City Utilities was here.

I phoned this morning and got a secretary who has no clue what a kilowatt
hour is. She sent a guy over with a truck and I explained to him that I
don't have a furnace that uses electricity, don't have an electric stove or
dishwasher, don't even own a portable electric heater, haven't used the
dryer yet, etc. He took the new electric meter reading and saw that I

Matthew AKA NMR...

Sounds like a lazy utility worker not wanting to bother with it.

1 request a list of usage from the last year and the shut off date of the
last user. They have to do it but don't have to provide you the customers
personal info

2 request a supervisor to deal with if none is available request the name
and phone number of their superior.

3 request a test of the home for drainage this may have to be paid for by
you. it can determine if something is over drawing. I had an refrigerator
that was costing me $200 extra month due to a faulty compressor

4 the mayor has nothing to do with the utilities unless they are chartered
directly thru the city. Than a visit to his office is required

5 if I remember right you are in Missouri contact

haven't used 300 Kwh in the past month. Did the same with the water meter.
But he didn't tell me the answer to the riddle. I did go to see an
acquaintance who runs and electrical & plumbing supply store and told him
the whole story. He says the city is notorious for incorrect meter readings
and will probably find out that's what the problem is.

sriddles...

Pfft. I bet it isn't an error in reading; I bet they didn't even read
it at all, and just estimated it. They do that by averaging the last
couple of months or so of usage in that house.
Sometimes in small town, there's only one "meter man". Or sometimes the
other city employees take turns doing it. They save time by estimating,
and the next month they read it, so you "catch up."
Sounds like your next month's bill would be *very* low, maybe even
negative!

Pat...

If it was an estimate, a note to that effect should appear somewhere on the
bill, but it does not.

I don't know why they would fail to read the meters when the previous
occupants had the utilities shut off, or again when I had the new loop
installed. The guy from the city - same guy that was here yesterday - was
present when the electric was turned on in my name.

I'll post again when it gets resolved one way or another. My neighbor across
the street who has a normal forced-air furnace, an electric stove, clothes
dryer that she uses regularly, etc. had a much lower bill last month than I

Adrian A...

It looks hopefull that things will soon be sorted out. It must have been one
hell of a fright getting that bill.

did.

polonca12000...

It seems like they were estimating the amount of electricity used by the
people who lived in the house before you.
Hopefully this problem is resolved really soon. Lots of calming purrs
and hugs,
Polonca and Soncek