PETERSBURG, Va. - Claudine Brown has been renting a home in Petersburg for nearly a year. She said it’s the perfect size for her family of four, and knew she would pay a little more for her electric bill because of the size.
“It was to be expected because it’s an older house and it’s a two-story,” she said.
But Claudine was in shock after receiving her bill in December.
She said in November her electric bill was around $250.
Then in December, her bill went up to $1,283 and then to nearly $1,000 in January.
“How did that happen?” asked Brown.
Brown said the issue started when her hot water went out.
She said she did boil water when taking showers, but doesn’t believe it would cause her bill to go up that much.
She said she also tried to contact her landlord, but got no response so she reached out to the CBS 6 Problem Solvers.
“I’m talking to voicemails, I’m talking to text messages, no response back,” she said.
CBS 6 then contacted Brown’s landlord on Monday. He agreed initially to do an interview then canceled.
He said that a water leak in the house may have caused the bill to go up.
He then called Brown and said he would be sending someone to look at the house on Tuesday, and will work with her to reimburse her if maintenance said he is responsible.
Still, Brown said it’s been difficult trying to get by.
“It’s a major struggle,” she said.
CBS 6 News is working for you. Click here to email a tip to the CBS 6 Problem Solvers. Be sure to leave us your name, phone number and detailed description of the problem. You can also leave a message by calling 804-254-3672.
