Elderly Indio couple facing financial pinch because of problems with power meter

An elderly Indio couple tells CBS Local 2 their power company has put them in a financial pinch.

The power company tells us it was all sparked by a broken power meter.

“I try to be an upright person, and I try to help other people, but this is wrong,” said 78-year-old Eugene Hartwell, while fighting back tears while talking about a billing problem with Imperial Irrigation District.

Last November, their electric bill from IID showed they had a credit of one thousand dollars.

So, over the course of a couple of weeks, Martha asked for and received two rebate checks from IID, both for five hundred dollars.

The couple thought they’d put the money to good use, and pay for Eugene’s medical expenses.

He suffers from an enlarged heart, high blood pressure, and arthritis.

“When I called them (IID) and they said how much do you want, I said well, five hundred dollars, and they said okay, we’ll have it to you by next Thursday. Then, when we got the next bill. We still had a credit, and I called back and asked could we get more, and they said sure,” said Martha.

But shortly after giving the Hartwells the money, IID notified the couple they would have to pay it back.

The power company says the Hartwell’s bill back in November showed a huge credit, because their old meter, now replaced, had stopped working, making it appear the couple wasn’t using any electricity.

A representative for IID says the meter was not working for several months.

During that time, the Hartwells paid the power company the same amount every month, under IID’s “Average Bill Payment Program”.

“I can’t understand how they come out here, every month and read my meter and not know that the meter is still at zero,” said Martha.

On a limited income, the Hartwells say paying the full one thousand dollars back to the Imperial Irrigation District will create a hardship for them, and they feel they should not be held liable for a problem caused by a power meter that stopped working, and they’re hoping for a compromise.

“I believe it is the light company’s fault, although we did profit from it, but it is the light company’s fault,” said Martha.

Standing for the Hartwells, CBS Local 2 contacted IID on behalf of the couple.

A representative for the utility tells us they were able to reduce the Hartwell’s debt by about three hundred dollars.

The couple will also be switched to a “low income discount” program to for additional savings on their monthly bills.