July 30, 2007
Albany--Higher temperatures are meaning higher energy bills this summer. Water, Gas, and Light reports that some customers have had bills as high as $600.
And unfortunately, those energy bills may not being going down soon. WG&L recently mailed notices to its more than 40,000 customers informing them that due to increased electric production costs, WG&L is forced to increase the amount its electric customers pay by two percent.
Higher temperatures usually mean one thing.
"That's when our bills go up," says Lorrie Farcas with WG&L. She says some customers are seeing energy bills just shy of a thousand dollars.
"The high bills we've seen this summer have been due to water leaks," says Farcas.
But other customers with bills no where near that amount are still struggling financially.
"This summer we've had people with bills in the low 100's not able to pay their bills, and that's very concerning to me," she says.
But Farcas says there for things you can do to lower your energy bill. And you can do so by first dressing appropriately.
"We tell everybody in the winter to layer their clothes, and in the summer you want to do the opposite. You want to use natural fiber clothing. You want to wear cottons. Synethic fibers keep the heat in," she says.
During the summer, most of us rely on our air conditioner to keep cool. But here's another tip:
"Having your air conditioner serviced at the beginning of each season is certainly a very prudent thing to do. It needs be set at 78 degrees," she says.
Every degree under that temperature increase your bill by three percent.
"That adds up rather quickly," she says.
If your home comes with drapes, here's another tip that could save you money on your energy bill.
"In the summer, we tell people to close their drapes because the sun's the greatest source of heat. In the winter, we tell them to open their drapes to let heat into the house," she says.
And while these tips are sure to lower your bill, Farcas says there's one thing to keep in mind.
"There's no average bill. It's all due to lifestyle usage, and of course the weather," she says.
If you need assistance paying your energy bill, you can contact WG&L and make arrangements to have an energy auditor visit your home--free of charge.
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