The question on people's minds today is why didn't Duke let the people living at the apartment complex know their power was about to get cut off? Why didn't Duke give the city a heads-up?
"Because of privacy laws and other issues, we can't talk to one customer about another customer's account. So, we're restricted about what we can say and when we can say it," David Montgomery, Duke Energy Spokesperson, said.
This apartment complex is one of the few in Greensboro that only has one meter. People who live here write one check that covers their rent and their utilities, but that means they also rely on the landlord to pay the power bill.
Duke never officially notified the city about the power shut off, but the city reacted quickly when it got word of what happened here.
"They did exactly what we expect them to do. We have a strong fire department, a strong police department that are nationally accredited and awarded. So, they delivered once again. I'm very proud of that," City Manager Denise Turner Roth said.
Turner Roth met with tenants first thing Thursday morning and has also asked her staff to meet with Duke to figure out a way to prevent something like this from happening again.
"We've had a strong partnership with Duke in the past and I don't expect anything different going forward. I think we can figure out a way to ensure we have communications between the two of us so that if something like this happens in the future, we are able to more adequately respond," Turner Roth said.
Duke Energy is also reviewing its policies and procedures to see if there is anything the company can legally do in these kinds of situations.
"We feel for the people who have been involved in this and who are affected by it, and know that this was not a good situation and not one we wanted them to be in. But, just we were left with no other choice," Montgomery said.