Midstate Electric Bills Skyrocket: What You Can Do

NASHVILLE, TN -- Middle Tennesseans from Dover to Decherd opened their electric bills with trepidation this month, gritting their teeth and looking askance at the inevitably high number at the bottom. Blood pressure shot up at the sight of the eye popping figure at the bottom.

Because of the bone-chilling temperatures -- the temperature barely cracked freezing for more than half of December and the cold spell stretched on without interruption -- most people ran their heating units almost constantly, pushing many bills to double or triple even their usual December number.

The Nashville Electric Service has five tips to help keep costs under control:

1. Turn the thermostat down to 68 degrees or lower and bundle up with a cozy sweater and warm socks.
2. Look into easy solutions like weather-stripping and caulking to prevent cold air from entering your home.
3. Close curtains & blinds at night to protect against cold drafts. Open them during the day to let in the sun's warmth.
4. Clean or replace your furnace filter regularly. A dirty filter will slow air flow and make your system work harder.
5. Keep the garage door closed as much as possible to help buffer cold outdoor air from trickling into your home.

NES also offers balanced billing, which splits the average annual energy cost throughout the year, making budgeting easier with predictable bills.

Power in Middle Tennessee is supplied by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which offers lower rates than most utilities, but the TVA does implement seasonal rate adjustments, with higher costs in the heights of winter and summer and lower rates in transitional months.

The Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Co-operative, which serves much of Middle Tennessee not served by NES, recommends customers who struggle to pay their bill call their local MTEMC office, as they co-op may be willing to help.

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