Sierra Pacific billing bugs being worked out

Carson City resident Charles Sheldon got a scare this week when he opened his power bill, which averages $13-$15 a month, and saw a charge of $600 staring back at him.

"It's quite a shock," he said. Sheldon knew it was a mistake.

A look at his records at the Sierra Pacific Power billing office remedied the problem.

While most of the kinks in a new Sierra Pacific Power billing system have been worked out, occasionally the system can throw a curve ball, said company spokesman Karl Walquist.

"There doesn't seem to be any major, ongoing problems, but every once in awhile they have to go back in and fix something," he said. "There is nothing exceptional to report. These are the types of problems that occur."

Sheldon said although he had the problem fixed by Sierra Pacific, he is frustrated the billing system is not running more smoothly.

"As I was going out, I met a woman who got a bill for $3,000," he said. "It's August. Why haven't they fixed it?"

A billing error in February sent a batch of bills with $0 balance owed to Carson City customers. That error was also quickly corrected.

Walquist said higher than expected power bills can be expected this summer as the year's rate increases combine with above average power consumption because of home air conditioners.