I am going to be paying for both bills?

Question

Okay, I'm fourteen. My dad is mentally bashing for not understand the whole electricity billing thing (He doesn't know English so he relies on me when it comes to this stuff)

But anyways, the problems is, we had a certain company to pay our electricity bill. But then it was switched, so now we have a different one. I'm not exactly sure how to read the "bill paper thing", but the original payment from our old company was added together with the new company payment. So I'm wondering, does this mean my dad is going to be paying for both bills from now on?

I called their number and I asked them, but the lady on the phone was really confusing, she first told me that I was going to be paying for the original one because I was with them for 1 month, then is said that I don't have to be paying them but the new company.........and even if it's unnecessary to pay for both, it shouldn't be saying on the bill, the total amount of both payments now would it?

Answer 1

No, you don't sound stupid.  It's complex.  For the sake of this post, I'm assuming you are in the USA, but if not, you might want to post again, and specify a country, or even a state and city, so people can give you resources.

I'm not sure if you are using a bill paying service, and you switched to a new one, or if you switched electric companies.  

If it is either of those things, you could have a payment plan with one company, because you owe them for past bills.  You could also have new bills (or a payment plan) for the new company.

It is also possible to have a local electric provider (they get paid for use of the lines) and a "source" provider (they get paid for generating the actual electricity).  If that's the case, then you will be paying two bills, but the two together should be about the same as the single bill used to be.

However, it is also very, very possible that the companies are careless, and are both billing you, when you do NOT owe them both money.

I would try to find someone with immigrant services, or "tenant legal aid," or perhaps ACORN (they work on low income issues, and deal with utility companies a lot.)  A city council person or mayor's office or neighborhood group or "consumer advocate" may also be able to help.  (google those terms, for example, "consumer advocate" and the name of your city, or  ACORN and the name of your city). Also, instead of calling, I would see if there is a way to e-mail with the company you talked to.  Sometimes things that don't make sense on the phone make sense in writing.  You may also be able to request the use of an interpreter, so your dad can talk to them, and you don't get caught in the middle.  It is amazing you are handling this stuff at 14, but you are not an adult, trained interpreter, so you should not be stuck interpreting legal-level information.

It is sometimes very difficult to get money back from utilities when they have billed you by mistake.  And I have to say it twice, mistakes are not rare.  So it is better to find someone to help out now.  This is doubly true if you have electric heat, and will have a high electric bill in winter!  Better to make sense of it now.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

You should have to pay just one bill per month.  If you got two bills and paid one, let the electric companies figure out who gets what.  Wait till your bill comes next month from the new company and just pay that.  If you get a bill from the old company it should show no usage of electricity. And don't pay the old company if you haven't used it for a billing month.

Answer 3

Lily, if you get a confusing person or a rude person at Customer No-Service, call back, because usually you get a different person

Too, let the the person know you still do NOT understand

Answer 4

ok so you should be paying for the old bill on the first month and maybe the second month if you guys changed companies in the middle if the month. and you should be paying the new bill also. if you switched during the end of the first month you should only be paying for the new bill (the new company) if you get both bills call the old company and tell them you want to cancel your electricity because you switched a different company.

i hope you get it.

Answer 5

At fourteen you shouldn't be relied on to deal with such a grown up issue.  I would suggest to you to have another adult that speaks your home language that can talk to the electric company and then explain it to your dad.

And you don't sound stupid.  You are fourteen and are confused about it.  It can be complicated.

Answer 6

Try calling them again. If a company gets purchased out and you keep sending money to the old company after they let you know to pay the new one, then it is lost money that you will have to fight for in court and will NOT help pay your debt to the electric company. Call the new company again and hope you get a new person to talk to or make SURE they clarify who you are paying and why. You should never be required to pay the same bill twice to two different companies.