Will power companies be able to properly bill it's customers for their power bill usage? When de-regulation of the power industry comes, do you think your power bill will go down? Do you know what an Energy Service Provider is and how it will effect your power bill?

-- R.P. Stuart (scotishpower@scotts.com), August 23, 1999

Answers

R.P. You have asked what I consider the "Litmus Test" of ones deepest belief's concerning the severity of Y2K:

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL NOT GET A UTILITY BILL IN JANUARY DUE TO Y2K? I mean, REALLY! lol.

As someone who has worked on Y2K in the power industry, let me reassure you - we fixed billing systems first. Any remaining errors will be in our favor ;)

Regards,

-- FactFinder (FactFinder@bzn.com), August 23, 1999.

WE are deregulated in Pa, and are able to pick out power provider. At first the billing system needed work but it didn't take long for them to get it straight. So I do not think will be a problem in y2k

-- Cassandra (american_storm@usa.net), August 23, 1999.

Depends on what billing program they are using, depends on if the power stays on, depends on if there's a meter reader to read your meter, and it depends on if your service provider is still in business. If the state or federal government takes over, it will be later, so I wouldn't worry too much about how much you owe.

-- lineman for the county (linemanforthecounty@linemanforthecounty.com), August 23, 1999.

Ya gotta have a postal service and transportation for any of this to work.

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), August 23, 1999.

My father in law works for the post office and he said the postal service will go down. Gary North claims the same! YOU WILL NOT GET ANY KIND OF BILL IN THE MAIL!!!

-- Y2K ready (Y2K@ready.com), August 23, 1999.

To the man that said the power industry has the bugs worked out of the power bill. You my friend are dead wrong! The power industry has a terrible working record for accurate billing right now. Your industry has gone to the phone center concept, wipeing out any true customer service. The method of signing up a customer over the phone is a real laugh! I can call my present company up right now and sign my dog up for power! Give you a bad mailing address and go bill free for many months right now. Wait untill Y2K. I bet the fix all cure for your Y2K problem was the implimentation of a system called "SAP"? If it was, it will not fix your system of customer service and the Y2K problem. SAP does not address billing of the power bill. This was the electric industry fix all. It over looked the bill process, buddy. I suggest every one to request a years billing history of your power bill some time this December, and retain this info.. When your bill does not come to your door becouse of the power company screw up, you will have an idea of what you will owe the company if you do not pay them. Remember, even though you do not get a bill, your meter is still spinning and you will be billed for the amount read, provided the power remains on. Id hate to get a $500-$600 bill when the bugs get worked out.

-- R.T.Willis (power@com.net), August 24, 1999.