Power Is Shut Off Over One Cent

[Judi Lynn]

Power Is Shut Off Over One Cent
By Associated Press
May 16, 2006, 9:16 AM EDT

FLINT, Mich. -- It was just a penny, but to Consumers Energy it was enough to cut off power in a local home. Jacqueline Williams, 41, of Flint had an electricity bill of $1,662.08 and paid all of it, except for one cent. That wasn't enough for the power company, which blacked her out for seven hours Wednesday.

The CMS Energy Corp. subsidiary told Williams the power would not be turned on until the penny was received.

"I went down there, paid my penny and got a receipt," Williams told The Flint Journal.

Shortly after, the electricity was turned back on.

"All of this for one penny," said Williams, who went to the state Department of Human Services for help in April and was told the agency would pay most of the bill.
(snip/...)

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-pow...

[Richard D]

1. There has to be more to this story

I've been off on many utility bills by a few cents and it's always just been rolled over to the next bill.

[meow2u3]

3. It's known as a power trip

Bullies in positions of power will use any excuse to make the lives of others miserable. This shutoff over one penny is just a bully throwing his or her weight around.

[zann725]

18. Considering how little a Penny now is worth...this is TRUE penny-pinching

and absurd.

[slackmaster]

25. You seem to be well-grounded in the subject

Have you considered taking your routine out on the nightclub circuit?

[depakid]

42. more likely the computer recorded the bill as not paid in full

and the bureaucracy did what what bureaucracies do.

[Judi Lynn]

6. I checked the article, can't find anything pointing beyond the facts given

~snip~
A Consumers Energy spokesman said that the utility had no choice in the matter, though he was not aware of any similar incidents where service was stopped for one cent.

"This was the first one I've heard about," said Terry DeDoes. He said the company has many programs to help people who fall behind in their utility bills.
(snip)

[Speaker]

7. I'm betting the "more to the story"...

is that they get to whack her with a $25 reconnect fee.

They turned a one cent debt into a $25 profit.

[stop the bleeding]

16. Welcome to DU Speaker

and your reasoning makes sense or rather money

[Speaker]

20. Thank you

[Warpy]

10. No kidding. If you pay ANYTHING on a bill, they keep the power on

I know because I've had to spend extended periods of time away from home and set up a standard payment to the utility company just to keep the pipes from freezing and the place looking lived in while I was away (lights and a radio on timers, that sort of thing). Every few months, if there is a difference over the minimum payment, I just mail the whole thing in.

This story smells.

[conflictgirl]

40. It depends on the company

Not all utility companies accept that line of reasoning, that if you pay *anything* they'll keep the power on. Fewer and fewer companies of any sort are accepting that anymore. I've had medical bills that were so expensive that I couldn't pay the amount they wanted (i.e. they wanted a minimum payment of at least $100), so on my mom's advice I sent in what I could afford - sometimes as little as $20. A few were willing to work with me like that, but I was turned over to collections by most.

[Le Taz Hot]

24. Not necessarily

The first of the year my mortgage payment went up by $1.38. Not noticing this, I sent in my old amount (less the $1.38.) They WITHDREW the mortgage payment from my account but didn't apply it to my account. Instead they held it in reserve. In the meantime, I got all kinds of nastigrams from the mortgage company threatening foreclosure, etc. For $1.38. You wouldn't believe the hoops I had to jump through in order to a) have my original mortgage payment applied, b) apply the $1.38 which I sent in seperately and c) to have the glitch taken off my credit report.

[Richard D]

32. That sucks . . .

. . . I'm always astounded when I receive bills for just a few cents. I mean, it has to have cost the mortgage company many time more than the 1.38 to hassel you so much. Stupid.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

31. Maybe you can find out what it is and let us know.

[Richard D]

33. Wish I had the free time.

This will have to remain in the realm of WTF?

[stop the bleeding]

2. .

[0007]

4. Jacqueline Williams pissed someone off big time.

[unda cova brutha]

8. I'm sure that Williams is a brown person.

In the minds of the power company, brown people don't need electricity.

[WePurrsevere]

15. Actually according to a supervisor at National Grid none of us need it.

We got behind over the winter (what with trying to eat and pay for at least some heat) and in February I called to ask for a few more days to pay when we'd get our SSD and could pay the back owed. I was told by the Supervisor that they couldn't do that. I said it's only a few more days and we need electricity for heat and such. She told me that no one "needs" electricity... I said "last time I checked we aren't Amish and are not set up to go without electricity for any length of time." She said either get on HEAP in the next couple days, borrow the money or be disconnected. (Thankfully a friend paid us for something they wanted to buy from us so we could pay in time).

We're white, middle age and on disabilty so it's probaly not a race thing.. from the tone and the way she behaved it's more of a they just don't give a damn thing... well except about PROFIT. According to the same women they're not there as be a social service, they're only there to make money. Unfortunately I'm running into an awful lot of big businesses who simply don't care to give good customer service... they figure they hold all or most of the cards and tough noggies if you don't like it.

