Home without power since Sandy still getting power bills - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

Despite being without power since Superstorm Sandy in October, some people in the Breezy Point neighborhood are still getting power bills.

One woman says her bills are quadruple what they normally average.  And this comes after LIPA cut the power off before the storm, at her request.

Marianne Scarino says the had the power cut off at the home the Saturday before the storm as a precaution.

The storm ravaged the neighborhood and Scarino says her home is still in shambles two months later.  She lost everything inside the home her husband and her were planning to spend their retirement.

What she does have, despite not having power, are continuing power bills.  The first post-Sandy bill was for $140, even though her monthly power bills average around $30.

"They're billing exorbitant amounts for a period when we had no power whatsoever," Scarino says.

Despite receiving another letter telling her to disregard that bill, she received another bill for $156 just days later.

They now owe over $300, because LIPA is estimating bills, even though the power lines are actually not even attached to the house.

Scarino says she called LIPA's customer service line.  She says she was told to pay the bills or they would turn her over to a collections agency.

Frustrated, Scarino called Fox 5 News. A call to LIPA got an answer a few hours later in the way of a statement.

"We spoke with the customer today and have advised her to hold off on payment while we do a thorough review of the account in order to make sure we issue a bill that's consistent with the home's energy usage. We did apologize for any inconvenience," the statement read.

While it appears Scarino's issue will be resolved soon, it's still unclear if she is the only LIPA customer getting billed for power that's been disconnected.