TUSCALOOSA COUNTY, Alabama (WBRC) – Strange things are happening to some homeowners in Duncanville, an area in western Tuscaloosa County and across the border in Bibb County.
Two residents claim that power outages have occurred for no apparent reason and frustration is slowly growing.
Faith Bates and her mother Teresa Bates say they have never experienced anything like this before. They lose power for no reason and claim they are not alone, in addition to being confused and bewildered.
“I am both angry and disappointed,” said Faith Bates.
That’s how Faith describes her feelings as she and her mother grapple with what they say are the bizarre power outages of the past six years. Both say they have always paid their Alabama Power bills on time and in full.
“It seems to me like there’s something wrong with the power all the time and things are breaking down for us,” said Teresa Bates.
For reference, the Bates live on Highway 82 West just across the Tuscaloosa County line in Bibb County. It’s a rural area, but not isolated. Mother and daughter say that’s what happens when there’s no bad weather.
“At least once a week, sometimes twice a week,” said Faith Bates.
Alabama Power officials told WBRC they were not aware of any power service issues. The company said, “We have recently experienced weather-related outages that are typical for this time of year” and “we encourage customers to contact us directly so we can address their specific concerns.”
And that’s exactly what the Bates say they did. They started a petition that they say has more than 50 virtual signatures from homeowners in Tuscaloosa and Bibb counties, who the family says have also experienced sudden power outages. The petition was sent to Alabama Power, and Bates says there was little response.
“I went to Alabama Power on Queen City Avenue and they told me there wasn’t much they could do,” Bates said.
Faith and Teresa say they want to keep trying and persevere to find out why this is happening.
Here is Alabama Power’s full statement:
We are not aware of any current power issues. We have recently experienced weather-related outages that are typical for this time of year. Our teams work as quickly as possible to restore power after storms. We encourage customers to contact us directly so we can address their specific concerns.
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