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California Resident Discovers 18-Year Billing Mistake by PG&E
In a perplexing turn of events, a California man identified discrepancies in his electricity bills that revealed a significant error spanning nearly two decades. Ken Wilson, a long-time Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customer, experienced escalating charges month after month, prompting him to investigate further.
Wilson, who resides alone in an apartment complex in Vacaville, began noticing unusual spikes in his electricity costs several months ago. In an effort to manage expenses, he implemented several measures, including reducing his energy consumption and utilizing a monitoring device to track appliance usage.
“Even after turning off my breakers, I would frequently check my meter, and it was still registering usage,” Wilson recounted, expressing his disbelief at the situation.
After reaching out to PG&E for assistance, the utility company dispatched a representative to examine his meter. The findings confirmed his suspicions. According to a spokesperson for PG&E, Wilson had inadvertently been responsible for covering the electricity costs of the adjacent apartment since at least 2009, a full three years post his own move-in date.
“Our preliminary investigation indicates that the meter for Wilson’s apartment was incorrectly linked to another unit since potentially 2009,” the utility representative revealed, acknowledging the long-standing error.
PG&E accepted responsibility for the mistake and affirmed its commitment to resolving the issue, apologizing for any inconvenience caused to Wilson over the years. The spokesperson expressed regret over the oversight and its prolonged impact.
As Wilson held the same billing agreement since 2006, he believes the billing error might have persisted even longer, further complicating the situation.
In a subsequent update, PG&E informed ABC News that they had rectified Wilson’s meter, ensuring he now pays solely for his own electric usage. Additionally, he received a credit exceeding $600 for the overpayments made during the period of the error.
Recognizing that other customers may face similar challenges, PG&E urged individuals concerned about their billing to cross-check the meter ID number on their electric panels with the number displayed on their monthly bills for accuracy.
This incident underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring of utility bills and the need for consumers to be proactive in addressing billing discrepancies, potentially saving them from considerable financial burdens.
Source
www.yahoo.com