Power bills at Mississippi Power

It’s as expected as the sun coming up each morning, most of us can expect our electric bills to increase during the summer months.

But, when you’re seemingly doing everything right to keep the price low, how much is too much when your bill is still more than double than usual? That’s the issue many Mississippi Power customers are having this billing cycle.

You can turn off the lights or turn up the thermostat, but still, during the hot summer months in South Mississippi, this is one dreaded bill. Gulfport resident Lauren Watson said, “I know what to expect the rest of the year, but it spikes during the summer because of the heat.”

But, Lauren didn’t expect it to be this high. “It’s still as hot as it was last month or this time last year and there’s no way it could have doubled.”

Lauren showed News 25 her monthly bills. In June, she says her bill was about $200. In July, her bill was $388. She also pointed out a major difference in kilowatt usage, up from last summer by more than 1200.

It’s something Mississippi Power says is situational and in large part due to the summer heat. Mississippi Power Spokesman Jeff Shepard said, “You have more control over your power bill than you realize, and it all starts with your thermostat. There are a lot of factors that go into how your energy is used. How old is the system, how often does it run. How is the insulation in your house? How old is your house?”

But this summer, the power company began installing new meters at coastal homes and other customers on social media are blaming those for the price hike. “I received a new meter on July 9^th and the old meter read really high on my bill compared to the new meter that read normal.”

“We’re excited to offer the most innovative meter system to our customers, but you may see a fluctuation month to month up or down.”

After a phone call to Mississippi Power, Lauren found some relief in her new bill. “Sure enough, the results showed it was way higher than it should have been. My power bill went from $388 to $248.”

While Mississippi Power says this is a case by case issue, they do encourage customers to call if they see any discrepancies on their bill. “They can call us at 1-800-532-1502 they can call, ask some of the same questions.”

“I would love for Mississippi Power to step up and say ‘Ya know, we made a mistake on reading the old meters,’ and go back and read them again and fix the bills that need to be fixed. Turn a negative situation into a positive situation.”

Mississippi Power also recommends using their budgeting program to help keep your bills consistent throughout the peak months of the year.