Georgia Power announced that the typical residential customer using 1,000-kilowatt hours will receive an estimated $12 credit on their October Georgia Power bill. This reflects implementation of a one-time $61.6 million credit for customers, approved today by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC), as a result of Georgia Power’s 2019 financial results.
Pairing the October credit with lower fuel rates implemented at the start of summer, the typical residential customer will see a reduction of more than $17 next month.
The amount each customer receives will vary based on their 2019 usage. Georgia Power will apply the credit to October bills for customers who had active accounts as of December 31, 2019, and are still active or receiving a final bill as of October 2020. This is the third credit that customers will receive this year, totaling more than $45 for the typical residential customer.
Relief on summer bills
In June, the typical residential customer using 1,000-kilowatt hours received an $11.29 credit on their June Georgia Power bill. This credit reflected the implementation of a $51.5 million credit for customers, approved by the Georgia PSC, as a result of Georgia Power’s 2018 financial results.
Additionally, the Georgia PSC approved in May Georgia Power’s plan to reduce its fuel rates by 17.2 percent and total billings by approximately $740 million over a two-year period, and lower the total monthly bill by approximately $5.32 for the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month beginning June 1, 2020. Customers received a special interim reduction to provide additional relief during the COVID-19 pandemic through even lower fuel rates over the 2020 summer months. The lower fuel rate and special interim reduction lowered the total bill of a typical residential customer using an average of 1,000-kilowatt hours by a total of $10.26 per month from June through September 2020.
February bill credit due to 2017 tax law savings
Customers also received a credit of approximately $22 on their February Georgia Power bill as a result of the third and final bill credit associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, resulting in credits totaling $106 million.
To learn more about how Georgia Power delivers rates below the national average, cultivates a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable and affordable power, as well as free energy services and programs available for customers, visit www.georgiapower.com.
With a recent increase in reports regarding scams and fraud by criminals posing as Georgia Power employees, the company is reminding customers to be aware and follow simple tips to avoid being a target.
SCAM WARNING
Georgia Power urges customers to be cautious when contacted by an unverified person claiming to be a Georgia Power representative. The company will never ask a customer to provide a credit card or pre-paid debit card number over the phone or request customers to pay using alternate methods like BitCoin. Additionally, the company will never send employees into the field to collect payment in person or ask a customer to pay anywhere other than an Authorized Payment Location (APL).
Additional Scam Awareness & Safety Guidance
Georgia Power also provides the following guidance to customers:
· If an account becomes past due, Georgia Power will contact the customer via a pre-recorded message to the primary account telephone number or by letter requesting that the customer call to discuss the account.
· If a customer receives a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Georgia Power and demanding payment to avoid disconnection, the customer should hang up and contact the company’s customer service line at 888-660-5890. As scammers have tried to promote the use of fraudulent 800 numbers, customers should always check to make sure they are calling the correct Georgia Power customer service line at 888-660-5890, which can be verified at www.GeorgiaPower.com/ContactUs.
· Delete all emails that demand immediate payment or personal information or that are from a company that is not Georgia Power.
· If an employee needs to visit a customer’s home or business for a service-related issue, they will be in uniform and present a badge with a photo, their name and the company’s name and logo. They will also be in a vehicle marked with the company’s logo.
Georgia Power continues to work with law enforcement agencies throughout the state to identify and prosecute criminals who pose as Georgia Power employees to defraud customers. Additional information about frequent scams and how the company works to protect customers is available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Scams.
To learn more about how you can defend yourself against scammers and avoid falling victim to common mistakes, watch the company’s latest public service announcements (PSA) on the company’s YouTube channel.