Man shocked to learn the electric bill he had been paying for nearly 20 years wasn’t his at all
The rising cost of living is taking its toll on lifestyles across the globe, as people are paying more for everything from food to fuel and rent continues to surge. While people are speaking up against rising prices, Ken Wilson of Vacaville, California, has continued to pay an abnormally high electricity bill for almost 20 years despite cutting down on his electricity consumption. Finally, a probe by the power company shockingly revealed that Wilson had been paying someone else's bill for almost two decades.
“I’ve been trying to conserve electricity and lower my costs because it was getting really expensive,” Wilson told CBS affiliate KOLD News 13. “I kept going outside to check my meter and I couldn’t believe it,” he added. Wilson has been living in unit 91 of the apartment complex since 2006 but was also paying the electricity bill for his neighbor in unit 90. He checked the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) company's website to understand the reason behind his sky-high bills but couldn't understand the real reason behind it. “I thought there was a leak or someone was stealing my electricity or the meter was faulty because something wasn’t right,” he told the news outlet. PG&E confirmed this error when they arrived at Wilson’s complex and checked his power meter.
“I feel powerless right now because I can’t control my own meter,” Wilson said in an interview with CBS News. “We sincerely apologize for the oversight and regret any inconvenience caused by the duration of this issue,” PG&E told the news outlet in a statement. “I just hope that this story is going to help others, I can be the only one,” Wilson further mentioned to KOVR. The local power company confirmed that Wilson's electricity bill would be corrected in his next billing cycle. While Wilson's case sounds odd, there is the Carabello family who literally made their elderly neighbor a part of their family.
According to USA Today, a couple, Wilson and Sharaine Caraballo, decided to adopt their 82-year-old Paul Callahan, as a grandfather in their family. When the couple moved next door to Callahan, they weren't sure what to expect. "Our biggest fear moving into a new neighborhood was, 'What if our neighbors don't like us?' What if, because we have a lot of kids, they make a lot of noise and we come from a big family, so what if there's any conflict with the neighbors? We're the only Black family in our neighborhood,” Sharaine shared with the outlet.
But Callahan's kindness won them over as he proved to be of great help, and aided the couple with repair works in their new home. “The kids run up to him like that’s their grandfather. Paul is a family member. He’s no longer considered a neighbor,” Sharaine added. “He comes over and hangs out with our family. Educates my husband on different tools. Leaves donuts every Saturday for the kids. Bought the kids' bags full of brand-new socks, gloves, and hats for the winter. Comes to the cookouts in the summer and just brings overall joy to our family."