DEMCO customer shocked by expensive bill, smart meters could be to blame

[ad_1]

BATON ROUGE – Like many DEMCO customers this month, Ryan McCombie was blown away when he received his monthly bill.

“This month it was $ 360. On average, it’s around $ 150-160, “McCombie said.

His search for answers was not easy. McCombie says the power company is taking him around the world.

“I called and wasted an hour of my time, and no response was given,” McCombie said.

A DEMCO representative told WBRZ that there are several contributing factors that could lead to increased bills. Gas prices rise, causing the cost of electricity to rise.

“The high cost of fuel really has an impact on our members,” said Anne Hawes, representative of DEMCO.

But McCombie says it’s not because his kilowatt consumption has nearly tripled. If gas prices were the problem, its kilowatt consumption would be the same, with a higher bill price.

“My kilowatt usage at this time last year was around 1,500. This year it’s up to 3,300,” McCombie said.

Another problem could be smart meters which estimate bills based on past usage if the system cannot get a correct reading.

“When they were billed the next time, when the meter was transmitting with the system, sometimes we have to catch up because the actual usage is more than we estimated,” Hawes said.

DEMCO offers a solution in the form of payment plans for customers with high invoices. With the holidays approaching, McCombie says it’s the last thing he has to worry about.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m just sitting on it for now,” McCombie said.

For those trying to cut their electricity bills this winter, DEMCO has tips on how to be more energy efficient.

[ad_2]