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Westmoreland customers frustrated with skyrocketing power bills

A number of customers in Westmoreland County have called Channel 11, saying their electric bills have doubled and even tripled.

Crystal Bowman is a mom of six kids. She's lived in her Unity Township house nearly her entire life but she's never had an electric bill like this one.

"Highest my mom's ever seen in the past 35 years was about $350,” Bowman said. "I never dreamed ever it would go that high to be $700."

We've got a lot more messages from viewers after our story aired Thursday. Channel 11's Melanie Marsalko is talking to more frustrated customers, for Channel 11 News starting at 5 p.m. 

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She isn't alone. Channel 11 found hundreds of people in Westmoreland County complaining their bills soared in their latest statements.

Bowman told us her furnace was broken for two weeks in January. She found a smart meter installed outside, yet her actual meter reading more than tripled.

"I gotta think about food on the table and had in my car, and getting my car back, those kinds of things, before I can think about paying this $700 electric bill,” Bowman said.

This is another customer's drastic increase -- from an actual reading of $90 to an estimated $316 bill.

A spokesperson for West Penn Power told Channel 11 the hike is due to the bitterly cold temperatures --estimated readings rely on science and previous temperature data, but the company claims it evens out when an actual reading is done.

West Penn power said if you want to dispute your estimated usage you can walk outside and take a picture of your meter.

You can send that picture to the company through social media, using Facebook or Twitter. A representative could look at that picture and the company could possibly adjust your bill.