If we ever get a major financial miracle and can afford the $60k to install solor I will take great joy in telling the power company to go pound salt.

[central scrutinizer]

5. the dark side of zero tolerance

[Lindsay]

9. Somebody I knew had this happen with a phone bill.

He misread his bill, so his check was off - by 6 cents, as I recall, but some really piddling amount.

The phone co. said everything was done by computer, and money owed was money owed.

And yes, he had to pay a reconnect fee.

"We're a public utility. We don't care. We don't have to."

[AndyA]

11. That's a pretty big bill for just one month.

Unless she lives in a mansion, I would say she might have been behind for a few months. It would be nice to have a few more details, like why she paid a penny short. What was the point? Was it an honest mistake, or was she doing it in protest?

Too many unanswered questions, and not enough information to know for sure exactly why this happened. She would have to live in an awfully large house to have that large of a bill for one month's service.

I'm guessing since the Department of Human Service is involved, she was behind a few months.

[Akoto]

12. I was thinking that as well.

I don't want to make any assumptions, but I live in a fairly large house, and I'd have a heart attack if I got hit with a bill that high. I run all kinds of electronics in my house - including the home studio, which is my business and is almost never turned off - and my bills don't begin to approach $1000.

[WePurrsevere]

17. I agree she probably was. The turn off notice was probably for that amount

and when the amount paid by either her or DSS was off by a penny the computer didn't register it as "paid in full" as it was told was required and sent out the notice to turn her off. Everything is pretty much run by computers and automatted now. Humans can override to a degree but only within the parameters of what the computer is programed for..which is done by the techies as the BIG money hungry idiots in charge dictate.

[conflictgirl]

39. She probably was past due

But my husband worked for a different utility company (the phone company) and even when people were months behind on their payments, if the customer was trying to pay to restore service, they had offered $5 in leeway. Basically if the entirety of the bill was paid, but fell short by an amount less than $5, they restored service.

Even if this person was several months behind, and she probably was, refusing to restore service based on being a penny short is unjustifiable. If the Dept of Human Services was involved, it was probably *their* error anyway, not hers. We're not talking about $100 short here - we're talking about a PENNY.

[Thtwudbeme]

13. We had a power bill of something like 115.83 from Duke Power:

I screwed up writing the check and made it out for 115.53.

I was .30 off.

I got a shut off notice in the next bill....kid you not.

Over thirty cents, and after two decades of paying my bill on time.

[tatertop]

19. they are absolutely heartless

What a horrible way to run a business.

[slackmaster]

26. San Diego Gas & Electric is no different

[anoraksia53]

28. it's probably all computerized but

youd think there would be a human to look at the record before cutting off something essential.....

Very strange......

[DemoTex]

29. Just the opposite with Haywood EMC (southwestern NC)

I had a bill for $175.53 and wrote the check for $175.35. When I realized what I had done a few days later, I called Haywood EMC and offered to send a check for the 18-cents I had inadvertently shorted them. The woman said "don't worry about it" and zeroed out my account. She didn't even roll it over to the next billing period.

Having said that, I'll add that Haywood EMC was the best power company I have ever done business with. They kept their rights-of-way extremely well groomed, so there were seldom power outages. When there were power outages, they were extremely responsive.

[dysfunctional press]

35. you should have sent them thirty one-cent checks...

let them spend several hundred times that 30 cents processing them.

[gasperc]

14. Yeah, consumer's threatened me last month

I've been getting walloped with $400-$350 heating bills all winter. Last month I held off paying so they sent me a fucking shut off notice. I borrowed on a credit card to make the $560 payment. We keep the house at 65F, I have a 3yr old and 18month old, I make $85k a year AND I'VE FUCKING HAVE HAD IT.

THE GDP #'S ARE BULLSHIT

OUR HOUSE FOR SALE SO WE CAN MOVE CLOSER TO MY JOB, SINCE THE DOUBLING OF MY COMMMUNTING COSTS ON TOP OF THE FUCKING HEATING BILLS ARE KILLING US.

OUR HOUSE HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR A MONTH, NOT A SINGLE SHOWING!!!! AND WE ARE PRICED LOWER THAN THE TWO OTHER HOUSES FOR SALE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.


I'VE FUCKING HAD IT WITH REPUBLICANISM, BUSHISM, ROVISM, CORPORTISM FUCK IT ALL

[genieroze]

23. I hear ya, our gas (not natural) bill is higher then ANY of our utilities

[MissB]

27. I'm sorry.

Hope your house sells soon.

[Evergreen Emerald]

21. When I moved out of my home and paid my final electricity bill

I must have written the check wrong by 36 cents. The company sent me a bill for the remainder. Now: imagine the cost of the paper, envelope, stamp, employee to send out the stupid bill for 36 cents.

I sent it back in pennies taped to the bill.

