Power company overcharges 39,000 customers

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DALLAS, May 7 (UPI) -- Texas-based power company Atmos Energy apologized for overcharging 39,000 customers for 10 times the amount of their bills.

Jennifer Ryan, spokeswoman for the Dallas company, said Monday the vendor it uses to handle bills automatically deducted from customers' checking accounts or credit cards discovered Sunday that 39,000 customers in eight states, including 27,000 Texas customers, had been overcharged, the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported Tuesday.

"They were charged 10 times their normal bills. As soon as we found out about it, our guys started working," Ryan said.

The spokeswoman said officials are hoping to have the problem fixed within 24 hours, or "72 hours, worst-case scenario, for the smaller banks."

Ryan said the refunds will include any overdraft fees incurred by the customers.

"We've been calling people and making reimbursements," Ryan said. "People in our public relations office were affected as well because we're all customers. We just sincerely apologize."