HOUSTON, Texas – A Cloverleaf woman is one step closer to having the power restored at her home.
Maria Soler, 71, lost power 11 days ago when windstorms hit the area and ripped her utility meter from the side of her house.
Soler, a diabetic, said she has struggled to stay cool and refrigerate her insulin.
“I never thought I would be in this spot, but I am, and it’s very hard,” said Soler.
Soler contacted CenterPoint Energy about the issue, but they explained that it was the homeowner’s responsibility to reconnect the meter.
She told KPRC 2 she called an independent contractor but ultimately, couldn’t afford to hire them.
“They wanted $5,600 to do the work and I said I can’t,” Soler said.
Neighbors who were aware of the situation tried helping by allowing Soler to use an extension cord and power a light and a couple of fans.
The Texas Organizing Project. a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the Latino and black communities, and two electricians also got involved.
“They were kind enough to come out here when I called them and they were kind enough to help an old lady out,” said Soler.
Jesus and Allen, the licensed electricians who only wanted to give us their first names, spent the day reconnecting the meter to her house at an extremely discounted price.
Once the meter was reconnected, CenterPoint Energy was notified.
A spokesperson said they would temporarily restore power to Soler’s home but said a few upgrades would have to be made going forward to ensure her meter install was up to code.
CenterPoint expects her power will be restored by the end of the day.