A Shocking Electricity Bill: How a Decimal Misplaced Caused a $284 Billion Surprise

When Mary Horomanski from Pennsylvania received her monthly electric bill, she nearly fainted on the spot. $284,460,000,000 – does that ring a bell? Well, that equals almost $285 billion (!) dollars, or in other words, every person's worst nightmare when they realize they're responsible for such an astronomical amount.

There was even a deadline – November 18, 2018, was the final date for this giant payment. "My eyes just about popped out of my head," Mary recalled in an interview with 'The Times'. "I couldn't think of any device we were running that would have amounted to this, except maybe the patio lights that I possibly mismanaged."

Mary's son quickly contacted the electric company, and after some particularly nerve-wracking investigations, the truth was revealed. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bill in the billions," said company spokesperson Mark Durbin, explaining that it was a mistake due to a misplaced decimal point. "We appreciate the customer for reaching out and alerting us to the error," he added.