TECO Electric Charged with a deosit of 2 months "$666", because we were late once in 5 years Tampa Florida

My wife and I have been paying out electric bill on time for almost 5 years. We've been with TECO that long being the Company is the only choice we even have for this typr of service. In July 2009, my wife had gone away and left me responsible for paying the bills while gone. We'll, unfortunetly I forgot to mail that payment out of many I was responsible for totaling just shy of $350 for that month. My wife came home and noticed we now owe for 2 months but didnt have the funds at the time to pay both so I paid the total amount due in September.

A month later I recieved a letter stating " because we were late in July, we will have to charge you a deposit of $666 based on our most recent 6 month average that so happen to be dead summer, so the bill was quite high at the time. Well, we had a hard time coming up with the total amount but was told that if my deposit was not paid by a certain due date, my service will be cancelled. So now, not only do I have to pay for the coming month, but the deposit as well.

Long story short, I called a total of 10 times to speak with someone but no one at TECO was willing to help, they said, even if we pay our normal monthly bill due, my service will be disconnected until we pay a total NOW of $1,040 or else......

I have lost my Job the past year so its hard making ends meat let alone a $1000 light bill so I tried asking all my friends and family for help, and finaly got some, from my Father. And We were forced to give them a deposit and the normal monthly amount due 1 day before disconnection.

I ask to whom ever has any advice? why do I have to pay a deposit for being late once and get punished for it but not getting rewarded for paying on time for 59 months in a row? They say they will aply the deposit tward our monthly bill after 23 months of paying on time. So would I have done had my father not helped me and they are the only game in the electric business so basicly, I cant go anywhere and transfer service because TECO is the only Electric provider in Tampa Florida? What do they do with all that interest from all the clients paying deposits?

TECO Electric is a scam, and they dont care to work with you regardless if you have a 2 year old child in the house and a blind Grandmother we take care of? This is a JOKE and someone should do something about it for us because I jnow many people and I'm sure others I dont know have the same problem and need help getting our deposits back.

I can go on and on but I hope you get what I've told you??

TECO is BAD BAD BAD to the public and should be called out on it. I have all my proof and documents to support my case and lost plenty of sleep every night thinking my lights may get turned off over a deposit.....


Please help.....

Thanks!!!!

Alex
Tampa, Florida
U.S.A.