14,000 after a 14-year meter mix-up drained his finances.
• A New York woman disputed a huge $31,000 power bill tied to someone else's debt.
• A Texas renter feared a possible meter mix-up after cutting usage but receiving a $300 bill.
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