[Buffy in Dallas]

I was in the shower when the lights went out. It was TXU sutting off the electricity for nonpayment. I swear I didn't get a disconect notice! Anyway, called them and they wanted 309.00 plus a 90.00 reconect fee for same day and 30.00 for next day reconect. So we russled up 309.00 and borrowed the 30.00 and paid the bill. This took 2 days, meanwhile were freezing our %*#^ off cuz we don't have heat. We called them to say OK it's paid now turn it on. Well... She says NO. :yeeha: You have to pay a 200.00 deposit fee and a 48$ reconnect fee now. :waa: By this time I'm so mad that I'm crying. :waa: So here we are with no lights and no heat and no money! Then we get a disconnect notice on the door from the water company. What's next the phone?
It could be worse. We found out that we are getting some money next tuesday.
This is where y'all come in. Tell me, should we pay the &*$#'s at TXU thier deposit or shoud we go out and get a generator? Any other alternatives? I would like to do solar but we are renting this house and won't have that much $ anyay. How much do generators cost? How loud are they? Would that be a problem in a suburb?
Sigh. I'm at my mom's so it might be a couple of days before I can respond to answers but thanks for any advice.

 

[Tipsydogsled]

Are you serious? You shouldn't be "going out to get" ANYTHING!!!! Just pay your bills!!! :no:

 

[2A]

I'm not certain but I believe utility companies are limited regarding turning off utility service in winter months. It may be a state by state thing, though. Not certain. If they have violated the law then they'll roll over pretty easy IF you make an issue of it.

 

[ed/IL]

Call them back. Perhaps someone else might honor what they first said. A generator would cost more to run then they charge.

 

[countrygrrrl]

Yargh! Sounds like your electric company got bought up by the same one which took over in Tulsa. They're truly evil!

But I don't think you have much of a choice. You're going to have to pay them. I doubt you can afford a truly efficient generator and, as someone mentioned (ed?), you're still going to have to put money into running it.

What you can do, though, is cut way down on that electric and start saving to move away from that electric company.

 

[Shygal]

What are you mad for? You didnt pay your bills until it got to 300+ dollars, then get mad when they shut it off and want a fee to reconnect it?
And the water too, what next the phone? That happens when you don't pay bills, they shut them off.

Pay the bills and don't be buying anything.

 

[Okie-Dokie]

Best way to fix this problem in the future is to pay your @#$%^^ bill on time. Can't blame any one for wanting what their customers agreed to pay for after the service was rendered.

 

[Terri]

Do you have gas heat for your hot water or for your oven?

Cause, if you have hot water you can fill the tub and it will warm the house a LITTLE, at least!

Kerosene heaters are MUCH cheaper than generators, but you MUST crack a window to let the carbon monoxide out, and you do NOT run it at night!

Look on the bright side, who needs power for the fridge when food stays cold on the counter?

Do you have a grill for a cookout? There will NEVER be a better excuse for a bar-b-que! :dance: You don't need charcoal, if you stand there with twigs in your hand you CAN keep the temperature of the fire steady enough to cook your food! :dance:

Take your time, catch your breath, regain your equilibrium. This is a MAJOR inconvenience, but you can do this. It's BORING to be in a house with no power, no TV or radio, but you can do this. We were without power for 3 days during the ice storm.

Then, find out what their disconnect policy is. If they require notice, ask to see where you signed for the certified letter (if they have to send you one). If they did not follow their own policy, SQUEEZE them a little to see if they will give a bit. After all, THEY had to agree to a few things before they were given their monopoly! :yeeha:

 

[lexi green]

hi, we all have had a problem at one time or another remembering, so don't let it bother you to much. I would make a list and post it on my refrig to keep it at eye level, to help trigger your memory. If it was a financial situation,there is a place,I am not sure of the name, but they assist people who sometimes need financial help through the winter for heat bills, electric,gas. They did tell you if you paid the 2 fees they would connect the electric again. no mention was made of other fees. Call the main office and insist they take care of this. It is possible to do anything but alas it all takes money. I am not informed as what type of heat you can do where you are at.Wood stove- kero heater, on these you can heat water and warm your body. A solar hook-up is not real complicated but are usually done when you own your own home. Take care and God bless, lexi

 

[daileyjoy]

I am shocked at you guys, did your mothers not teach you if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. :no: You have no right to be so judgemental, not all of us are as lucky as you to have a money tree growing in the back yard. Some of us do have money problems, not all of us are blessed with rich daddies! You have no idea what has occured in her life to have put her 300$ behind, I'm sure if she had the extra money she would have paid it before then. Buffy I am so sorry. It sounds to be as if they are ripping you off. Did you pay a deposit before, you might want to check that one out. I personaly would just pay the extra 200$ you wont get a generator that cheap and you've aready paid them 300+ nad you wont get it back. I'm sorry sweetie, I've been in your boat. I hope you are able to work it out. Good Luck and God bless you.

In CHrist
Jennifer

Go to Modestneeds.com they can help you with this.

 

[comfortablynumb]

you think power is expensive, whait till you go buy a diesle gen.. where ya gona get a lifetime supply of diesel fuel?

around here they cant kill the power in the winter.

