Electric bills high despite outages

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Electric customers in the Fort Wayne area may have expected their latest electric bill to be a little lower thanks to outages caused by the June 29 storm .  Leaders with Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) say that’s not the case because of the record heat wave.

YaVonda Ulfig with I&M said several customers have called in to ask why their bills were so high when their home was out of power for several days.

“Yes we did have customers who experienced a service interruption for a several days.  However for the vast majority of their billing cycle when they did have power, again we had very higher than normal temperatures,” Ulfig said.  “Typically anytime you have higher than normal temperatures, and especially this summer we've had very high heat indexes, people tend to crank up their air conditioning a little more.  They tend to increase their energy consumption. So by and large that tends to be the catalyst for higher bills.”

For those interested in saving on their electric bill, Energizing Indiana offers qualified residents free Residential Home Energy Assessments.

See if you qualify and sign up for a free Residential Home Energy Assessment.

Energizing Indiana is a joint effort started this January by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, participating utilities and consumer organizations that strives to offer money and energy saving information and programs to private and commercial consumers.

Energizing Indiana also has a list of tips anyone can follow to reduce electric consumption:

Energy Saving Opportunities

• Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
• Unplug all electronics when they’re not in use.
• Turn the water heater to the lowest setting when you leave the house.
• Use ceiling fans as an alternative to air conditioning.
• Be sure to power down all computers when not in use.
• When possible, wash clothes in cold water.
• Find and seal all floor, ceiling, window and door air leaks and cracks.
• Check and replace dirty furnace and air-conditioner filters on a regular basis.
• Use all major appliances early in the morning or late at night.
• Use high-density insulation on exterior walls.
• Avoid placing lamps or televisions near the air-conditioning thermostat.
• Insulate the first 6 feet of both the hot and cold water pipes on the water heater.
• Install interior or exterior storm windows in single-pane windows.
• Keep the refrigerator temperature between 35°F and 38°F and the freezer at 0°F.
• Manually defrost the refrigerator and freezer regularly to make sure frost build-up isn’t more than a quarter of an inch thick.
• When purchasing new appliances and electronics, look for the ENERGY STAR label.