Says BPW could learn something from other power providers

Dear Editor:

My problem is with the Gaffney Board of Public Works. I have been a customer since 2000. I am a single mother of three and I work a full-time job.

I received a call from one of my neighbors letting me know the Board was at my house. I then realized my power bill was due the day before. I called the Board and she said my power had indeed been cut off. I apologized for my being late and went and paid it. I asked if they didn't give notifications (the red past-due notices they hang on the door). She said you only receive one (if you haven't been late in the last three years) and that I was late last month. She repeatedly said last month. I knew this was wrong so I went to the bank and got a copy of my check that cleared my bank before the bill was even due last month. Even after I was told I was late last month, when I had my check copy, then she said it was not last month, it was March of 2007!

I then called Broad River Electric and was told their grace period is 10 days past your due date and they send a notice out in case you have lost your bill or forgotten. I then called Duke Power. If you do not pay your bill on time, they send out your next bill with the past due amount on it. When that bill is due, if you still haven't paid the past due they send out a 24-hour notice.

Now if these two huge companies have time to take care of their customers, why doesn't The Board of Public Works. And not only that….this company is "Run by Board Members." Members who live in Gaffney. You would think that would be of benefit to Gaffney citizens. It's not that they don't have time, it's they chose not to take the time.

After all of this I find out my power wasn't cut off, not just as a favor, but because my fence was locked. It definitely would have been. My problem is this, had my neighbor not called me at work and told me, I would have gotten home at 5:30 with my children, one 12 and the other two below the age of 6 and had no power. It was below freezing last night and we would have been out of luck. No one would have came out and turned my power back on out of sympathy.

I have not been disconnected in the eight years that I have been a customer. As it turns out in March of 2007 I was left a notice and that blew my perfect record. So, my point is, everybody is entitled to forget sometime. This could have been eliminated by a notice on my door or in the mail. They say they have too many customers to send out late notices. Broad River Electric has the time. Duke Power has the time.

They took the time to come out and send two or three guys to turn my power off and get this, they left the past-due notice on the door, with a note that said "fence locked." So thank God for neighbors. And remember this - you get no grace period regardless! You could be the PERFECT customer but when you're late you are put on the list for cutoff the next day.

Tammy Moss

Gaffney, SC