On the grape-vine

I had been wondering what to blog about when I was presented with an over-sized electricity bill. I don't remember asking the company to 'super-size me', so I gave them a call.

I started out calm, rational and convinced I was going to 'sort this thing out, once and for all.'

Tom, an innocent fellow, just doing his job, was nice enough if not a little patronising.

"So, Ms Person", accusingly.. "you, single-handedly, have been using twice the amount of electricity than my wife and children use in my home."

Now hold on a second! I could feel the calm transforming into the beginnings of an inner hurricane. I haven't even asked my question yet. Which was to be how the frig I had all of a sudden been slammed for four big ones. I had paid the bill on time, every month, since I had switched over to the company. A meter-reading lady had come periodically to read the meter, and thought everything was above board. So why had they the need to 'estimate' the bill, as they claimed this was the reason for the extra cost?

Now I owed them back-money?! Someone was to called up on this, and Tom bless his well-trained heart, was in the firing line.

It turned that after much deliberation and antler-locking (i shouldn't be doing that, I'm a girl fer crissakes) my mistakes were these: I didn't write down the dates the meter-reader came on; should have insisted on reading my own meter; should have taken tabs on how much I was using each day; should have kept a closer eye on the billing system.... and so on... who knew?

I refuse to relinquish my basic right to want to place trust in my fellow human beings, even if they are a massive power corporation (pun intended) looking only to line the pockets of the National football leagues.

The 'little old ladies next door' are to the most part just a statistic in their corporate data-bases.....until, to be fair, and you have to be pretty bull-headed to achieve this, you manage to win over the likes of the tele-operator Tom, who it has to be said, after I had my say in the matter, has struck me a 'fair deal' with the pay-back, even though there is nothing fair about it. He even volunteered off his own back to go the extra mile and call me a few days before the bills is due. But truthfully the kind of assistance I need is to have a genius brain installed in my skull so I can make any sense of any of it. But I will allow him to think he is genuinely doing me a favor, as i think he is an innocent pawn in the larger corporate mind-game. This mind-game is actually simply, wilful neglect. I am hardy. But what about the others, this has happened to, who maybe don't have the time or energy to stand up for themselves?

I feel tricked, cheated on and used...divorcees out there - remind you of anything?

I know there are others I heard it on the grape-vine...