A two-part Kane In Your Corner investigation into a situation concerning overdue JCP&L bills is resonating with the News 12 New Jersey audience.
The investigation looked into claims by several New Jersey residents who say that JCP&L is pressuring them to pay overdue balances that the residents say they are not responsible for.
Angela O’Neil says that the utility company turned off her power over at $10,000 bill that belonged to her late father. She says that the bill is not her responsibility because she only lived with her father for the last few months of his life.
Chivas Caswell says that her power was cut off over an outstanding bill from a house she hasn’t lived in since she was a child.
News 12 viewer “Mary Anne” took to Facebook soon after the story aired to express her outrage.
“This is no different than if someone moved into a house and the previous occupant hadn’t paid. It’s not their responsibility,” she wrote.
The Kane In Your Corner investigation also looked into the Board of Public Utilities and its role in the situation. The investigation found that in many cases, the BPU failed to adequately investigate the complaints against JCP&L.
“I really think this is terrible what they are doing. It's abusive and should be illegal,” News 12 viewer “Angela” wrote.
Many viewers said that they were surprised by how much the outstanding bills were. Many were for thousands of dollars.
Three of the families in the investigations were dealing with account balances of people who died. When someone is ill, utility companies may not be able to shut off service, even if a bill is late. Bills can often add up quickly.