You can't fight the gas company: Arlington Heights man gets $900 bill

Like most people, Jerry DiDomenico grudgingly pays his monthly Nicor gas bill. Then he received one this month for $992.47.

Typically his monthly bills are around $60 to $70.

"Nothing makes sense here," said DiDomenico, who lives on North Carriage Way in the Frenchman's Cove subdivision in Arlington Heights. "They said something about this being a catch-up bill. Well, if it's a catch-up bill, someone made a mistake."

According to a Nicor spokesman, that's just how the system works. Every other month, a Nicor representative reads actual meters. During the other months, Nicor estimates customers' bills, said Richard Caragol of Nicor.

"The estimated readings are just that," he said. "This customer was actually under-billed for quite some time."

DiDomenico said he's in a tough spot. Refusing to pay the bill will lead to getting his gas turned off. He talked to a lawyer, who advised him to simply pay the bill.

Although it will have to be paid, DiDomenico will not have to pay the entire bill at once, Caragol said.

That doesn't make DiDomenico feel any better.

"The thing is, I didn't make the mistake, so why should I have to pay for it?" he said. "I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem."

Caragol said it's a problem that comes up occasionally. He also said that the bottom line is that customers like DiDomenico are only being charged for the gas they use even if the bills come in uneven amounts.

"The system keeps our operating costs down," Caragol. "Nicor's operating costs are some of the lowest in the nation. So this is a good system for customers too."

Until that $992.47 bill arrives.

Local band on the airwaves: Hersey High School's symphonic band will be featured on Chicago's classical music radio station, WFMT 98.7-FM at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Last year the radio station began a new program, spotlighting "pre-college" musicians. Hersey is the first high school symphonic band in the Chicago area to be featured. The station will showcase concert clips from the past five years, including portions of Hersey's performances at the Midwest International Band, the National Concert Band Festival and several other appearances.

Looking for a good read? The staff members of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library keep a blog on what they're reading. I check it often and although I wish they'd update it more - especially in the summer - there are some pretty good choices on the list. Also, the blog goes back to January 2007, so it's a long list. And you can check to see if each book is available at the library or if it's checked out.

Go to: http://community.ahml.info/staffchoices.

• Sheila Ahern covers Arlington Heights. She can be reached at (847) 427-4563 or via e-mail at sahern@dailyherald.com.