UPDATED 2/6/17:
It's now been one year since thousands of Southwest Ohio Duke Energy customers responded to the Williams v. Duke Energy case, hoping for their part of a multi-million dollar settlement.
The settlement was delayed for months, with many homeowners wondering if the rebate checks would ever go out.
But finally, we have some good news.
Court gives final approval
The attorneys handling the distribution have just announced that most checks were mailed Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. That means if you qualified, you should receive your check this week.
But check your mail carefully: the checks are post card sized, not standard legal envelope sized. They may look like junk mail, and there is a chance you could throw it away.
Bill Markovits, lead attorney overseeing the settlement, told us the issue that's delayed the final settlement by several months was the sheer number of respondents.
"Instead of the typical 3 percent to 5 percent response rate," Markovitz said, "50 percent of the people who got the notice made claims."
Why the long delay
Markovitz explains:
- Over 200,000 Duke customers replied.
- Each entry had to be checked for accuracy, to prevent fraudulent claims.
- Several thousand had to be sent back to the customers for more information or to confirm their information.
- It all had to be rounded up and sent off the court for final approval.
To check on the status of the settlement, and read Frequently Asked Questions, go to the settlement website.
In the end, he said, it should be worth the wait.
"If you were in a house in Southern Ohio between 2005 and 2008, and paying Duke for your electricity, you should receive roughly $140," he said.
Some checks will be less, and some will be for much more.
However, if you missed the April 2016 deadline to apply, it is now too late to join the case.
As always, don't waste your money.
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