Local News in Brief : San Juan Capistrano : Electricity Bill Gives Family a $10,000 Shock

The family had been notified by telephone two days earlier to expect an oversized electricity bill. But Tony and Joann Marchello said it was a shock anyway when the monthly bill for $10,126.15 arrived.

Joann Marchello said they were called Tuesday by a billing superintendent for San Diego Gas & Electric Co. and warned that there had been a computer slip-up and to ignore the bill they were due to receive Thursday. When it did arrive, there was another note saying there had been a mistake.

“We’re going to frame this $10,000 slip,” Joann Marchello said, adding that their usual monthly bill is about $60.

Karen Duncan, spokeswoman for SDG&E;, said 28 other customers, out of a total of 1 million, were mistakenly billed this week. All have been notified and will receive corrected bills, she said.