GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids residents are feeling the impact of increased electricity bills during the hot summer season. Consumers Energy said higher electricity bills are normal this time of year, but there is also a difference between the rate you pay during peak hours of the summer versus the rest of the year.
“Last month was a little bit higher than usual," said Grand Valley State University student, Aaron Henderson in downtown Grand Rapids Tuesday.
Maddy Messenger echoed a similar sentiment at Riverside Park.
"Just seeing everything, it seems to be on the higher side ... compared to other years," Messenger said.
Consumers Energy spokesperson Matt Johnson said higher bills are typical during the summer months.
"We're using our air conditioning a lot more, you know, and we're still doing things like laundry and using the dishwasher, right? And so typically, this time of year, we do see people's energy usage go up significantly," said Johnson.
Johnson further clarified that the cost of electricity during the summer rises by about six cents per kilowatt hour during certain times of the day, compared to the rest of the year.
"That is only applicable in certain times of the day and in times of the day that you're not using as much energy, or we encourage you to use less energy, the rate is actually significantly lower than it typically is," Johnson said. "We tell people from two to 7 p.m., that's the peak time of day where electricity is going to cost the most to us to provide to the customer, and therefore it will cost you more during those peak times."
To help mitigate costs, Johnson advised residents to monitor their electricity usage.
"We talk about avoiding doing the dishes during that peak time of day, avoid doing laundry at that time of the day, doing things in the morning or later in the evening," Johnson suggested.
Johnson also noted that residents can save one to three percent on their bill for every degree they raise their thermostat.
Consumers Energy offers a variety programs and resources aimed at helping customers monitor their energy usage. One of those resources is a program called "My Personalized Offerings."
"It'll actually ask you to fill out some basic information, where you can fill out your zip code, your income, and it'll kind of give you recommendations based on your household and your situation, on what might be best for you. So, when I did that, it recommended the budget plan, which is a really good way to sort of evenly bill you across the year," said Johnson.
Consumers Energy also offers the "Critical Peak Pricing" program and the "Peak Time Rewards" program.
"Both of those programs will reward the customer in different ways based on your your commitment to toning down usage during those peak times of the day that we talked about. So, you can get bill credits in return for lowering your usage, and then you can save money by paying a higher rate the rest of the day, and then a lower rate during that time of day when you tone down your usage," Johnson added.
Johnson said there's even resources for residents who might need assistance in paying their bills.
"People can always call 211, also, which connects customers with not just energy assistance resources, but resources across the community, with our community partners to help them, whether they're struggling with their energy bills or other things," said Johnson.
To find more ways to save on your electricity bill, check out these tips from Consumers Energy.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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