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Summer Utility Bills: Don't Feel the Heat

Summer electric bills are usually the highest of the year for most families. It is not unusual for electric companies to see an increase of late payments in September more than five times that of other months.

If you find yourself in a situation where you can't pay your bill -- contact the electric utility immediately!

Your electric company expects families to have problems paying higher summer electric bills. They are prepared for it and can offer you a variety of payment plans and deferment agreements that will keep the lights on and help you keep your finances in order.

You can also expect to have significantly higher gas bills in winter and the same advice for electric bills applies to how to deal with your gas bill. First and foremost: don't ignore the problem. Your electric company may be able to help you keep your bill from skyrocketing in the summer by putting you on an average billing program. This looks at your bills for the entire year and determines an average payment that is the same every month.

An average billing payment means you pay more than you would for certain months and less than you would in heavy use months. This program also allows you to know how much your bill is every month and helps you budget properly and avoid unexpected swings in your expenses.

If you are in a state with deregulated electric service, you may want to "shop-around" for the lowest cost electricity.

Ignoring your payment responsibility for utility bills can cause your service to be terminated or interrupted. This can cause you to have to pay the bill and post a deposit for your service to be restored.

Courtesy American Association of Debt Management Organizations - www.AADMO.org