Powerless

Yesterday, the power company shut off our electricity. From our understanding at closing, the bank that owned the house before we bought it was supposed to transfer the account to us. However, the after-hours operator informed Jenny that such a transfer is not allowed due to a policy change at the beginning of the year. Apparently, an account transfer can only be made in one direction, the buyer requesting the transfer. I can understand that as a way of securing accounts against transfer fraud and ruining credit. However, I am displeased with the way the power company handled this. They gave us no notice of the shutoff. They simply pulled the plug unceremoniously. We understand that they don't have our names or phone numbers, but they obviously have our address. They could have put a letter in the mail or a hanger on the door or something to tell us that we may have forgotten to transfer the account. And because we didn't find out about the problem until the office had closed, we had to suffer all night without power. Power that lets me watch the newest South Park after volleyball. Power that recharges my cell phone while I sleep. Power that tells the furnace and water heater to turn on when needed. We will be calling during business hours today to get the account in our names, and hope that the power is restored before our electrician friend shows up to check a few wiring issues this afternoon.