Georgia Power offers energy bill discount to more residents. Here’s who is eligible

For some, an electricity bill means nothing more than rounding monthly rent up to the nearest hundred. A sunk cost that provides modern-day living necessities like air conditioning or a refrigerator, and enjoying luxuries like TV, dishwashers and outlets to charge phones are not given a second thought.

But for those living at or below the poverty lines, which is about 35,000-45,000 people (20%) in Muscogee County, a rising power bill could be a massive burden.

Naturally, summertime heat requires more energy from air conditioning, showing up in higher electric bills. But the triple-digit heat that struck Columbus throughout June heightened electric bills.

Just last week, Georgia Power announced expanding its existing Income-Qualified Senior Discount to those 65 and older with low-income status to include a larger group of customers. The discount is $33.50 and the utility company hopes it will combat energy burdens for low-income Georgians. It can be applied for online.

“We understand that energy costs are an important part of every family’s budget and we want to be there when our customers need us the most,” Latanza Adjei, senior vice president of customer experience for Georgia Power, said in a press release. “We’re committed to connecting, senior citizens, those with one-time or ongoing special needs, and those with limited incomes – with the right programs and resources that can aid them in lowering and paying their bills.”

The Income-Qualified Senior Discount added three new groups to its program: those with Social Security disability insurance, supplemental social insurance, and folks living in HUD Section 8 housing are now eligible.

But there is a limit of 96,000 Georgia Power customers who can receive this discount over the next three years, at 32,000 per year, according to the terms agreed upon by the Public Service Commission in a hearing last December.

How much will this help, why did it happen?

The entire state of Georgia has nearly 2 million people receiving Social Security disability insurance. The state also has 177,000 people who are 65-plus and below the poverty level, according to the Social Security Administration and the latest Census.

In Muscogee County there are 40,000 people, including those 65 and older, who receive Social Security (as of December 2022) according to the SSA. There are 3,164 people using vouchers for HUD Section 8 housing assistance in Columbus.

So while Georgia Power expanded this program to add up to 32,000 people, it can’t reach all Muscogee County residents.

“It’s a good step forward,” Melinda Klamer, Community Resource Center director of United Way Chattahoochee Valley, said. “I think it’s good to widen the people who are eligible, but it would be good to have further assistance.”

United Way’s 211 phone line, a source for people to get help with utility bills or other financial burdens, has been getting daily calls. Klamer manages those who field the calls they get for utility burdens.

In June they received 250 calls, a 38% increase from June 2023 when they got 155 calls, according to United Way’s records.

This June was warmer than normal: 24 days in June were above 92 degrees in Columbus, and four of those hit 100. June was 2 degrees warmer than the average June in the last 30 years, according to the National Weather Service.

This discount came in large part because of the settlement reached by the PSC in December where Southern Environmental Law Center, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, and Partnership for Southern Equity all supported the discount.

“I am happy they are accepting new low-income senior households into the program,” Kaiya Murphy, the just energy manager for partnership for Southern Equity said in an email. “The expansion was a part of the settlement that PSE, GIPL, and other organizations signed onto for support to work through the $10 billion dollars in cost overruns Georgia Power was going to put on their customers. Instead the settlement lowered the price tag to $7.5 billion. The $7.5 billion comes from the cost overruns of plant Vogtle.”

The program,which started back in 1987 with a $7 discount, has had several iterations of updates and changes. As of January, the program has helped 100,000 Georgia Power residents, according to John Kraft, a Georgia Power spokesperson.