Duke Energy refunds Largo woman after nearly 5 years of wrong bills

A Largo homeowner spent nearly five years paying exorbitant power bills after Duke Energy linked her billing account to a luxury Treasure Island home by mistake. Shocking August utility chargesJanice Doll spent 57 months trying to rein in electric charges that regularly climbed into hundreds of dollars each month for her 1,500-square-foot house. Duke Energy representatives told her the meter functioned properly and insisted the issue originated inside her house. Desperate for relief, the retiree spent an estimated $12,000 to $15,000 replacing functional appliances. Her purchases included a new air conditioning unit, pool pump, washer, dryer, microwave and garage refrigerator. Doll also hired an electrician who inspected the property between six and eight times over three years without identifying an electrical defect. "We even called Duke (Energy) for an energy audit, and they came out and said everything looks great," Doll said. "Well, obviously it didn't because then we got a $600 bi