Another Utility, Another Problem

My wife and I have to get our power bill switched from our landlords to our own account. I called Duke Power and of course since I have not had an account with them, they require a $200 deposit or a co-signature. This is not the problem. Let me give you some back story. A few years ago, my wife(before she was my wife) got real sick and was hospitalized for a while. During this time she got an eviction notice and had her car re-poed, due to the fact she was hospitalized and she could not pay her bills. Her power was cut off and she wound up with a minimal debt, that eventually went to collections. Back to today. On top of the deposit or co-signature, they want me to be responsible for the minimal debt that my wife owed them, to have the power transferred. When I asked about other options for power in the area, the Duke operator replied (with an attitude),"There are no other options. We are not de-regulated. If you have a problem with that you can call the government." That is exactly what I did. I contacted the North Carolina Utility Commission and reported what happened and what was said. The investigator I spoke with was very helpful and told me that if it went to collections then they were paid and should not be trying to collect again. She also told me that she will be contacting the State Attorney Generals office about the matter and that she would get back to me on Monday. I'll let you know happens when I know some more information.

It seems like I am fighting the man tooth and nail lately. I guess I should start searching for a cape or maybe a sidekick.