To the Editor:
After receiving a Fortis electric bill for February, I became that much closer to my grave. The bill for over $700 is about one third of my pension income.
Fortis’ $700 Valentine’s Day present has put me between a rock wall and a hard place.
Do I pay Fortis and not have enough funds left to pay for proper groceries and my medications, or don’t pay Fortis and they cut off my power, then I have no refrigerator to store some groceries and some medications, no stove to cook on, no hot water and no heat - do you see I’m caught in a catch-22 situation?
Fortis $700 bill for February is on top of a $600 bill for December, 2012. I phoned Fortis and was told that the bill was a “catch up” for power that they had not billed me for. Now, if Fortis read the meter every month there would be no need for any catch up. I received the same info for the February bill. Now I’m wondering, how much of that power used was at the old rate and now billed at the new fancy name of “residential conservation rate.”
In my view, there needs to be some serious investigation of Fortis’ management and questions asked. Why can’t Fortis do a hands on meter reading every month and bill every month, so we can see how much power we use every month and the cost?
If Fortis sends me another bill like the one I received for February that next “one foot” may put me in the grave.
Buzz Henshaw, Olalla