City of Helen to get huge refund from Georgia Power

HELEN, Ga. – Just in time to brighten everyone’s Christmas, Helen City Manager Jerry Elkins reported this week that the city will receive nearly $200,000 in cash and services from Georgia Power Company as a result of the utility’s overbilling the city over the past couple of years.

Elkins said city officials have been working with the utility company to gain a better understanding of what the city was being billed. “We really didn’t understand how many street lights we had and how many we were being billed for or the wattage of the lights,” he said.

“We’ve been trying to get this cleared up for two years. When we met with their area manager Jason Stott, he worked with us every step of the way. They conducted an audit that showed we had been overcharged in the amount of $142,072.77 and they are going to refund that. In addition, we have some decorative street lights that have gotten old and need to be replaced. They have agreed to provide about $48,000 to replace those lights at no charge to the city,” Elkins stated.

Elkins added that now city officials understand exactly what they have and will be able to keep track of it better.

“I’m proud to say Georgia Power worked with us every step of the way. They stepped up and did what they needed to do,” Elkins said.