An electricity company is apologising after it sent a letter to a lamp-post and threatened to cut its power off.

An electricity company is apologising after it sent a letter to a lamp-post and threatened to cut its power off.

Meridian Energy apparently believed someone was living in the pole.

The letter was addressed: To the occupier, 771800Streetlights NPDC Control Point 394, 9 Shearer Drive, Oakura 4650.

Clive Saleman, who lives in a house at 9 Shearer Drive, received the letter last Tuesday, stating he had seven days to provide Meridian with his customer details or his electricity would be cut off.

The request left him and partner, Libby Baker, perplexed.

"We were a little bit alarmed about what was going to happen to us. Then we thought, hang on a minute, we're not with Meridian Energy, we're with Nova Energy.

"Now I'm thinking, is there somebody living there in that street light?" the TSB Realty agent said.

"I went down to the light and knocked on the door to see if they wanted their mail, but no-one came out."

A call to Meridian proved fruitless, with one of its customer service representatives continuing to ask for their details.

"He still wanted those details even though it wasn't our issue," Ms Baker said.

"I don't think he was comprehending how silly the situation was."

A Meridian spokesman yesterday said the letter was generated by an "automated administrative process," and apologised for any inconvenience it may have caused Mr Saleman.

The spokesman said it was the first time Meridian had sent a letter to a streetlight and was fairly certain no one lived there.

"Well, we sincerely hope not as we think it could be quite droughty."

[link to www.stuff.co.nz]

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