CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Some Dominion Energy customers in the Lowcountry are questioning sharp increases in their January electric bills, as the company points to a stretch of colder-than-normal weather as a key factor behind higher usage.
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Jarrett Cochran, a Dominion Energy customer in Charleston County, said his home is unoccupied and the thermostat is kept at 65 degrees, but his latest bill was the highest he has seen.
Cochran said his December bill was just over $300, but in January, Dominion charged him more than $600, the bill claiming he used more than twice the electricity.
Cochran shared his concerns on Facebook, where hundreds of people responded, saying they also saw their January bills jump.
Dominion Energy has pointed to the month’s below-average temperatures, including 14 nights below freezing, as a reason some customers may have used more electricity.
“With two winter storms and temperatures plummeting, January delivered periods of extreme cold, resulting in higher-than-typical energy bills due to increased energy usage,” Dominion Energy said in a statement.
Heating systems typically account for about half of a home’s total energy expenses, and that share can climb even higher during extreme weather, Dominion Energy officials explained.
Energy consumption can rise in cold conditions even if thermostat settings and daily routines stay the same. In very low temperatures, a heat pump may rely more heavily on its auxiliary or emergency heat, which consumes more electricity than its standard operation. When temperatures drop sharply, the emergency heat can turn on automatically, even without adjusting the thermostat.
“I called Dominion, trying to figure out what was going on and it let me know I’m not the only one experiencing this,” Cochran said. “It feels like there’s something deeper going on with the way they assess people with bills.”
News 4 reviewed some of Cochran’s bills and found his rate had increased between last winter and now, something he said he was not aware of.
Dominion Energy said its last rate increase was a 1% hike in September 2024, the company’s first increase since 2019.
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Despite that, Cochran’s unoccupied home was listed as using three times as much energy as it did in January of last year.
Cochran said he is concerned as Dominion looks to raise rates more than 12% later this year.
“It’s just unfortunate because, with the economy and the way things are going today, I mean, for them to impose another rate hike is just very unfortunate because a lot of people can barely afford some of today’s bills. What we are seeing right now is already expensive,” Cochran said.
Cochran said he has reached out to elected officials for help.
Dominion Energy has also shared tips online that it says can help customers lower their bills, and said assistance programs are available for people who are struggling to pay.
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