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Woman shocked to see online electric bill of $284 billion

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A Pennsylvania woman says she went online to check her electric bill and was shocked at the amount — more than $284 billion.

The Erie Times-News reports that Mary Horomanski said her eyes "just about popped out" of her head when she saw the number. The 58-year-old suspected that her family had put up their Christmas lights wrong.

The silver lining was that the bill stated she didn't have to pay the full amount of $284,460,000,000 until November 2018 — only a $28,156 minimum payment was due for December.

Horomanski's son contacted Penelac, her electric provider, who confirmed the error. Parent company First Energy (FE) said a decimal point was accidentally moved. Her new amount was quickly corrected to $284.46.

Horomanski told the Erie Times-News the $284 billion bill also caused her to ask her son for a different Christmas present this year. "I told him I want a heart monitor," she said.

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