Product: Debt collection

My Power has been disconnected since XX/XX/XXXX and I owed a balance of {$1600.00}. I have been displaced from my home since then. I have a XXXX XXXX   on my account with XXXX since XXXX. That is a provision set up for people who use life saving breathing apparatuses that run on electricity. The rent is still being paid at my home, even though my children are sleeping on the floor at their sister 's house in XXXX, XXXX & I am at a friends in XXXX. I went to get assistance from XXXX County on XX/XX/XXXX to restore services as I had to wait for a full calendar year to pass since the last date of assistance. I have black mold in my home and I am trying to move. I have filed a lawsuit against my current landlord for damages that occurred since XXXX, XXXX from the mold. With that, the agency is willing to pay the {$1600.00} so that I may move out and get my kids back home. Due to the nature of the housing program I am in, I can not be provided with documentation to move out until my Power is restored. XXXX added a balance that they claim I owed from XXXX to bring the total amount owed for the restoration of service to {$6900.00} and some change. Which renders the agency in the county incapable of helping me restore my service. I called them on XX/XX/XXXX to ask them why my balance had increased 434 %, the rep. in the credit department wouldn't tell me why my balance went up, he made me call the collection agency that they forwarded my account to which is XXXX, in XXXX, VA. Their rep. XXXX XXXX reviewed my account and could not find any information or invoicing connected to that balance. She advised that I had two accounts and two balances in XXXX 's system. She could see where they added the balance in XXXX and then stated that she believed they were double charging me and advised that I call back and ask for more information on the {$5000.00} balance. She did so on a recorded line, so there is proof of her statement. She told me to call XXXX. I called back to the credit department at XXXX, I spoke to Mr. XXXX, he looked up my account and told me that the balance was from an old address in XXXX. He could not find any further information on the balance, as there is no supporting information. Essentially, they have no records in regard to the balance, only that it appears unpaid. My issue is that I apply with the Office of Energy Assistance just about every year as I am pretty poor. In that, they offer what is called an arrearage payment every 7 years as that is how the arrearage payments work. I applied for that arrearage back then, which made me have to wait until 7 years passed to get it again. I also received that arrearage last year..which is around 7 years later. My contention is that they DID indeed receive that payment, but kept poor records surrounding my account. I asked Mr. XXXX do they typically allow someone to move and start an entirely new account with such a balance, as I explained that it had in fact been taken care of. before I received a new account. While he stated that it is not unheard of to still allow an account to be opened, it's atypical to see it done when a customer has such a large balance. I explained to him that in my opinion, that is poor business practice. I spoke to my ex-husband about it and he said they did the same thing to him and then disconnected his service for an old account they found and made him pay to restore service. He was pretty upset that XXXX is allowed to basically run an audit and tack a balance on someones account so many years later and force them to pay to have power. You can not live in this tri-state area and not have XXXX as your power company unless you live in XXXX. So essentially, my ability to live and thrive as well as my kids is being held ransom for a 7-year-old ghost balance that they have no information on. From what I understand, any debt on your credit report must be removed after 7 years how is this a legal practice for XXXX. It seems that they know that 7 years have passed and if I am such a bad customer per their words, why not make me pay in XXXX when they gave me a new account? Why wait until now? Why allow someone who owes you {$5000.00} to open another account in the same company? I want the balance removed, so that I may pay the {$1600.00} and go home. My children have been sleeping on the floor at their sisters for almost a year now to due us not having power & not being able to move from the mold. As soon as I get some help, they add a HUGE balance because they know I have to have power to live here, so someone will pay it. I also want it removed from my credit report as they appear to have no data on that account number to even know if it has been paid or not. Thank you for hearing my story.