LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Lake Worth Beach residents are finding relief to their wallets as gas bills return to normalcy.
This comes one month after residents like Elaine White, shared her story with WPTV's Joel Lopez that inconsistencies with her gas bills over the last six months, were putting her in a tight spot financially.
WATCH BELOW: 'It’s helping me a lot, because I’m on a fixed income,' Elaine White told WPTV
With new bills issued since our coverage, we checked in to see if White had noticed any difference in her charges.
“It was running me like $130, $109, it was just going up and down up and down," White said with her latest bill coming in at a manageable $48. “I'm so excited 'cause it seems like once you contacted them and they noticed you were involved, it immediately changed."
Last month, we discovered that Florida Public Utilities (FPU) had been estimating her gas usage instead of accurately reading her meter.
After pushing for accountability, FPU confirmed they had issues with their meter reader, who has since been removed from the job.
After our interview, White said she received a follow-up email from FPU checking in to see if she had any further issues.
“I'm a little disappointed because the company probably didn't know they weren't reading the meter, but it hurt the customer, which is me," said White. "Now I'm happy that they are realizing that they need something done."
The company said it would transition to remote reading of gas meters in the area, ensuring more accurate billing in the future.
“What was your reaction when you finally got that bill and you saw it was at least relatively normal?” asked Lopez.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW: WPTV uncovers cause of inflated gas bills in Lake Worth Beach
“I smiled, first thing I did was smile and I thought about Joel. Joel took care of it for me and I’m like okay,” she shared, highlighting how the attention to her case transformed her circumstances.
"It’s helping me a lot because I’m on a budget, I’m on a fixed income so this is helping me greatly," said White.
We dug deeper into what can be done to help residents on a budget and found FPU’s Budget Billing Program.
This program allows customers to pay a consistent amount each month, easing the stress of seasonal peaks and fluctuations in their bills.
“I’m sure there’s more people that are glad that you did this, Thank you for listening, Channel 5 News. I really appreciate it; continue to do what you’re doing.”
For more information on Budget Billing and other programs, visit Florida Public Utilities here.
