‘I asked them if they want me to just live in a tent’: MLGW customer shares frustration over billing problems

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Frustration has been growing among Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) customers over recent billing.

Barbara Pierotti says she got a bill for nearly $1,400 in August from MLGW.

“My brother lives next door and his house is more than 1,000 square feet bigger,” Pierotti said. “His bill was only $400.”

Pierotti said she went to MLGW offices to speak to someone in person about her sticker shock—only to be met with advice she called “ridiculous.”

“They told me to wash my clothes on cold and let them hang dry around my house, then they told me to try to cook outside as often as possible,” Pierotti said. “I asked them if they want me to just live in a tent.”

We took Action for Barbara to see why her bill was so high—and they directed us to the issues they’ve been having with their meters.

But this issue doesn’t pertain to Pierotti.

That’s because she has paid all of her bills on time—and she showed Action News 5 copies of all of them.

“They always want to push a payment plan,” said Pierotti. “I don’t need a payment plan. I can pay my bills, but not ones these high for any longer.”

She also told Action News 5 that she has requested the utility come do a check at her home, and still she has not gotten this solved.

We reached out to speak to MLGW about this issue, and they informed us there was no one available Tuesday.

We did provide the utility Pierotti’s information and they said they are looking into it.

At the time of this writing, Pierotti still had not received any answers, and she believes there are a number of people being overcharged.

“I feel like they don’t care,” Pierotti told Action News 5. “And they’re going to keep dishing it out as long as we keep paying it.”

If you have any issues you’d like our investigators to look into, you can email us at Desk@WMCTV.com

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