CPS Energy is offering assistance to customers who may experience bill shock as the June heat wave has kept air conditioners and fans working overtime.
The city has experienced several record hot days this month with temperatures well above 100 degrees.
"We are looking at probably in total for customers to see around a $50 average increase from May to June," said Deanna Hardwick, CPS Energy’s Executive Vice President of Customer Strategy.
CPS Energy urges customers with high energy bills to reach out to the utility’s helpful energy advisors for direct assistance and learn about other resources to save energy and money.
“We want to help our customers by providing simple tips to stay comfortable, save energy and prevent bill shock,” said Hardwick. “For those with high bills, please call us. No one needs to be disconnected. Most customers we’re able to speak with receive help to get them back on track.”
The city-owned utility offers a budget payment plan. The customer’s annual energy bill is averaged over the past year, a small percentage is added to cover environmental factors and changing fuel costs, then the bill paid is the resulting amount every month. The customer’s account will be reviewed periodically, and necessary adjustments will be made based on the actual usage, according to a news release.
CPS Energy said customers can also receive text notifications when their bills are trending up so they can adjust their energy use and manage consumption throughout their remaining billing cycle. Customers can view the energy they’re buying in near real-time via My Energy Portal, a feature in Manage My Account, CPS Energy’s free online service center.
Customers can also follow the Beat the Heat campaign to help manage energy bills, conserve energy, and support state grid reliability. On peak demand days, between 2 p.m.-10 p.m., customers are asked to avoid using large appliances and set thermostat higher than 78 degrees if their health permits. Electric vehicle charging should be done overnight, CPS Energy said.
The Residential Energy Assistance Partnership or REAP provides up to $400 in payment assistance per year for eligible customers. You can apply online or call (210) 353-2222.
The utility’s Customer Outreach Resource Effort team has reached out to nearly 6,000 customers to offer them more than $11 million in assistance in the first three months of this year alone.
