if you're lucky, there may be a statute of limitations preventing them from billing you for the part that was over 12 mos ago, but I doubt it. You're going to have to pay but that doesn't mean you can't get some fun out of it. Demand that they prove to you that it wasn't your unit by sending you copies of all the bills to prove that it was the wrong unit, ask them for records of the meter readings, call customer service and ask them to give you a complete break down of every electrical device you have and its estimated usage - whatever will make their very expensive mistake more expensive and inconvienient for them. Tell them your meter readings are different than what they have, forcing them to have someone come over and check it out etc.

Write a letter back that goes a little something like this: "I regret to inform you that I don't cover people's **** ups. You're not getting shit. Sorry for the inconvenience."

I work for an electrical utility. Go in to the office and have a talk with the billing staff. Stay calm and just let them know how pissed you are. Unless the billing agent is an absolute bitch, they will work somthing out. Do not just up and take them to court, that will piss them off. Their pockets are deeper than yours and you will spend more than 1K fighting it just to have to pay it anyway. I have seen this kind of crap happen befor.

Before you pay, you need to have proof of this. Make them get copies of meter reading from the last 15 months of both your meter and the meter they claim you were billed for. Make someone come over and verify the accuracy of both meters. If they can't produce the records, you'll probably get off. Don't just write them a check, otherwise they'll know their racket works. Cities are making all their departments do things that are shady at best to flat out illegal at worst, just to compensate for budget shortfalls. Most cities already see tickets as income, with some going so far as reprimanding police officers for giving out warnings instead of tickets. Others are adjusting their red light cameras to go off a couple feet into the intersection, where you'll get a ticket even if you don't run the light. Make sure this is legit and not just another attempt to squeeze more money from you.

I don't know about you but my bill seems to be around the same every month. Did it ever dawn on you that your bill was extremely low. I know if it was the opposite you would be bitching up a storm. You FAIL!

DudeitsDanny: nahh im not a rapist..its cause i was at the LA zoo too nd the monkeys started throwin crap at ppl lmao xD it was probably the same monkeys we saw!

You used it you pay it.

Actually $75 would just the average left over amount each month. The OP was paying a bill, they even posted here to clarify that, and the payments they have made should be (hopefully they are or the OP needs to have this worked out to) credited and taken out of the total amount. What was left over ($75 a month) is what was owed after their payments. At my apartment the average bill is $40 a month. OP needs to move to my complex.

How did you not notice your utilities bill being much liwer than normal? It still sucks though!

I'd have a nice long talk with the company indicating that NO late fees should be placed on ANY part of that past due amount due to their negligence on getting the wrong address. Then you should plan a payment fee to slowly pay off the past due debt due to their fault.