Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in North Carolina

Unfortunately, in a case like this, yes they can require that the bill be paid before service is cut on.

No. The bill needs to be paid by your grandmother's estate. If grandmother died in 2010, how exactly is it that she has a $2000 bill? Was an estate probated? Why was this claim never paid? How it that you and your wife was able to get title to the home?

Have you explained to the electric company that the home was acquired by inheritance and this is not your responsibility and that the electric company needs to pursue grandmother's estate?

This really does not make sense. People die all the time with bills and there may not be estates. Are you telling me that new buyers of such property cannot get service until they pay for the prior person's debt to the electric company even if there is no relation? This cannot be right/ If it was, many people would be unable to get electric service.

I think you should call the NC utilities commission if the property is in NC (if not then the utilities commission for the state where the property is located) and get confirmation of this.

If you are not responsible then you need to call the electric company back and explain why.

If the electric company will not budge here then the statute of limitations has run on this debt. If there is no way that the grandmother's estate can pay and if you need electric, then I would try and work out a settlement with the electric company as this is NOT your responsibility but I would only do this as an absolute last resort.