Have you ever come home from a day of work to find the power out? You flick the light switch, but nothing turns on. You peek outside, see your neighbors have power, then start to wonder, “did I pay my utilities bill?”
This happened to a Tallahassee woman recently, as reported by the Tallahassee Democrat. After a day out, she returned home to spoiled goods and a dark house. She paid her utility bill, but unknowingly left a balance of 8 cents, triggering a disconnection. Tallahassee Utilities is allowed to disconnect its services until the remaining balance is paid, even for mere pennies.
Tallahassee Utilities should adopt a minimum shut-off amount to end these needless disconnections and prevent future customers from unnecessarily paying a $28.50 reconnection fee and suffering from additional inconveniences, like spoiled food or no hot water.
Thankfully, the woman, Perita Clark, didn’t sit too long without power. Tallahassee Utilities apologized for the issue and restored service, saying it was an “anomaly that she short paid and it wasn’t caught.” But several customers shared similar stories, contradicting the claim.