ATLANTA – Georgians’ electrical invoice might go up once more by rather a lot. Georgia Energy is asking the Public Service Fee for a price improve of greater than $2 billion. It might go even greater if its personal gasoline prices go up. That’s on high of a price hike the utility already tacked onto customers’ payments earlier this 12 months. 

The proposed improve might elevate the typical buyer’s month-to-month invoice anyplace from $17 to $23 per 30 days.

The utility says its personal prices are rising, so it has to go these onto you the patron. 

“Georgia Energy is paying extra for greater value of fuels like pure fuel that we use in our energy crops to generate electrical energy,” stated firm spokesman John Kraft. “We’ve seen dramatic will increase in gasoline prices, as an illustration, pure fuel has gone up thrice what we’d been paying earlier than.”

The utility already tacked $4 onto customers’ payments every month earlier this 12 months. Charges are set to go up once more subsequent 12 months and the 12 months after. Kraft insists this isn’t a cash seize. 

“Beneath state regulation, Georgia Energy just isn’t allowed to earn any revenue off the gasoline value restoration,” Kraft stated.

Neil Sardana, a senior organizing consultant for the Sierra Membership, says the will increase will harm the typical buyer at a time of excessive inflation.

“I don’t suppose lots of people are ready for such an enormous improve,” Sardana stated. “There’s actually going to be individuals who must say, ‘I can’t take this treatment. I’m going to must withdraw from a whole treatment simply to pay this extra invoice, only for gasoline.’”

Sardana says Georgia Energy didn’t discover cleaner and cheaper renewable power like solar energy. 

“We don’t pay a dime for the solar to shine. So we must be utilizing it as a lot as we will,” Sardana stated.

Prospects like Elizabeth McKinney say it’s already robust simply to pay for the fundamentals. It’s going to harm. Each little bit hurts.

“Inflation has hit us. We’re all chopping again on issues as a result of costs have gone up,” McKinney stated.

She says a doable of $23 added to her power invoice every month would reduce into her finances.

“That is simply one other manner for us to not manage to pay for to do the issues we like to do,” McKinney stated.

Georgia Energy says it has invested in renewable power. It additionally says it affords energy-assistance packages and senior reductions to assist ease prices.

The Public Service Fee might decide on the proposed price hike someday this spring.