In Raleigh, Tuesday's temperature set an all-time record high at 105 degrees. This month's heat wave is also pushing up the prices on power bills, making it more difficult for some people to pay.
RALEIGH -- The temperatures keep pushing the mercury higher in North Carolina. In Raleigh, the temperature set an all-time record high at 105 degrees. This month's heat wave is also pushing up the prices on power bills, making it more difficult for some people to pay.
“It was 80-something (dollars) last month. It's $119 this month,” said Raleigh resident Irene Britt as she paid her Progress Energy power bill.
“We're seeing about a 10 percent increase above a normal August,” explained Mike Hughes, spokesman for Progress Energy. “Most of our customers are probably using more electricity than they even recognize.”
But what happens if you can't pay your higher power bill?
Progress Energy and Duke Power both say they don't disconnect customers' power when the National Weather Service predicts a heat index above 105 degrees.
News 14 Carolina meteorologists say Tuesday's heat index was just that -- above 105 degrees.
But Progress Energy still disconnected people's power, like Raleigh resident Marie Mekoyo.
“They cut off my power today, this morning,” Mekoyo said as he stood in line to pay his bill. Mekoyo just moved from an apartment into a house. A customer service representative for Progress Energy told him his power was turned off because he didn’t pay his deposit, even though he had a bill in hand with a due date of August 27.
“It's pretty bad for me because outside it’s very hot,” he continued. “I need the power back. If I pay the bill, they might put back the power tonight.”
The power companies say if you know you're going to have trouble paying your bill, you should call the customer service center as soon as possible, before your bill is due.
“We can work with you,” Hughes said. "Generally, it's an extended payment plan that we work through with the customer. In extreme cases, we can also help refer a customer to social service agencies.”
Both Progress Energy and Duke Power provide an equal payment plan for customers where the company predicts how much power a customer will use over a year, then divides that cost into equal monthly payments.