The man’s colleague—an anonymous social media user posting under the name Polar Nerd—shared the story in a now-viral Twitter thread, writing: “I’m only sharing this because I think it might make a few people smile today.” The tweets have amassed over 395,000 likes and more than 33,000 retweets. You can read the full story here.
Due to inflation and the “blistering surge in electricity prices,” more than 20 million U.S. households have fallen behind on their utility bills, Bloomberg reported. As a result, David Konisky, co-director of the Energy Justice Lab, told the company that power shutoffs “will likely become worse in the coming years and decades.”
The Good Samaritan
In their now-viral Twitter thread, Polar Nerd said they and their colleague were on their way to lunch when they spotted a “utility shutoff notice” on someone’s door.
“[M]y colleague stopped and took it off the door,” Polar Nerd said. “While sitting at the deli, he called and paid the outstanding bill, over a thousand dollars, then tore up the notice and threw it in the garbage, with no comment.”
Polar Nerd added that their colleague didn’t know the family at all—they were total strangers.
“He’s [my colleague] is also Sikh, wears a Dastar, and gets constant grief from ignorant people,” Polar Nerd continued. “I’m only sharing this because I think it might make a few people smile today. There are good people in the world. And now I’m thinking I can do better myself.”
Paying a Stranger’s Bill
Some commenters were skeptical of Polar Nerd’s story. They argued that his colleague would’ve needed the stranger’s personal information to pay the outstanding bill. But Polar Nerd said the utility company only needed the address.
Tiffani Ashley Bell, the founder and executive director of The Human Utility, confirmed for Newsweek that people can pay a stranger’s utility bill online with as little as an address.
“In a lot of places, all you need is an address to make a payment,” Bell told Newsweek. “In other places, you may only be able to use an account number to make a payment. In [some], you can plug in either one.”
Bell added that many utility companies have a “‘guest payment’ functionality on their website” that allows someone to “plug in an account number and make a payment.”
“It truly does depend on the utility [company] and their billing software,” Bell concluded.
Twitter Reacts
Many commenters were stunned by the story, and they thanked Polar Nerd for sharing it.
“Wow!!!” @schnookster58th exclaimed. “Thank you for telling us about that wonderful good deed.”
“Your colleague is their anonymous hero. [The story] brought tears to my eyes. My Hope Bucket is full. Thank you for sharing,” @MontanaK8ie said.
“Thank him for all of us. He is what we should all strive to be—the best of humanity,” @Baphomet555666 added.
Newsweek reached out to Polar Nerd via Twitter. They declined to comment.
More Viral Posts
Online commenters praised a pair of friends who helped make a stranger’s beachside proposal “perfect.”
Commenters also applauded a man who stopped an overflowing gas tank at a gas station.
And a man went viral for hiding cash inside a Walmart for others to find.
