Eversource, the public utility giant that serves Martha’s Vineyard, calls it an irregular condition.

Town administrator Bob Whritenour calls it the wackiest thing that happened all week.

Oak Bluffs harbor master Todd Alexander doesn’t know what to call it.

Mystery bill came from meter near the harbor.

Steve Myrick

Mystery bill came from meter near the harbor.

Steve Myrick

On Feb. 17, the town of Oak Bluffs received a letter and bill from Eversource for $45,372.34 for energy charges dating back to 2009. According to the bill, the town only paid $291.11 for that period. The bill further lists a period from Nov. 14, 2009 to May 27, 2015 as unmetered.

“On December 3, 2015, you were advised of an irregular condition at 37 Lake Avenue Bulkhead,” Eversource senior revenue assurance specialist Patrica Uhlman wrote in part to the town in a letter dated Feb. 9.

Town officials said the letter and bill mark the first they had heard about the matter.

Assessors records show the Lake avenue address as a boat slip, with the mailing address of the town-owned marina.

Mr. Alexander said the meter number referenced on the bill matches the number on a meter located at the public bathroom and shower facility near Our Market. It is one of three meters on the harbor. Another meter is located near Nancy’s Restaurant, and the third is near the harbor master’s office.

“I don’t know what it means, I think they had some sort of glitch,” Mr. Alexander said, noting that the amount of the bill is higher than he might expect to pay for electricity for 10 years.

“It doesn’t sound like a plausible number at all,” the harbor master said. “The other meters don’t come near that.”

Mr. Whritenour said he has tried to get an explanation with no success.

“I can’t even get them to call me back,” the town administrator said. “Apparently it’s not based on any readings, it was just estimated. We’ll have to receive a lot more information before we agree it’s legitimate. We don’t use that much electricity there. It doesn’t seem to be right.”

On Wednesday, following inquiries from the Gazette, an Eversource spokesman said Ms. Uhlman had been in touch with the town administrator.

“It was an unfortunate oversight that she ended up not returning his call from mid-February,” spokesman Mike Durand told the Gazette Wednesday afternoon.

He said in fact the problem stemmed from incorrectly installed meter equipment, which Eversource discovered in May 2015. He said the utility notified the town in early December of the pending billing correction.

“After we took steps to correct the problem, and were able to reestablish a usage history, we rebilled the account accordingly,” Mr. Durand said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Whritenour said he is gathering documentation to challenge the bill.

“I’m working with the town’s attorneys,” he said. “We’re going to be filing an appeal. There’s a process. I’m going to dispute that bill, were going to get to the bottom of it.”

Managing to find some humor amid the sticker shock, he added:

“If you go down to the harbor this summer, and there’s no electricity, you’ll know I lost my case.”