Barrington police responded to a Richmond Avenue residence on Tuesday, Sept. 27, for a report of a suspicious visitor.
The female resident told police a man had come to her door, identified himself as a National Grid employee, and then asked to see her electric bill.
The woman asked to see the man's ID, but he refused, saying that it was a bad picture of him.
He then reportedly became evasive and later left the property.
Police called National Grid; an employee there said the situation experienced by the Barrington woman had been experienced elsewhere and was likely perpetrated by a competing utility company that wanted the woman to switch over her service.