Extra bill headed to Progress customers

ST. PETERSBURG - Progress Energy customers are not seeing double, but this month many customers will get another bill in the mail. A company spokesperson says a mistake made by the power company on February’s bill means about 88,000 customers will see a higher balance.

Customer Ed Anthony says he would have never spotted the error.

"We pretty much just get our bill and pay it every month, like most people. We don't look at it all that closely," said Anthony.

The problem has to do with a line item on the bill called "adjustment rate." It’s a fee increase approved by the state last summer. The charge is usually about $4.41 per a thousand kilowatts used in power.

According to a company spokesman, Progress Energy was updating its computer system to automatically include the rate on bills, but somewhere along the way the charge was never added.

"But the good news is we are working to correct the situation and learn from it so we can make sure it never happens again, " said Suzanne Grant.

The company says it was a $900,000 error that was immediately spotted.

Grant not only works for Progress Energy but was one of the thousands of customers affected by the bill blunder.

"I was surprised because a billing issue like this is so rare. I've talked to some of my co-workers and they say it’s very, very rare," said Grant.

This week Progress Energy will be re-issue new bills to thousands customers. Anthony says the $5 to $10 adjustment shouldn't break the bank.

"Unless it looks outrageously high, which it never does, I just pay it and wait for the next one," said Anthony.