Customers Shocked By NES Bills

MSNBC.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Some Nashville residents are shocked by their latest electric bills after the figures doubled and tripled from last month.

Video: Electric Customers Shocked By Bills

The Nashville Electric Service is hearing large amounts of complaints on their customer service lines. One Nashville resident who lives in a small condo received an electric bill this month for $600. The previous month it was $200.

The utility company said there are three reasons for the increase.

The Tennessee Valley Authority has raised its rates 10 percent since April. Also, the TVA fuel cost adjustment has increased almost 24 percent since April, which could easily add up to $70 to a bill.

"What people don't realize is that we are paying for fuel the TVA had to purchase like $4 a gallon for the months of July, August and September. That's what we've been paying for in the months of October, November and December," said Tim Hill of NES.

Because of the holidays, NES meter reading cycles for December also added two to three billing days.

Temperatures for November were three degrees cooler than normal. That may not seem like a large difference, but NES said turning up a home thermostat from 68 to 70 on a regular basis can increase a bill 15 percent.

"So, if somebody wants to have their home at 78 degrees, they could increase their bill very easily 40 percent," said Hill.

A representative from the Middle Tennessee Electric Cooperative, which serves Williamson, Wilson and Rutherford counties, said their customers saw on average a 39 percent increase in electric bills.