A Florida woman said she shrugged off years of high electricity bills as due to the rising cost of living until an over $800 charge exposed a costly utility mistake.
Dolores Noe assumed for years that her rising Duke Energy payments reflected her energy usage but became concerned when her latest bill exceeded $800, she told WESH 2 News.
“I called them, and they’re saying, ‘You owe it. You owe what you owe,’” Noe said. “And I said, ‘There’s no way I owe this bill.’”
Duke Energy dispatched a technician after multiple complaints, leading to a startling discovery, according to the outlet. Noe’s neighbor’s house lost power when the technician shut off what should have been Noe’s supply, she said. The error meant Noe funded her neighbor’s electricity while he covered hers, the outlet reported.
Noe said she had been paying an average of more than $200 per bill. “He said his bills were around $160 or $170,” she said. “And I’m thinking, there’s something wrong here because my house is smaller. Mine’s two bedrooms, his is three.” (RELATED: Battle Against Data Centers Driving Up Electric Bills Unites Republicans, Democrats)
Duke Energy confirmed the mistake in a statement to the outlet, noting they set a Nov. 10 appointment with both customers to figure out the next steps toward resolving the situation. “Our customers only pay for the energy they use,” the firm said.
Noe said she received instructions not to pay the $800 charge, but it remains on her account. “I don’t know why they just don’t get it off my bill when they know it’s not mine,” she said. “It sticks in the back of your mind. You worry about it.”
Duke Energy explained its next steps to WESH 2 News in response to a question on whether they would credit Noe for the amount she overpaid. “On Monday, we’ll work to determine when the error occurred. From there, we’ll assess the energy usage for both customers during that timeframe. The customer who overpaid for their actual energy usage will receive a bill credit,” the company said.
