If you’ve been shocked by your latest Dominion power bill, you’re not alone.
Customers have flooded social media with sky-high utility bills in the last few weeks, and a handful even picketed outside Dominion's Norfolk offices in protest.
Utibe Bassey, the vice president of customer relations at Dominion, said there are two main reasons why power bills have gone up — in some cases by hundreds of dollars.
The first one is the weather. She said homes used more energy than they have in decades this winter.
“December was the coldest we've had in 15 years,” she said. “January into February, those temperatures were the coldest we've had since the 1940s.”
And the second reason is that rates increased this year to account for rising fuel and equipment costs.
Norfolk resident Roberto Westbrook said his home used less energy this February compared to last February — and he doesn’t use electricity to heat his home — but his bill was still 22% higher this year.
People on social media have posted bills doubling or even tripling.
And the higher bills are straining families in Hampton Roads, said Shirley Brackett. She’s the crisis response director at the region’s Housing Crisis Hotline. People who were just barely getting by are now struggling to make ends meet.
It’s typical for the hotline to add 40 to 50 people to a list to get assistance with electric bills in the winter each week, Brackett said, noting tax refunds and other fuel assistance programs help families get caught up this time of year. But for the last two weeks, that number has spiked to 200 people a week needing help with electric bills.
“People are obviously having to make tough choices, " she said. “They're needing to reach out for help.”
Bassey said people who need help with their bill should call or go to www.dominionenergy.com/savemore. The company’s Budget Billing program helps customers avoid seasonal spikes by paying the same amount each month.
“We can't control or predict the weather, but what we do encourage customers to do is to be familiar with the programs and resources available to help them mitigate any shocks,” she said.
Dominion’s EnergyShare Program can cover up to $600 for heating assistance. Payment plans can help customers pay off a high bill over time, and usage alerts can inform someone when their energy usage or bill reaches a set amount.
Bassey said setting the thermostat to 68 or lower during the winter and 78 or higher during the summer can also lower bills.
