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Belton church ministry slammed with over $57,000 electric bill after winter storm

Immanuel Lutheran Ministries first thought the bill was a mistake. But now the electric company is starting to charge late fees.

TEMPLE, Texas — Immanuel Lutheran Ministries has a Temple campus and a Belton campus. They've been with energy company Constellation for more than five years. Energy bills at the Belton Campus ranged from $500 to $1,000 a month and Pastor Dana Wilhelmsen said they never had a problem. 

Then the winter storm hit and they got a bill for $57,010.78. Surely, Wilhelmsen said, it was a mistake. 

"When were saw the kW per hour, we were like, 'wow, this has got to be the biggest computer mess up I've ever seen.' We didn't know what was going on," Wilhelmsen said. 

But after months of trying to get it figured out, the ministry is no closer to an answer and is getting charged late fees.

Disconnections for non-payment may resume in the state as soon as next week. 

Wilhelmsen said phone conversations with Constellation have revealed the fixed rate contract they previously had may have lapsed at the end of 2019, leaving them in a default -- and variable rate -- agreement for this year. 

On the other hand, the church has separate contracts for each city campus, and the Temple campus has not had the same rate issue. Wilhelmsen said they never got an actually copy of either new agreement, renewed or not, and they had assumed COVID-19 to be the reason. 

"Generally they send you documentation and you re-sign it. None of that took place. Everyone was dealing with COVID[-19]," Wilhelmsen said. 

Wilhelmsen said they had asked Constellation for a copy of their latest contract or agreement on the phone multiple times, but had not received it. Now, they are running out of time. 

6 News reached out to Constellation about the issue Friday afternoon. Company spokesman Dave Snyder said they would investigate the matter and would follow up with additional information. 

6 News also reached out to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which is checking with their consumer protection division on the issue. 

Wilhelmsen said the ministry has no problem paying what they truly owe in this case. They just want an explanation, and some paperwork, before paying a bill that's 60 times the normal amount.

"If it ends up after all this that there is some final item that is ours, great! It is our responsibility," Wilhelmsen said. "But if they can't produce the contract that says it is specifically ours... we feel like we are being forced to pay this bill when maybe we don't have to."

Wilhelmsen said Immanuel Lutheran Ministries will be able to keep their doors open either way, though the many community programs they fund and work are very much in jeopardy. 

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