ABINGDON, Va. – John Shepelwich, spokesman for Appalachian Power, said the huge jumps customers are seeing in their electric bills are simply a matter of winter weather combined with a recent rate increase.
“There was a moderate weather pattern going into November, and then it’s become bitterly cold … so the amount that the customer is buying for heat or whatever is going to go up,” Shepelwich said. “Plus, remember the days are shorter, people have their lights on longer … people are staying home more often in the colder weather, so they’re actually heating longer … there are just a number of contributing factors.”
He said the price per kilowatt hour of electricity went up in October – with a total rate increase of less than 30 percent. Shepelwich said it’s the first big rate increase in more than a decade.
The combination of price and usage increases has meant higher bills in Southwest Virginia, where many people rely on electric heat, he said. Applachian Power serves a million customers in West Virginia, Virginia – including most of Abingdon and Washington County, Va. – and Tennessee.
Shepelwich said sometimes it’s hard for consumers to make a direct connection between their usage and the cost because they don’t pay for electricity until after they’ve used it – but he encourages rate-payers worried about costs to learn to conserve.
Anyone having trouble with their bill should contact the company sooner rather than later.
“Certainly we urge them to call the number on their bill,” he said. “If they feel like they may have a problem, talk with the customer solutions person and let them know that they may have a problem paying their bill, and we’ll get them on a budget billing payment; we’ll work out something for them.”
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701
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