Your Electric Bill Is Going Up. Today.

October 1, 2012 4:09 pm by: Brian Baresch

Don't touch the thermostat: A long-delayed Austin Energy rate change goes into effect today. Photo courtesy flickr.com/pyxopotamus

By Tyler Pratt

Effective today, Austin’s electric bills will be increasing an average of seven percent. Austin Energy is increasing its rates and updating its electric rate structure this October. The Austin City Council approved the increase in June.

The good news is that it’s getting colder, so the average user won’t see much of an increase. Austin Energy estimates average users will only increase $3-$29 during the non-summer months.

The company has also reduced the time frame of their summer rate from six months to four months. However during the summer months (June to September), average users could see increases of $13 to  $44.

According to Austin Energy, the rate structure change was enacted to “recover the cost of providing electricity at higher levels of use.” The company claims that users who make make energy improvements their homes will see little, if none at all, change to their energy bills.