LYNCHBURG, Va. – If you opened your electric bill this month and thought it was all just a bad joke, you’re not alone.
“I think that like everyone, when we got the bill, our jaw hit the floor,” said Lynchburg resident Andrew Glover. “I sent my wife a screenshot and said, ‘We need to be making some changes real quick.’”
We first warned you about this back in October. Now, many of us are paying the price to keep our homes warm.
“Oh my gosh. My husband got the email about two days ago,” said Lynchburg resident Frances Hughes. “He said, ‘Frances, what is going on? Why is the bill $600?’”
Many, like Hughes and Glover, are paying almost double the price to heat their homes. AEP said some of this is due to inflation.
In addition, the price of fuel to make electricity is adding $3 to your bill each month. Plus, it’s been an unusually cold winter, which means your furnace or heat pump is working a lot harder.
“We just tried calling customer service,” Hughes said. “Unfortunately, that’s the bill we’re stuck with.”
While some of this is out of your control, Maddox Air & Electric in Lynchburg said it helps to make sure your system is running smoothly. You should check for that twice a year.
“Sometimes you need to upgrade your systems to a more efficient system,” said Owner Andy Maddox. “Sometimes it’s as easy as getting a system cleaned, maintained or changing your filter.”
That’s what’s next for Hughes and her husband. Glover said he and his wife have taken measures to better insulate their home to be more energy-efficient.
“We’re just waiting for warmer weather and hoping the power costs will come down at some point,” Glover added.
Until then, AEP suggests signing up for the Average Monthly Payment Plan. You pay the same amount for 11 months and can either settle up or receive credit on the 12th month to spread out the bills.