MERIDIAN, Texas — Roger Parker has lived in the same apartment in Meridian for eight years. His mom has lived just a few doors down for the last four.
Last month both were told their electric meters had to be replaced.
"He said we're going to be changing the meters out on all of the units because AT&T's tower was no longer working with the system that they worked with," Parker told 25 News.
They've worked with Gexa Electric for years and never had any problems before switching the meters. Now both have seen their bills more than triple.
"You go from $63 last month for a tiny little apartment like this to $410," Parker said. "How do you eat? How do you buy gas? How do you pay your gas bill or buy medications?"
Both Parker and his mother are on a fixed income and with inflation already hitting them hard, they said these prices are impossible to pay.
"I don't know what we're going to do," Parker said.
He said the increase out of nowhere was very strange to him, but even stranger that it was not happening to everyone in the building.
Gary York lives right next to Parker. His bill has not changed, but also being on a fixed income he's concerned it might happen soon.
"I'm afraid it's fixing to go up because my neighbor's has," he said. "If my bills stay normal where it is now, I won't have any problems with what I live on. But if it gets any worse, I'll be in trouble."
Parker said he's tried to reach out to the electric company numerous times looking for answers, but not finding any.
"We cannot survive on bills like this," Parker added. "We just can't. My mom can't. No one can really survive on these types of bills."
25 News also reached out to Gexa but they did not respond to the request for comment.
