'We 're here to disconnect the electricity to your house,' said the serviceman
By cynthiann
@cynthiann (18602)
Jamaica
May 3, 2009 1:42pm CST
My son called me at work and told me that our electricity company was here to disconnect the electricty to my house. He asked me to get the reference number to give to the man as proof.
I panicked as I would not only have the inconvenience of being without electricity for 48 hours but I would have to pay a reconnection fee and a deposit of THREE times the cost of an average light bill. I could not remember if I had paid it or not. I felt stupid. I told my son that I would look in my files for the reference number as proof and he was to tell the serviceman to hold on.
Whilst we were talking on my cell I called the number of the company on the land line and paid the bill using mny credit card. All the time I could hear Jo quarrelling with the man that I always paid my bills on time.
Once the transaction was completed I gave my son the reference number and the service was not disconnected.
I'm usually so dozy that I normally would never have thought of doing this and now feel just a little bit guilty at my deception. Mind you, I did tell my son later and he laughed. Would you have done this? I certainly did not want to be without light with the twins and the food would have spoiled in the fridge.
4 people like this
23 responses
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
4 May 09
You've justified it right there. You would have been without light with your twins, and the food would have spoiled. It would have gotten cold in your house, and your food would have gone bad, costing you more money, maybe even more then the light bill. Regardless of whether it was a deception or not, you did the right thing for your family. Hey, think of it this way, you gave the electricity man a break, he didn't have to do anything.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
4 May 09
Well I am glad you feel better about doing it that way! I don't think that it's really that bad that you did pay it then, you forgot, which is an honest mistake.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I just love the way you think. 
I am o.k. with it now. I am now feeling quite proud of my quick thinking!
I am o.k. with it now. I am now feeling quite proud of my quick thinking!1 person likes this
@callahanb78 (529)
• United States
4 May 09
I would have done the same thing if they give me the time to do so. I have forgotten to pay my bill I think twice now and they have come out to shut us off. Once we were out of town so we didnt even realize until we got back. The other time I was home and they come pretty early to shut it off in this area and they dont let you know either. Unfortunately they do not knock on the door so I had no idea until it was too late. They are usually fairly quick to come back out and turn it on once its paid...usually they come back out by 8pm the same day which is nice to know. They do charge the reconnect fee of $35 of course but whatever at least they come back out the same day. They luckily dont charge the extra deposit...thats crazy. We would have to pay like $600+ to get it back on if that were the case.
Well at least you have your service and at least they allowed you the time to pay it. lol. I would hate to be without lights as well.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Are they your children in the photo? They look so cute. The deposit would have been raised to US$600 plus - and I do not get paid in US dollars. the exchange rate is that one US dollar is worth 90 dollars in my country's currency!! so you can see how this would affect me as well as my soon to be three year old grand twins that live with me. Many thkas for responding
@callahanb78 (529)
• United States
5 May 09
Wow thats a pretty big deposit to have to be paid just to have the lights turned back on. Thank god you got out of that!! :)
Yes, those are my kids. They have since gotten bigger and I should get a new pic taken of all of them ...the little one just turned a year on the 2nd....Anyways thanks!!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
3 May 09
That was smart thinking! At least it got paid. I've had them come to my house once or twice. Normally they'll give us a 72 hour warning. They show up at the door and say they'll turn us off in 72 hours if we don't pay. That gives us the opportunity to pay them if we forgot to or couldn't afford to.
Once however the water guy did show up to turn that off. Thing was though, we weren't recieving water bills because it wasn't our house. It was a cousin's house, so he should have been paying our water. But instead, he didn't pay it, and didn't even bother to tell us he wasn't paying it. We got a surprise one day the guy knocks on the door and says he's shutting off my water unless I give him $180. I was able to pay him right then and there, so thankfully the water didn't get turned off. But it would have been nice if the cousin would have given us the bill so we had time to come up with the money instead of being surprised.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I hate fiancial surprises - I would have been cross at your cousin for not giving you the bills on time. I noramlly would nothink of doing thids - I am so surprised at myself.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I think I just sent my replu to compuer heaven! I was saying that I do not like financial surprises. I would have been crossat yor cpusin for not giving the bills earier to you
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
3 May 09
i don't think u should feel guilty at all. at least u paid it. lol. that would have been awhful if that had happened. we have problems we solve then the best way we can.we all forget things. i'm glad your son was there when they came.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 May 09
u lucked up for sure w/him being there. his name is jo? that's a good name, lol. it is mine to.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Yep, at least it is paid! I am so glad that Jo was there when they came too.
