
Milena Pagan, owner of Little Sister restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, received a shocking electricity bill of $19,053 from Rhode Island Energy last year, without warning. Pagan claims that she had been paying her bills on time but the company had been estimating her monthly bills based on a prior tenant’s lower usage for the last two years, leading to the massive retroactive billing. Despite rejecting Rhode Island Energy’s offer of a payment plan, Pagan is taking the issue to state regulators with a hearing scheduled in April. It is noted that there is no law currently in place to prevent utilities from retroactively billing consumers unless there is an issue with the meter. Rhode Island Energy claims the meter was accurate so Pagan is responsible for the usage. This case has attracted the attention of the state Attorney General, which is interested in ensuring consumers are treated fairly.