Respecting the Long Arm of Utilities Law

Utilities companies generally want their money - I get that.  Last month we got a series of escalating bills + a 'final notice' for our water in Chicago (bills sat in mail forwarding a few weeks too many)......

...but alas, Chicago is patient & water was not turned off before we paid.

Here, you read your own meters, manually calculate the cost, take your form to a bank or post office & pay the bill.

Then every month various meter ladies (gas, electricity) come by to verify these self-reported figures.  When we first arrived, I had no idea what they were saying - but was reassured by their grandmotherly appearance & let them in.  

Today, right after the gas meter lady left, the electricity lady rang.  However, this time she did not show up on foot like normal.....

She had a LOT to say - and while I only understood about 50%, the key message was clear:

Turns out, our self-calculated payment last month was off by a decimal

(this was the first computer generated form I'd seen for utilities - so I knew it was serious!)

She grimly reported they would turn off the electricity.  When I asked "when?".  She responded "right now."  When I asked for how long, she reported "2-3 business days after payment is received, it will come back"...

Looking totally shell shocked & helpless (no fridge, no lights or way to charge our iPads ~ FRIGHTENING), I continued to babble and ask questions in my 'Tarzan Russian'.

After about 10 minutes, she started to soften to my plight - and suggested if I promised to go pay today, called her right after I paid and gave her a small 'tarrif', she could hold off the dogs for a bit....

Yes - 100 hryvna later (~$12) I went for that option - rushed to the bank, then to the post, called my new BFF Olga and we are still plugged in!


And I was glad I did...on my drive down to the bank/post, I saw another house down the street who apparently did NOT choose the 'friends of Olga' option......

....I don't think they were doing repair

So here's to respecting your utilities professionals and paying your damn bills on time & accurately!