Customers react to latest rate increase from Alabama Power
They say the increase is due to federal mandates and regulations
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Alabama residents are reaching into their wallets more this holiday season, but instead of presents under the tree, it’s bills.
Alabama Power says next month, customers who use at least a thousand-kilowatt hours a month will see a $6.81 increase. They say it’s due to federal mandates and regulations
We asked people how much they typically spend.
“About 180 dollars. And it goes up in the summertime. I’m pretty sure it hurts other people more than me. I’m going to be honest, I’m by myself so it don’t bother me that bad. But I’m pretty sure around Christmas time, it hurts a lot of people,” Carl Gandy said.
And it’s affecting people like Jason Mix.
“These power prices are getting out of hand. I went to the power place last week and they told me it was because gas was going up. What does gas have to do with my power bill? It doesn’t have anything to do with my power bill,” Mix said.
Energy costs aren’t the only thing that’s gone up, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, it’s gone up higher than any other expense this year. Forcing some to make tough decisions.
“My job just came off of strike because we know that inflation is going up. We’re trying to keep pace with it. Everybody has to make more wages. These jobs have to pay more than what they’re paying to keep up,” Gandy said.
Alabama Power has some tips and resources on how to keep your bill low:
Better manage use:
• As colder temperatures approach, be sure you know how to keep costs down.
• Learn how to use less energy, get help paying your bill, and track energy use. You can chat and connect with us online, give us a call or visit us in person or at one of our offices.
• Make sure you have an online account and that your information is up to date.
• Customers with an online account now have the option to pay their power bill via Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Venmo, and PayPal. These payment methods are within our Online Customer Care portal.
• You can better understand daily energy use by enrolling in My Power Usage on your online account at AlabamaPower.com. The tool shows daily and monthly use, projected bill amounts, and sends email alerts when bills reach a set dollar amount.
• Budget Billing is a free service allowing customers to pay an average bill each month based on their annual use, which helps stabilize seasonal variations in electric bills.
• Find easy tips to save money and use less energy at AlabamaPower.com/Winterize.
Find ways to save:
• You can enroll in a time-of-use rate to save based on the time of day you use electricity and when you avoid using major appliances at the same time. Visit AlabamaPower.com/TimeAdvantage to learn more.
• Visit AlabamaPower.com/rates to check out the best plan to fit your lifestyle.
Get assistance:
• Medicaid recipients can save $14.50 on their monthly power bill. To sign up, visit your nearest business office for an application or call us at 1-800-257-APCO.
• Partners in the community also are ready to help. More information on resources and assistance programs through Community Action Agencies is available at AlabamaPower.com/PaymentAssistance.
• Those able to support neighbors in need can check the Project SHARE box on their Alabama Power bill or online account. Contributions to Project SHARE, run by the Salvation Army, directly support low-income and elderly customers in our communities.
---
Download the FOX10 Weather App. Get life-saving severe weather warnings and alerts for your location no matter where you are. Available free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Copyright 2022 WALA. All rights reserved.