Lakeland Electric

Is there going to be anything done to Lakeland Electric or just a bunch of complaining going on. This sucks. Bay News 9 won't even get involved. It's not right. Teco has much better pricing. How can it be so different? Help.

I'm a 77 yrs old female. I always pay my bill on time. For about 5 months, Lakeland Electric was sending me a bill for $30.85 each. This week, I received a bill for $355.12. They claimed I had an undetected faulty meter. They are demanding I pay them in payments an extra $56.84 each month or they will shut my electric off. I told them I would send them $50.00 a month. That is all that I can afford to do. That is not enough they say. What can be done?

To begin my complaint, I have never in my entire life had an electric bill in my name in the astronomical amount of $430. My monthly bill runs between $177 to $275 and I have not changed my routine in any way. I called customer service and was told that the reason for the large bill was because of the cold temps in January. I receive bills every month and pay them on time. I have been getting bills, it seems like every two weeks. We just paid the $430 bill on Monday, March 22nd and received the new bill today, March 31st that is due April 5th. Your good customers pay their bills on time and are still penalized by the every three-month extension provision.

I reticently had an electrical audit done by Lakeland Electric, as my monthly bills we averaging $400-$500 a month. I of course found this odd as it's only a one story 1600 s/f home and it's just my fiancee and I that live here. However much to my chagrin everything checked out OK! There were no problems found in my home and everything was running just fine. I insisted, surely there must be something wrong, my good friend has a house two-stories 2400 s/f, who pins his A/C at 73 degrees, and his bill is only $200ish. OHh wait, that's right, he's with TECO!

I went online to try and see if I had any choice, but there is no other way to get power but with Lakeland Electric. Seeing as I need power to live that means they could charge $2,000 a month and I'd have to pay it because there is no other option. I checked around and found it wasn't just me and my friends that were dissatisfied, but rather the majority of the city! I scratched my head, how could a city owned municipality be doing this to it's own citizens and nothings being done?

I recently relocated to Lakeland,FL from Asheville,NC due to the job market slump. I found an apartment for me and my roomate and tried to have the electric turned on. I had to work that day so since he was on the lease I let him call to set things up. He said that he owed a large bill from living here previously before I even knew him so, he couldn't get the electric in his name. I never living in Lakeland,FL before decided to go set it up in my name well when I tried to they informed me that even though I am setting it up in only my name that his name was on the lease so, I am responsible for not only the $240 deposit but, also his outstanding bill of $720 past due that wuold be tied to my account should I try to get service.

And due to a near fatal fall off a 4 story building In 1990 My only Income Is a small disability check I get once a month.

With this In mind here's my story about what Lakeland Electric did to me and got by with It.
I had placed an ad for a roommate and this was when I meet my now roommate Teresa I didn't know her from the past.
Something had came up and I was going to be out of town for a few months and
thought It would be a good ideal to call L.E and give them permission to talk with my roommate with anything concerning my account.(Like If the power was out) So I called Customer Service and gave them her Name .
This was about 3 weeks before we got warnings of the first of the three

hurricane that came though Lakeland.

The last storm left us without power for 28 days.So you can imagine my surprise when I got an Electric bill for $750.00 for the month I was without power for 28 day.I told myself that with all the stress from trying to restore the power lines and all the calls they must have been getting from customer wanting to know when they would have their power restored that this bill was simply a mistake.So I called L.E.customer service about the bill and reminded them that my area had not had any power that whole month I was told In a very bitter tone that someone would come and reread the meter.I got a notice In the mail stating that the bill would stand as Is.So I went to the downtown office to complain and was ask to leave the building or would be escorted out.

Needless to say I was forced to pay this bill.But this wasn't even the story that I said you wouldn't believe,but I needed to tell you the whole story.So i held out on paying the bill and they shut my power off. feeling defect I payed the $750.00 bill and to add salt to the wound they made me pay an extra $150.00 on my deposit saying I was a high risk.

( NOW HERE'S THE REAL MIND BLOWER)
After all of this about a week later I got a letter from L.E. telling me that the person who's name I added to my account ( MY ROOMMATE TERESA ) has an outstanding bill with them and because she was living In my home and using their service that I was now responsible for her bill of $900.00 and they would make payment arrangements In the amount of $225.00 to be added onto my monthly bill for 6 months stating that If a payment was missed my power would be turn off.I was really starting to think that maybe I was on candid camara.Again I protested and In doing so refused to pay yet more money to them that I did not owe. And again I was disconnected and I swear I was forced to pay this money. And all out of my little disability check.

a bill that had been made 3 years before I even meet her.

Please someone tell me this isn't legal

and tell me how to make them right this wrong It has eat at me for over 5 years.Someone please at least tell me If I should just let It go or If I should fight.( NOT A LOT OF FUNDS TO FIGHT WITH) Either way thanks for your time.

My electric bills run anywhere from fourhundred to seven hundred dollars a month. That to me is insane. Just last month My 3 children and I had to go without electric for a week and a half because they will only give you a extension once every 3 months.I just called them and let them know I paid three hundred on my six hundred dollar bill that is due The rest is due on the 24th could i extend the other three hundred until the 27th.

They told me no i can not get a extention until next month so now we will have no electric again for 3 days. That to me is so unfair. People now a days need help and they act like they are gonna go broke if thay give you a little time to pay your bill. Someone needs to step in they are treating us customers [badly[ because they knoe they can get away with it. I think it is a real shame.

Well the consequences are that My children and I will again be without electric. This is twice in two months in a row. I think it is so unfair. I mean i even payed half the bill already and they still will not work with me.

Lakeland Electric is a monopoly and we are forced to pay for their mistakes. On top of that revenue from the power company is used to pay for city services and parks, etc. However, many of their customers live outside the city limits and don't benefit from Lakeland City serivces. This is taxation without representation. My bill in the summer is about $630. It is insane.

This company operates by it's own free will where other utilities are regulated. They are killing their customers.