I'm on budget, and its 95 bucks a month all year. in the summer i use next to no power, the actual use is less than 30 a month, then in the winter it goes WAY up, but I still pay 95 a month, and all things even out by next winter...

now you got the power shut off for a 300 dollar bill. my question is how much is your power bill ber month? now.. your n texas, so cold isnt something your really suffering with (its 13 here), so one beggs the question how many months does it take for you, in a relitivly warm state to rack up a 300 dollar power bill?

i know times can get tough... but you want to know if you should buy a generator (at least a 3000 buck investment to run a house on) and it goes without saying your able to buy the fuel.....

I'm sorry i must have missed that day in math class or something.... :haha:

I repectfully ask IF your ready to go buy a generator and fuel... why not just pay the power co, its WAAY cheaper.

I was in Ok a few times in the winter and still sweat my jewels off... how cold can it be in texas?

I'm not being judgemental not at all I've been behind in bills myself more times than I can count.. but your so upset they killed the power for non payment, did you not think this would happen? I dont know how old you are, and if your a young un, I can see where that might no occur to you.
sometimes you have to go hungry to keep the utilities on, if the result of not paying them is a bunch of fines. I've done that a lot... being poor isnt all the glamor its cracked up to be.

 

[daileyjoy]

We lived in Memphis last winter, one months bill, thermastat set at 77 all the time was 200+ There was one bill we had for 375 We were paying more for heat than rent

 

[Swampdweller]

" This is a MAJOR inconvenience, but you can do this. It's BORING to be in a house with no power, no TV or radio, but you can do this. We were without power for 3 days during the ice storm."


Not boring at our house. Depends on the marraige, I reckon.
We do without "power" for weeks at a time, and, never a tv....
But, we do pay everything we owe, and that, on time.

Swampdweller

 

[Terri]

Life happens. Unemployement happens.

Buffy, I have NO advice to give on how you handle money. My sister fell behind on her bills after the death of her second child (her first died, also).

Life happens.

I don't expect you to talk about the problems you are having, sometimes a person does NOT want to talk about what is causing the problems in their lives. Write about it or not: as you wish.

You are adults, you WILL work through this, it sometimes takes time.

 

[comfortablynumb]

you set the therostat at 77?????
77????

mine are set at 50 to keep the pipes from freezing, and the fireplace keeps it a liveable 60 or so.

turn the thing DOWN and put on some clothes and you wont have a 200+bill.

77? jeeze in the summer i whine if its over 70... :haha:

I have one room at 72 with a baseboard heater, thats the bathroom because lets face it who wants to freeze thier cheeks off bathing or taking care of business? and I cant stand it in there for more than a few min...

77?
my friend comes over she stokes up the stove till its 85 in here I am DYING... But she goes out and gets the wood so I dont care. when I have to carry the wood, it stays 60!! (or less)

 

[Shygal]

I don't have a rich daddy either. So before you start telling people they are judgemental, Daileyjoy, I suggest you look at your own words.

As for your heat bills, why on earth would you have it set at 77 degrees all winter?

 

[chickflick]

Just for the record, y'all........

I've had to deal with TXU long years ago, and they can be pretty big crapholes! Yes, you should pay your bills..

BUFFY SAID they didn't send a cutoff notice....

Hey... they should stick by their first story on the phone to you.... call back.. ***** til you get 'sataisfaction'.. threaten a lawyer or something.. that usually works OR just be really, really NIIIIICE.. it's not the phone operator's fault of course... But if she/he is one of THOSE operators... give 'em hell, til they straighten up. If you got same day cut off turn on... ??? How could they POSSIBLY charge for another deposit? Maybe you never paid a deposit to begin with .. might have been a transfer or something and they COULD stick it to you?

Now... for future advice: I have seen ads where you can now CHOOSE your electric co? Check into it... I've been curious anyway.. you can tell us all here in Texas what the deal is. (Maybe I was in Houston at the time I saw Ad?)

ALSO.. look on this as an opportunity to LEARN about homesteading/grid free living.... get extra blankets. etc. Play board games.. use a kerosene lamp. It COULD be fun... a 'little'?

Good luck... and don't use CREDIT CARDS to buy ANYthing... EVER or you'll NEVER get out of the city (or out of debt) !!!!!!!! The city would probably just write you a ticket of some sort for the noise of a generator anyway!!

 

[countrygrrrl]

I'm going to bet the Texas utility was bought by the same company that bought the electric company in Tulsa.

And it is no exaggeration to see they are thoroughly evil people.

I am so glad I don't have to deal with them anymore. Not only were their rates outrageous, they absolutely would cut the electric off without notice. Never happened to me - but I can sure see that they would gladly do it.

So lighten up people - this isn't ordinary electric company we're talking about. These people are vile!

 

[chickflick]

Oh, yeah.... and the really great part... those bozos at TXU use lakes three hours east of Dallas (right out HERE with ME) to generate for DALLAS!!! Pft.
:no: :no: Amazes me how far reaching the 'grid' is.

 

[fordy]

Hi Buffy , hope you get thru this with a level head. I know how it feels to be put on notice that you are being held hostage by a the utility company to pay their ransom. Money is hard to come by at different times in our life and it looks like this "is" one of those times for you. After you have settled up with TXU i would begin looking for a cheaper home in the country if it is feasible for you to drive alittle farther to your job. TRY to keep from getting so Mad as it will totally consume all your energy and it just isn't good for your health either. It took me along time to conquer my Anger monster but it feels so much better to keep a level head. Try to use this negative situation to initiate a Positive change in your life and you will have learned from your mistake. , Merry Christmas and good luck , fordy...........