[genieroze]

22. What electric company does she and many who are posting have?

I'm always late and as long as I give them something they leave me alone. Of course I never was over a grand behind and I always catch up. A penny, thirty cents, a few bucks??? Sheesh!

[Tight_rope]

30. Not surprised at all. Sprint cut me off over $0.27!

When I signed up with the mutherfuckers, I put down a deposit of $125 so I wouldn't have to be on a 2 year contract. They told me that after 1 year, if I no longer wanted their services then just let the bill get up to $125 and they will just cut it off. Well, just one week after I start my service, I was on vacation in Chicago. Got up on morning to use my new cell phone and the service was off. Of course, it automatically connects you to their customer service department. I spent 1 hour on the phone with the most ignorant, dumbass I've every had to talk to in my life. This girl kept telling me that I didn't pay my bill and that's why I was cut off. Spent 1 hour arguing with her about being a new customer and that I had not received a bill. How the hell does a week old customer, who put a deposit down get a bill for services not yet used. Anyway, after 1 hour, I hung up on the dumbass and called right back and asked to speak to a supervisor. I got my first 3 months free after speaking with that supervisor. She apologized for the employee's stupidity.

So almost 2 years later Sprint still has my $125 deposit. I forget/overlooked paying $0.27 of my bill and they cut me off. I of course tell them about our agreement with my deposit. And the dumbass on the phone says I still need to pay the $0.27. I'm royally pissed because I wasn't too happy with their service anyway (too many dropped calls) and tell the fuckers to "PERMANENTLY CUT THE SHIT OFF" (YES....I did say that). And 5 minutes later it was permanently off. 30 days later I get a check from Sprint for $124.73. I shook my head and said what a way to do business.

A Verizon customer now. Next stop T-Mobile.

[pezdespencer]

36. .6 cents they need to get some sense

I have cricket wireless its a cell phone 39.99 a month with taxes and fees its about 45.02 a month and I get unlimited incoming and out going calls and all they bells and whistles its a great deal imo. I've had the service almost 6 years I was one of there first customers.

So a couple months ago I prepaid for 3 months service 135.00
Well on the 2nd month of the cycle I receive a text msg you account is past due and will be shut off on the 16th which was in like 2 days.

I'm like WTF so I call them and say I paided for 3 months service in advance I still have another month they said yes but your account has insufficient funds to cover the third month bye 6 cents so after yelling at the lady about how I prepay every month for 6 year 0 times late your gonna discounted me over 6 cents she says previous account status has no bearing on the matter at hand so after me saying $#^#&$*$*^( #%*$$^(($^$)*%$ ^$*((%&(&*)(*%)let me talk to your supervisor I got the 6 cents waived and 1 month free service. I understand your frustrations

[greekspeak]

34. My father has a story about the utilities and a water bill

When he and my mother moved into the house where they lived when I was born from their apartment, there was a glitch of some sort in the system and my father would get these bills demanding that he pay $0.00 or they were going to turn off his water. He spent YEARS (14 of them I beleive from 1970-1984) going around with them. The problem was that he was not on that utility company's water after 1970. We were on a shared source from a neighborhood. Dad apparently told the utility company if they came on his property he would consider it tressapassing and that someone was going to have an ass-full of lead if they tried to. Can you beleive that? 14 YEARS? By that time my mother was dead, my father re-married and living elsewhere. Utility companies can be real SOBs to deal with.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

37. From now on she needs to pay her entire bill in pennies

--unrolled, of course. Take 'em to the pay window and make 'em count each penny out.

Everybody should do this.

After one month, wanna bet they'd change their policy?

[conflictgirl]

38. Consumers is my local company and I am NOT surprised

They even have billboards around here saying that they offer assistance to people who need help with their heating bills. My husband lost his job in February and shortly thereafter we got a $300 heating bill and I called Consumers to ask for some of that promised heating assistance. They sent us a tax credit form, which was based on our previous year's income. I explained that we didn't qualify for it because our previous year's income was slightly above the cut-off, but now that we had NO INCOME we definitely needed the assistance. They said "well, we can help you make payment arrangements, we'll let you pay half the bill this month and half next month". Obviously for people who are in desperate financial situations, that's not going to cut it. They were totally unwilling to help.

I am not at all surprised that they would be so petty over a one-cent discrepancy. It seems to be their SOP.

[bigworld]

41. Actually, the power company paid $430 of her bill

so you can't say they weren't being charitable.

And how long has this $1600 (!) bill gone unpaid? At the risk of being drawn and quartered here on DU, I can't put the power company in the "evil" pigeonhole for this.

[Endangered Specie]

43. This is why you always double check your check...

it also doesnt hurt to call them (usually tollfree and automatic) to make sure your account is balanced.


Another idea would be to pay slighly over and build up like a $5 credit, in case you slip up.

Cause this can not only get your power cut off, but can hurt your credit. sad but true.

[napi21]

44. Well, the Utility Co got a little uplanned notoriety tonight!

Keith Olberman had that story on his Worst Person" award skit!

I sure hope they appreciate all the publicity!