A California resident questioning his monthly electric bill has realized he has been paying for his neighbour’s electricity for at least 18 years.
Ken Wilson is a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customer who has lived alone in an apartment complex since 2006.
After noticing his bill was climbing, he tried to cut back on his usage. He bought a monitor to examine how many watts his appliances are using. But even after he turned off my breakers, he would go outside to check his meter.
“It was still running,” Wilson told a local ABC News outlet. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Wilson contacted PG&E and the company sent a representative to his apartment to check his meter. His suspicions were confirmed.
The utility company sent a statement to ABC News saying Wilson had been paying the electricity bill for the apartment next to him “since potentially 2009.” The company’s investigation found the meter number for the Wilson’s apartment was being billed to another apartment.
PG&E confessed its mistake and promised to rectify the issue with Wilson. However, Wilson says he has had the same agreement with PG&E since he moved into the apartment complex in 2006. He believes the pricey error has been going on longer.
In an update to ABC, the electric company said Wilson’s meter was fixed so he will only be paying for what he uses. Meanwhile, he was credited over $600 to his account.
PG&E also urged any customers worried about overpayment to verify their meter is correct by comparing the ID number on the electric panel to the number on their monthly bill.
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