Ever since I have lived at Crossway I never really had an issue with my electric bill. It was pretty average in comparison to other places I have lived. I tend to be a low consumer of electric; unplugging things, keeping my lights off during the day, setting the thermostat set at the recommended temperature (as requested by Crossway), and for a while we didn't even have a tv. I received a notice in the mail from the "electric company" right before winter started warning me that my bill next month may be unusually high because of the cold weather and to "wear a sweater". The next month my MEAP benefits came in for $300. I was happy because based on my electric bills from last year, that money should cover the winter months. Wrong. At the same time I received my MEAP, Crossway also opened a new bakery in the building. Each month my electric bill would increase by $30 or more. By February, my MEAP had run out and I was hit with a bill for nearly $200. I have one child and live in a one bedroom apartment. During the week we are not home except for first thing in the morning and late evenings, and obviously overnight. We are in and out of the house on weekends. After talking to some of the other residents and learning that I was not the only one with a bill more than twice the amount they are usually charged, I was outraged. I spoke to Crossway about the bill. The response I got was that it was really cold outside. I did some research on the computer to find out what other people were paying in similar sized apartments in the same are I live in and mine was still substantially higher than average. Upset that my MEAP had ran out faster than expected due to previous increasing bills, I was stuck to pay the full amount out of pocket. Being that I also have other bills and I go to school, money was super tight. I have never not paid a bill or paid late. I was not about to have that happen now, but didn't know how I was going to cover all my month's expenses with this unexpectedly high bill. I talked with Crossway staff about my bill after going through all the electric bills I have gotten from them since I first moved in. The cost of my electric for the winter from the previous year were HALF of what they were making me pay. Also, I noticed in very fine print that the bill actually says, "NOT FROM THE UTILITY COMPANY." Then where did it come from? Third, the numbers on my supposedly individual meter for my apartment did not match the bill, nor did ANY of the bills have numbers on them that were order month to month. It literally looked like someone just made up the bill. It just didn't make sense. When I addressed all of this to Crossway I was talked over, given a robotic answer that was nearly identical to the answer another resident received. Crossway tried to explain the bills to me that still made no sense as if if she kept talking I would just believe her and give up. I eventually outright told her unless I saw an actual bill from PEPCO that it is my understanding that the bill is made up. And if this was in fact a legitimate bill than I could no longer live here because I can't afford to spend $200 per month on electric. Alas, she stopped me and my tracks and offered me a letter to take to MUM's and have them pay the bill. I was also required to write a letter to FLA to not receive a late fee on the bill not being paid on time, which I did, and they approved, since it could take 15 days for MUM's to send the check directly to Crossway to cover the amount owed for that month. I went to MUM's, Crossway confirmed over the phone that I would recieve a check for the full amount and that was that. The following month I received a new bill and an invoice from Crossway saying that not only did I have new charges this month, but that the previous month's bill still had not been paid. When I addressed Crossway about this, they said it was probably an office error and it should be off the next month. Wrong, again. Long story short, I ended up never receiving the money from MUM's to pay my bill and an invoice that said that TWO months had not been paid for because when I gave them a check from HOC that is supposed to be used for utilities I told them MUM's is sending a check use this money for the next bill. Of course they didn't and all they numbers got jacked up and I ended up paying the bill out of pocket anyway with the dreaded words NON-PAYMENT twice now on my invoice. It turns out that according to MUM's it was a clerical error on their part but since I was working and going to school I didn't have time to go back again to apply for them to write another check. So I just paid off the entire amount I owed. All the while this is happening the bakery is up and running. Everyone's bills went up. Anyone on MEAP got wiped out after 2 and a half months or less, and it all began a month after the bakery opening. I can not be clearer about this when I tell you that I have no doubt the bakery that was advertised as helping out the residents in reality made us all go broke because we were paying the electric bill of all the extra electric used since the bakery opened. I also still believe that Crossway completely makes up their electric bills as they see fit for each individual. None of these apartments are individually metered. At best they are quarterly metered (which means there is one bill for 4 apartments and split among the tenants). So either way, no matter what you do, you have no control what your bill is. And you have to pay or go to court. Furthermore, a month after the residents complained about their bills, they started going back down dramatically. I am almost afraid to learn what the residents that still live at Crossways' bill will be come August first.
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