KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — James Quick doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet. The rancher is usually up by sunrise and spends a good chunk of his day doing chores on the ranch.
“I wake up every morning around 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m. and come out (on the farm) and start working,” Quick said.
The home in Kernersville is affectionately called Apple Creek Ranch. Quick said he chose the name because there is a creek that runs through the property and when he bought it, he found an apple tree.
It's like walking back in time. There’s an old barn and hitching post along with other items and trinkets that bring nostalgia from the 1920s and 1930s.
Quick spent hundreds of hours fixing up the old barn behind his home.
“It was an old tobacco barn that was falling apart,” Quick said. “This is something I’ve worked a long time on, I mean a long time.”
Quick tried to restore the barn to its original condition. There were a few minor upgrades but for the most part, it’s just like it was about 50 or 60 years ago.
The one major addition is an electric meter on the side of the barn. Quick uses it to power a refrigerator and a pump.
“I’m out in the country I’ve got a pump hooked up, those are the only two items hooked to the meter all the time,” Quick said.
In most months, the electric bill runs around $35. It will occasionally be less or maybe a few dollars more during the Summer.
Earlier this year, Quick noticed a bill that was much higher.
It was the middle of May or maybe June and the bill jumped to $89. Quick didn’t pay, assuming something was wrong. The next bill was $127, so Quick contacted the electric company.
He tells News 2 he spoke with several different people but they could never solve the problem or explain why the bill jumped so much. Quick said he would sometimes be transferred to multiple people during a call.
Six months later, Quick still didn't have a resolution and or explanation.
“They threatened to cut off power for an unpaid bill,” Quick said.
That's when Quick called us. We reached out to the power company for some answers. We also asked if a representative could contact Quick to try and resolve the issue.
I was frustrated, ill, and just tired,” Quick said. “A representative called me less than two hours after you spoke with them.”
A technician was sent out a few days later and changed out the electric meter. Quick said the technician told him the meter wasn’t working properly.
“It was a meter issue all along,” Quick said.
A few weeks later the next bill came, and it was back around $35. The electric company adjusted the previous charges after swapping the meter.
“Thanks so much for helping me,” Quick said.