Electric bill prices confuse residents

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — In the winter months, people might be tempted to turn their thermostat up, but Kentucky Utilities says the most efficient way to save money on your electric bill, is to turn it down.

April Brown, a longtime Lexington resident, says she has never seen her bill this high.  After she posted about it on Facebook, she learned she was not the only one. Over 40 people replied on her post saying they were dealing with the same issue.

“Our electric bill is at least twice the amount it is generally and three times the amount that it is in the lower months,” Brown said. 

Kentucky Utilities spokesperson Daniel Lowry says the spike in electric bill prices has nothing to do with the rates, but instead is all connected to the cold weather.

“It has nothing to do with rates or prices, it really focuses on your energy use and the weather,” Lowry said.

Central Kentucky has had subzero temperatures recently, but Brown says she’s dealt with colder, and her bill was never this high.

“We’ve had much colder months,” Brown said. “I live in the house that I grew up in. I’ve lived in this house 40 plus years. I’ve never had a bill like this and we’ve had very, very cold winters.”

Lowry says there are multiple things you can do to lower your electric bill. Keeping your thermostat low, opening your blinds on sunny days, changing out your filters, and fixing any cracks your home might have can help save money.

“We often see houses that have cracks around the windows or doors and so the heat really just escapes quickly,” Lowry said.

If you need help paying off your electric bill, visit Kentucky Utilities website for more resources.