More insults
Today we got a notice in the mail - sometime in the next few days, they will be switching out our electric meter, because the type we have has been found to be prone to catching fire.
There has been some discussion of this in the news... the meters in question could be called "deadbeat meters", because they're installed in two situations - when people live way out in the boonies (extreme rural), which isn't us...
and people they think are not likely to pay their bills on time - and this meter is designed so they can cut off power to a home by radio control, rather than sending out someone.
Yeah, we had problems paying our bills at one time - back between 10 and 15 years ago. Back when something was eating power here and we were paying $300-$450 dollar electric bills and couldn't figure out what was going on. We even had a power survey done - and the guy raised hell at us about raising our thermostat (they wanted it in the mid to upper 80s during the day and not below 78 anytime). Funny thing is that wasn't the problem, although once he found out we kept the house a bit cooler than they demanded, he ignored everything else and didn't investigate further.
We finally found out the cause of our horrendous bills - the bastard who sold us this place had miswired the well, and one leg of the power was going to ground. It explained why we had a breaker pop every now and then, and why we'd sometimes feel bit of shock when going into my (properly grounded and protected) shop in the back. (I'd had to change the wiring going to the back of our property and shortly after that our bill multiplied - but we didn't catch on to what was happening.)
Because of those bills, we went without power for 3 months. We couldn't afford to pay them and I was trying to get disability - which never happened. Thankfully, it was in the winter and by rigging things up, we could survive OK (read by lamplight at night, jury-rigged generator for pumping water twice a day, etc.). We eventually DID get the power bill paid off, with some help from the local paper (back when it was derided as horribly liberal - and a funny thing, they said we were the only people who got help from them and sent them a letter of thanks for the help!).
Between that problem and later times, there were a few times where we had to arrange to pay our bills late - like when I was an undergraduate during the summer (when students are supposed to be working, like at McDonalds and so on - which I can't do). Yeah, we had problems paying but always did according to the arrangements made, even though it meant doing without and even actually having to beg for food. It's been 5 years and more since we have had to "make arrangements to pay", although we've been forced to do without since then a few times. We know how to live simple (even if it's a miserable existence).
We are NOT deadbeats. Yeah, we've had a damned tough row to hoe (and it's still nowhere near easy), but WE ARE NOT DEADBEATS - we've always paid our bills (and then some). Yet they put one of these easy cut-off meters on our property.
More insults for a poor family. I imagine it is strictly because we are in a poor section of the county and because our income is low.
It reminds me of a situation when we were recently married (like in the first 3 or 4 years) - we'd had a very bad year and once had to "make arrangements". We paid our bill Thursday afternoon - and Friday afternoon they came out and cut our power. When we called about it that afternoon, we were told "tough- that we should have paid our bills on time and they would only guarantee to have the power back on by the end of the next business day" (Monday). We lost all of the food in our fridge and had a miserable weekend - it was in the Florida Summer. This way, they don't even have to send someone out. They can just send a signal. (I wonder how hard it would be for a hacker to hurt a bunch of innocent folks - which there are some around here who would probably enjoy doing that.) I should ask them if they can send a signal to turn power back on, or do they need to send someone out to do that.
That's what Central Florida is like. There isn't even legal protection from the horrific heat we experience each summer, like what exists in colder climates for freezing weather (I guess they figure dying of heatstroke is preferable to dying of cold).
There has been some discussion of this in the news... the meters in question could be called "deadbeat meters", because they're installed in two situations - when people live way out in the boonies (extreme rural), which isn't us...
and people they think are not likely to pay their bills on time - and this meter is designed so they can cut off power to a home by radio control, rather than sending out someone.
Yeah, we had problems paying our bills at one time - back between 10 and 15 years ago. Back when something was eating power here and we were paying $300-$450 dollar electric bills and couldn't figure out what was going on. We even had a power survey done - and the guy raised hell at us about raising our thermostat (they wanted it in the mid to upper 80s during the day and not below 78 anytime). Funny thing is that wasn't the problem, although once he found out we kept the house a bit cooler than they demanded, he ignored everything else and didn't investigate further.
We finally found out the cause of our horrendous bills - the bastard who sold us this place had miswired the well, and one leg of the power was going to ground. It explained why we had a breaker pop every now and then, and why we'd sometimes feel bit of shock when going into my (properly grounded and protected) shop in the back. (I'd had to change the wiring going to the back of our property and shortly after that our bill multiplied - but we didn't catch on to what was happening.)
Because of those bills, we went without power for 3 months. We couldn't afford to pay them and I was trying to get disability - which never happened. Thankfully, it was in the winter and by rigging things up, we could survive OK (read by lamplight at night, jury-rigged generator for pumping water twice a day, etc.). We eventually DID get the power bill paid off, with some help from the local paper (back when it was derided as horribly liberal - and a funny thing, they said we were the only people who got help from them and sent them a letter of thanks for the help!).
Between that problem and later times, there were a few times where we had to arrange to pay our bills late - like when I was an undergraduate during the summer (when students are supposed to be working, like at McDonalds and so on - which I can't do). Yeah, we had problems paying but always did according to the arrangements made, even though it meant doing without and even actually having to beg for food. It's been 5 years and more since we have had to "make arrangements to pay", although we've been forced to do without since then a few times. We know how to live simple (even if it's a miserable existence).
We are NOT deadbeats. Yeah, we've had a damned tough row to hoe (and it's still nowhere near easy), but WE ARE NOT DEADBEATS - we've always paid our bills (and then some). Yet they put one of these easy cut-off meters on our property.
More insults for a poor family. I imagine it is strictly because we are in a poor section of the county and because our income is low.
It reminds me of a situation when we were recently married (like in the first 3 or 4 years) - we'd had a very bad year and once had to "make arrangements". We paid our bill Thursday afternoon - and Friday afternoon they came out and cut our power. When we called about it that afternoon, we were told "tough- that we should have paid our bills on time and they would only guarantee to have the power back on by the end of the next business day" (Monday). We lost all of the food in our fridge and had a miserable weekend - it was in the Florida Summer. This way, they don't even have to send someone out. They can just send a signal. (I wonder how hard it would be for a hacker to hurt a bunch of innocent folks - which there are some around here who would probably enjoy doing that.) I should ask them if they can send a signal to turn power back on, or do they need to send someone out to do that.
That's what Central Florida is like. There isn't even legal protection from the horrific heat we experience each summer, like what exists in colder climates for freezing weather (I guess they figure dying of heatstroke is preferable to dying of cold).