Texas woman gets $1.4 million utility bill in error

By The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ABILENE, Texas – A lot of people gripe when they get high summertime electric bills. But Kristin Harriger’s bill was nearly $1.4 million.

The Abilene, Texas, woman immediately called her provider, Potentia Energy. She quickly learned that her bill was an error.

The utility provider also excused a $66,000 late fee listed on the bill.

Potentia told the Abilene Reporter-News (http://bit.ly/LIdYBn) it had flagged the bill and had marked it to be held, but the bill mistakenly got sent out.

The bill said Harriger was being charged 100,000 cents, or $1,000, per kilowatt hour. The normal rate ranges from 8.2 cents to 12.1 cents.

Carmen Balver, director of the nonprofit protection group Consumer Watchdog recommended contacting state officials if people run into difficulty while trying to settle a dispute about an over-the-top bill.