PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A local family emailed ABC Action News because Duke Energy is sending them bills for a home they have not lived in since Hurricane Helene.
"All the first-floor condo units here are bare. They are shells, and there is no electricity," said Toni Tarsi.
Toni and John Tarsi's condo on St. Pete Beach flooded during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
"This was at one time a very cute little quaint condo," said Toni Tarsi.
They are waiting on permits to repair their home and are temporarily living in Brandon.
"For people that are still displaced and still don't have their homes, I feel like maybe I could be a voice for those people," said Toni Tarsi.
Duke Energy recently mailed Toni a bill for almost $150 in electric charges since the storm destroyed her home.
"Bills for the months that we don't have electricity and assessment charges on top of that," said Toni Tarsi.
Duke Energy has a minimum electric charge of $30 a month, regardless of how much electricity customers use.
"You're basically paying for a service just because you could be hooked up, but you don't have the hookup right now," said Toni Tarsi.
Toni believes Duke Energy should waive the minimum for people who have lost everything.
"It's like adding insult to injury…they don't have a home, but they are going to get the electric bills," said Toni Tarsi.
Duke Energy sent ABC Action News this statement:
"During recent hurricanes, many homes and businesses in Pinellas County and beyond suffered extensive damage. Due to the extent of the damage and the distinct needs of each home or business, Duke Energy customers located in heavily impacted areas require an individual, case-by-case approach to ensure the rebuilding process is implemented as safely and quickly as possible. In some cases, customers that had extensive damage and were able to safely receive power were not disconnected to allow for repairs and rebuilding efforts. In other cases, some meters needed to be replaced or exchanged, while other customers opted to temporarily disconnect power as this was their best option. We continue to make every effort to identify and address each individual customer need and issue through our dedicated team of specialists; however, we understand this is a challenging time for our customers and we encourage them to reach out to us directly for assistance."
Tarsi said they were unaware the $30 minimum would continue to be charged to her account after the storms.
"I just kind of thought that that was not quite fair," said John Tarsi.
The Florida Public Service Commission just approved new electric rates for Duke Energy customers that will go into effect in March.
The company cited a need to increase rates to cover costs related to the recent hurricanes.
NEWS LITERACY WEEK
Excited, idealistic, and not jaded. Those are a few words ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska would use to describe the USF journalism students he interviewed for News Literacy Week.
