A number in that formula was entered incorrectly by an employee, causing the amounts of four billing cycle batches to double, said Sally Thelen, Duke spokeswoman.
The error affected both electric and natural gas customers in the company’s 9, 10, 11 and 12 billing cycles. The bills were sent out last week. These numbers are reflected as the last two digits of a customer’s account number, according to the company.
The error did affect about 83,000 total customers in Duke’s Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky markets, Thelen said.
“This is an unfortunate error but we believe this was an isolated incident,” she said.
In most cases, Thelen said meter estimates are corrected in the form of a credit on future bills.
Customers have been contacted by the company and will be receiving letters about the error. For now, Duke is recommending customers pay half the amount due. To check whether your bill was affected, call customer service at (800) 544-6900.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.
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