ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - The fate of a popular reptile museum in North San Diego County is in question, thanks to a mounting electric bill.
Inside EcoVivarium living museum in Escondido, there is a constant mission to keep cold-blooded creatures warm.
“They are tropical and desert animals. They do need heat to function, and without it, they don’t,” said founder Susan Nowicke.
The 13-year-old rescue houses nearly 300 creatures, mostly reptiles, in a 10,000-square-foot space. These days, Nowicke is anxious.
“Stress, pain, worry … The fate of the museum is at risk,” said Nowicke.
Shut down for 18 months during the pandemic, the museum's tours were halted and the bills grew, including the electric bill.
“We've been making payments, but it's snowballing now,” said Nowicke.
The balance has grown to more than $44,000. Nowicke says last month she got a 15-day shut-off notice from SDG&E.
She called, and the utility, as it has done before, put her on a payment plan, this one for six months. She says with the increasing rates for her upcoming bill, she'll owe a total of about $12,000 for the first month.
When asked if she make that $12,000 payment, Nowicke answered, “Right at the moment, no.”
The museum has had to be creative. Heat sources are being rotated. For example, when one heat-generating bulb for a snake is turned off, its enclosure soaks up heat from the enclosure below.
Later, the bulb in the snake’s enclosure is turned off, while the other bulb is turned on. Nowicke has also started an online fundraiser and is hoping to find large donors.
She vows to find a way, to keep the lights and heat on.
“Each animals that’s here has come from a terrible situation, abuse of neglect. We can't leave animals behind … We’ll do whatever it takes,” said Nowicke.
A spokesperson with SDG&E issued the following statement:
“Since the start of the pandemic, SDG&E has been communicating and working continuously with customers who struggle to pay their past due bills, including small businesses like EcoVivarium. That ongoing dialogue resulted in a structured payment plan to help this particular business. As a result, it’s not currently at risk of disconnection. We remain committed to finding solutions for customers who are still struggling to recover financially from the pandemic’s economic impacts.”
