Got a shut-off notice yesterday

[john70t]

Left the utility bill from DTE Energy on the desk to be paid, but it got covered with other paperwork.

The bill was due 10 days ago.
The bill was for a combined gas/electric in the amount of $160.
The shut-off will occur 10 days from now.

I better stop talking to you guys, and get to the post office.

[kach22i]

You don't have to post everything.

[john70t]

Yeah, I realized that when writing.....but a shut-off notice 10 days late for $160?
That's pretty extreme.

There needs to be written and consistant standards.
Even if a variable system was utilized, I'm a homeowner who's paid consistantly on time for many years and had several accounts at the same time.

A few years ago there was this story. The old man had a balance of $1000.
Michigan Investigates Freezing Death of 93-Year-Old - ABC News

[Rick Lee]

A co-worker recently had a 4k sq/ft house built on Long Island. The builder needed electricity on the lot for the work, so my co-worker set up the account. The bills never arrived at his old house, he assumed they were rolled into his regular bills at the then current house. There was no mailbox at his new one until it was done. But the power stayed on. He forgot to shut it off when the house was done. Now they're coming after him and it's for several thousand dollars.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

A co-worker recently had a 4k sq/ft house built on Long Island. The builder needed electricity on the lot for the work, so my co-worker set up the account. The bills never arrived at his old house, he assumed they were rolled into his regular bills at the then current house. There was no mailbox at his new one until it was done. But the power stayed on. He forgot to shut it off when the house was done. Now they're coming after him and it's for several thousand dollars.

Your coworker must be doing very well to build a house that size on LI. I assume it's towards the East end, bought the only place you can find property to build on.

Had a similar issue when we built the house in TX. Something about us having one account # that identified us as customers but separat account numbers for the houses. Wife had been paying both under one account and apparently it was too much for them to figure out we had a credit on our account in the exact dollar amount that they claimed we were delinquent. They sent a notice and my wife knowing she paid the bill and the money being withdrawn from our checking account just assumed there was some lag in their billing system and ignored it.

They cut us off the day we scheduled the movers to move us into the new house.

Middle of July, 100+ out and no A/C. That sucked.

[VINMAN]

I got a shut off notice from the phone co. for 2 cents past due. Dead serious, 2 cents.

[krystar]

the processing and postage cost em more. fail at business rules.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

A co-worker recently had a 4k sq/ft house built on Long Island. The builder needed electricity on the lot for the work, so my co-worker set up the account. The bills never arrived at his old house, he assumed they were rolled into his regular bills at the then current house. There was no mailbox at his new one until it was done. But the power stayed on. He forgot to shut it off when the house was done. Now they're coming after him and it's for several thousand dollars.

That doesn't make any sense. You make it sound like the temporary pole stayed there for awhile and all the neighbors tapped into it. Around here when a house is done and the final inspection is given, they swing the service feed over to the service entrance and go hot on the house from the breaker box. Thus, the pole is dead and the meter is gone.

[GH85Carrera]

I pay my electric bill by electronic payment. One month in the middle of summer somehow I failed to schedule the payment. My next bill showed up and they had a friendly reminder that I had failed to send the last months payment. I sent that right away and I also set up the payment on the due date of the new bill. There was a $5. processing fee for the late payment. Never any mention of a cutoff. It probably helps that in the 15 years we have been at that house I have never had never before had a late payment, and I have been a customer of theirs for 35 years.

Most of my utilities are just automatic payment. They send me a notice of what they will draw out on what date.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It probably helps that in the 15 years we have been at that house I have never had never before had a late payment, and I have been a customer of theirs for 35 years.

Don't kid yourself.

[RWebb]

maybe they want to enhance their revenues with the restore service fees?

I'd call them up immediately and say you just mailed them a check - better to have gone by their local office with a CC or cash

Good luck

[RANDY P]

Utilities companies are wasted by the economy too. I wonder how much cash they lost in this FC mess.

It's easy to see how someone could just say to hell with it if they are gonna leave and their credit is trashed anyhow.

rjp

[strupgolf]

[QUOTE=john70t;6625103]Yeah, I realized that when writing.....but a shut-off notice 10 days late for $160?
That's pretty extreme.

'There needs to be written and consistant standards".

There are written and consistant standards, just look in the fine print. If it's past due, it's past due, they dont know who you are.

[widebody911]

A few years ago I got audited by the IRS. They sent me a letter telling me I owed them money: 87 cents.