1 person likes this
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
3 May 09
I would have done it in a minute. People do make mistakes, have lapses of memory and just plain forget. You know you have to pay, and don't meant not to, so it does sort of aggravate me that they do these things. The power companies have you over a barrel. It happened to my daughter a week or so ago. Her daughter hadn't left for work, and the power man came to tell her that, if her power bill wasn't paid, he would be back to cut it off the next day. He made her daughter call her at work so he could talk to her. That made my daughter mad. She told him he wouldn't cut her power off! She knew he didn't have the authority to tell her that; it had to come from the power company with a notice. So she promptly called the power company, reported him and paid her bill. Her power wasn't cut off. She's on the run constantly and just failed to drop it in their drop box.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
The mildest person can turn into a pit bull once they have power or authority over people. I've seen it time and time again. I'm glad that your daughter was pro active and did something about it. I;m glad that I thought quickly too now. Would have been awful wihout electricity for 48 hours
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Thanks - it is just not something that I would normally do but could not afford the reconnection and huge deposit fees.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
4 May 09
I would do anything to keep my lights on, but I don't understand what was the deception?
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
6 May 09
Well, my son was arguing with the man so confident that I had paid it and then he did not know either that I was paying it whilst he argued. He laughed when I told him. I just felt a bit sneaky but am glad that I did it now.
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
4 May 09
I have done that before. I am forgetful if I don't write the utilities down on my calendar. I also find myself having to make arrangements for the bills too. I find that the servicemen can be very hateful when they come to the home and that irritates me. They should be glad that we are behind or they would be without jobs.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I am glad that it has happened to someone else tooI like your way of expressing what you think. Thanks for responding!
I like your way of expressing what you think. Thanks for responding!
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
4 May 09
I certainly would have done that. Fast thinking on your part. I never would have thought of that. I would have panicked and would've ended up with all the problems that come with disconnection. I am good at remembering to pay my bills. I just pray that I can keep it up with my job loss.
Great thinking.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I'm actually amazed at myself for doing so. However, although I felt guilty I certainly saved a whole heap of money
@bing28 (3795)
• Philippines
4 May 09
Oh yes my daughter would lock the gate and tell the serviceman, my mom was already at your office, the serviceman would insist on getting inside to disconnect the electricity, but my daughter would resist, "How will I let you disconnect it when it's being paid already besides when you send your men to reconnect it's almost midnight?" "If you want you can come back after an hour to see the receipt." The following day they won't check anymore as it's been paid already that afternoon. I don't understand why this electric company, whom we are customers for life, can't give us consideration. Once we failed to settle electric bill for even a month we'll be subject for disconnection.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Wer can get disconnected if the bill is not paid in ten days. It is awful! Thanks for responding
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
3 May 09
We don't have direct debit for elecricity bills regretfully. Thanks for responding
@carann (260)
• United States
4 May 09
Way to go! I have had issues with my electric company in the past. They yell and scream if you call to make an arrangement to pay a bill two days late. They actually said to me once "We aren't your Bank" I am glad to hear someone thought quick and sent them packing. again wtg!!
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Many thanks - I actually feeel quite clever for having thought quickly a- for once! Thanks for responding
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
4 May 09
Yes I would have done the same thing if I had thought of it.I would have been to mad to think to do it.They charge so much there are the ones that should feel guilty.Don't worry about it.
1 person likes this
@sangsi (50)
• China
4 May 09
Before the time in school dormitory, we had four set computers, open everyday, consumed electric power very much, was this, we have to usually sell an electricity, sometimes gave or get an electric shock, but we didn't buy in time again of words, have to go to bed in pitch darkly in the evening.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I'm sorry that you have to go to bed early. Many thanks for responding
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
3 May 09
I am glad that you were able to stop it. Most of the time it does not matter, they do it anyway. You were very lucky. It was real good thinking on your part.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
3 May 09
You must have overlooked the bill. It does happen. We get a pile of bills at one time, and sometimes even though I pay the bill, I forget to enter it in our software checking account. So for us the danger would be not having enough money left over. I would have done what you did.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93740)
• United States
3 May 09
That would have been awful. I don't blame you though! Here, we would get a letter telling us that we had two days before our electricity would be shut off. And not to0 long ago my parents got a letter like that. Come to find out, my mom had been paying most of her bills online. She set up to pay that bill online, but the information never went through. Both my parents were in a frenzy trying to figure it out. My dad ended up going down to the local company and paying it in person.
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
I could not afford to pay the exorbitant increase in the deposit money. Just felt a bit guilty though. Many thanks
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
what is it that Dora the Explorer says? "Phew, that was close"
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
Actually, it worked out really well in the end. I guess that I acted quickly!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
3 May 09
Hey cythiann! You are really lucky! Here where I live they
don't come to your house to disconnect! They just do it from
wherever they are and that't it! Poof! You are without
electricity! They send you a number of disconnect notices
and then they just pull the plug! They don't ring your doorbell
to warn you! Don't worry about it! Plenty of people forget
to pay their bill! As long as you were able to pay it before
the damage was done! That is so scarry to be left without
electricity! I always worry about that too!
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
4 May 09
o not receive disconnection notices - they just come and do it. I do have a generator to use in times of hurricanes but it is very expensive to run - uses so much gas. That is why I only keep it for hurricanes and do not use if the power is off for a few hours or so.
