COLUMBUS, Ohio — Home energy bills are on the rise as the temperatures start to fall. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association projected costs to increase this winter.
NEADA projects on average, prices are expected to go up nearly $100 for the season — up 10.5% from last winter. The biggest jump is electricity at 13.6%.
“All that's being driven by the fact that it's going to be a colder winter,” said Mark Wolfe, the executive director at the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. “Underlying cost of some fuels, like electricity, are going up faster than inflation, in part because utilities need to rebuild the grid, so families are facing more expensive winter heating costs, and this comes on top of a more expensive summer. It's really a double whammy.”
A report from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio says AEP Ohio had 177,221 disconnections from June 2023 to May 2024. It totals more than $77.5 million in unpaid bills. For Columbia Gas of Ohio, the annual report says unpaid bills totaled $13.7 million and there were 19,084 disconnections in the same timeframe.
Consumer 10 found ways to save money on utility bills and to help from falling behind on payments.
- The Percentage of Income Payment Plan helps Ohioans with more affordable monthly payments.
- The Home Energy Assistance Program can help pay the bill.
- Patriot Pan - for active-duty military
- The Winter Crisis Program provides heating assistance for eligible Ohioans starting on Nov. 1.
“What's really kind of exciting, under the Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed, Congress also provided $9 billion to help families increase the efficiency of their homes, and it's all grant money,” said Wolfe. “The states are just rolling the programs out.”
There are steps you can take to start saving and reducing costs today. NEADA suggests tuning up your furnace before high demand and reducing the thermostat.
“You can turn down your temperature by 10 degrees during an eight-hour period, and you can save seven to 10% on your home energy bill,” suggested Wolfe.