LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After rent or mortgage, power bills are typically the most expensive household bill Las Vegas locals pay each month. Many of us have felt the sticker shock when opening our electric bill — especially in the summer — and found ourselves asking, "Could this be wrong?"
Thanks to a single question to "Darcy, What's the Deal?" the answer for tens of thousands of Nevadans was "Yes, it was wrong."
Darcy Spears explains what happened, what comes next, and what you can do about it:
Our first "Darcy, What's the Deal?" segment of 2025 uncovered the systemic overcharging of NV Energy customers. That investigation sparked public outcry, formal complaints to the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, and proposed legislation currently awaiting a vote in the Nevada Senate.
We've repeatedly asked NV Energy how many customers were affected, for how long, and how much money is involved. They've repeatedly dodged our questions, also not answering lawmakers when asked for the same information in an April hearing. Finally, we have the numbers — and we have the Public Utilities Commission staff saying NV Energy's conduct has caused substantial harm.
"Every day, I hear from families and seniors who are stretched to their breaking point by high NV Energy bills. They're cutting back on life-saving air conditioning, skipping meals, rationing medicine — and they're still falling behind," Dr. Mary House told a state Senate committee on May 12.
What House didn't know when she testified in support of utility bill reform in a May 12 Senate hearing in Carson City is that part of the reason people are falling behind on their power bills is that NV Energy is overcharging them.
"I was robbed. That's what it feels like," Carlin Dinola told me in January after I started investigating her concerns:
Carlin Dinola asked "Darcy, What's the Deal?" when she learned she'd been overcharged by NV Energy for six years but would only be reimbursed for a fraction of what she'd overpaid due to the utility's mistake — which was charging her and her husband the wrong rate for their property type.
"They were going to reimburse me, for six months' worth of overcharging, approximately $96," Dinola said — not the more than $1,100 that would make up a full refund.
Now, we know Dinola's story was the tip of the iceberg.
That's based on a recent filing of the Public Utilities Commission's regulatory operations staff, which found that for up to 23 years, NV Energy has overcharged more than 80,000 customers by more than $17 million.
"What they did for 23 years is absurd!" said Camalot Todd, who works for the Nevada Conservation League. "This wasn't just a casual mistake."
NV Energy says the overcharges happened because it misclassified multi-family residences as single-family. In a statement, NV Energy writes that it "notified customers, started issuing refunds," and "informed the Public Utilities Commission staff of the issue."
But the filing contradicts that claim, stating NV Energy chose "not to disclose its misconduct to the Commission" and staff only learned of it "through consumer complaints of insufficient refunds."
NV Energy also stated it "has not sought repayment from customers that were undercharged." But the PUC put that in context, as well, writing that, "NV Energy did not publicly disclose that the amount it undercharged customers was a small fraction of the amount it overcharged."
What's The Deal?
State law change could ensure full refund for those overcharged on energy bills
The filing shows that, in capping the refunds to six months, NV Energy has paid back less than $2 million of the $17 million it overcharged, using a rule the PUC says does not apply to this situation. PUC staff also found, "NV Energy disconnected the service for a substantial number of injured customers due to nonpayment," which PUC staff determined was likely caused by the overbilling.
"And I think there's a specific kind of cruelty to that," Todd said. "You're overcharging customers, you're shutting off their utilities because you're overcharging them, and then you're doing it in a state, in a city, in a region where there are real health consequences to not having A/C."
NV Energy told regulators it has and continues to add controls to prevent rate misclassifications. PUC staff is asking the Commission to open a formal investigation to determine whether the monopoly utility's actions were illegal.
How can you find out if you've been affected?
Many of our viewers will likely be wondering how they can find out if they've been affected. The answer is, NV Energy has already notified those who are, and they may get money back depending on the outcome.
NV Energy sent Channel 13 this statement explaining what customers can do:
"Letters are mailed to impacted customers detailing any changes to their account, including their new rate and any billing adjustments. Customers can also call customer service to confirm they are being billed correctly for their property type. In Southern Nevada, that number is 702-402-5555 and in Northern Nevada 775-834-4444."