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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Courts - We are the electric company and we are here to help you
The Courthouse News Service has a story today by Jamie Ross headed "'Smart Meters' Soak Customers, Class Claims." Some quotes:
(CN) - Texas' biggest electric company installed defective "smart meters" that drove residential customers' bills to nearly $2,000 a month, according to a class action in Dallas County Court. The class claims Oncor Electric Delivery Co. is "laughing all the way to the bank."Named plaintiffs Robert and Jennifer Cordts say their monthly electric bills of $400 to $700 were driven above $1,800 after their smart meter was installed.
Smart meters deliver more information to the utility company than standard meters, and can adjust billing for time of day or season, allegedly so consumers pay less during times of low demand and more when demand is high.
But the Cordts say that when they questioned Oncor about their exorbitant bills, the company asked them "about Christmas lights and the temperature at which they maintain their thermostat." Then they got another bill for more than $1,800.
"The Cordts have now received three months of bills totaling just under $5,000," the complaint states. "The part of this story that is more absurd than the objectively egregious amount of the billing is Oncor's explanation - geez, it's sure been pretty cold lately."
The complaint adds: "Instead of looking the Texas consumer in the eye and providing a truthful explanation for exorbitant overbilling, Oncor is giving everyone the run-around. Consumers are tired of being told that a 200 percent overnight increase in their electric bill following installation of a 'smart' meter is due to an 'unusually cold winter' or a change in their energy consumption choices."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 30, 2010 04:41 PM
Posted to Courts in general