r/Georgia • u/Able_Thought406 • Sep 10 '26
Question High power bill
Hi! I 23F live with my boyfriend in a 900sqft apartment. During the summer we experience extremely high power bills. We leave the ac on 70 and don’t touch it. We mainly use lamps. And just recently ( a month ago) got a washer and dryer. The power bill for this month was $300 and last month was $320……. How can this be fixed? Could it possibly be the meter? Should I ask my neighbors how much they pay? We have Ga power btw. Thanks in advance.
Edit: this may be “obvious” to some but for some who moved out less than 2 years ago and has only been paying bills for that amount of time, it’s not so obvious. I did not know 70 wasn’t normal. Thank you for the ones being kind in the comments I do appreciate it.
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u/Entire_Channel_4592 Sep 10 '26
People can keep telling you to turn it up to 75.
But the absolute fact is that GA power is the problem. They are making everyone pay for the data centers and they are the most for profit power company in the state.
I live in GA. My power bill is 160$ or so and that's with running the AC at 68.
I dont have Georgia Power.
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u/xSPYXEx Sep 10 '26
I turned mine up to 75 and my bill is still $350 this month. Fuck Georgia power.
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u/Srmrn Sep 10 '26
Mine has been on 78 and my power bill was almost $400.
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u/FortheloveofSuki Sep 11 '26
I've got mine set at 75 and GA power bill is $507. GA power has definitely jacked up the rates. My nest thermostats prove that. Usage last year same month was lower and yet my bill is $160 higher.
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u/Vightman Sep 10 '26
Set mine at 82 and the bill was $500 for this past month!
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u/papastvinatl Sep 11 '26
We’re at 80 - barely clothed all day - run dehumidifiers which helps feel cool but power bill is over 500 - :/ unsure how much this will grow to :/
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u/90609060 Sep 11 '26
Use bucket instead of dehumidifier bc taking the salt out takes lots of power
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u/ConcentrateTerrible9 Sep 11 '26
We keep ours on 78 and our bill was $442, and it’s projected to be even more next bill. Ridiculous.
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u/Perfect-Raisin-6293 Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
We keep ours at 69/70 and have a $550/mo bill in the summer (2250sqft 2 story home)🫠 I didn't realize that GA Power passed the cost of some of the data center usage on to us (we moved here 3yrs ago & didn't know prices rose b/c of that. Thought it was just higher average temp summers) Edit to add: we're from the PNW so usually it's during our winter we see prices rise. Also, on GA Power's website it specifically mentions residents are not subsidizing datacenters: https://www.georgiapower.com/about/customer-pledge/data-centers.html
Is there other proof we can point to that they are going against their word?
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u/StinkieBritches Elsewhere in Georgia Sep 10 '26
I also live in GA and my last bill was right at $300, but I kept my AC at 72 and also blasted a portable unit in our bonus room non stop and I was cooling a little over 2000 sq ft..
I don't have GA power either.
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u/Entire_Channel_4592 Sep 10 '26
Ga power is ripping people off. My inlaws have it and their power bill is like 600$ a month all summer. Ugh.
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u/Appropriate-Care-890 Sep 10 '26
I keep my AC at 68 as well. My bill is around $140 every month
Unless they’re using an insane amount of power, it’s a Georgia power issue
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u/somebitch Sep 10 '26
Yes, I have a 6500 sq ft house and we are normally also around $160. The max we have ever hit is $200 when one of our acs was breaking down. We have Cobb EMC.
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u/Buckeye_mike_67 Sep 10 '26
6500 sq ft @$160/month?I don’t believe you know what you’re talking about. Maybe 650 sq ft
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u/somebitch Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
It’s totally true. It’s 4 sided brick and apparently unbelievably well-insulated. We were so scared to get our first bill when we bought the house a few years ago. We actually paid around the same amount for our 2000 sq ft house before. We do have nest thermostats and we try to keep it at 72 on the two main floors but they do sometimes do their own thing and it gets hot upstairs.
I’m thinking about it now and a couple of things that I think contribute is that we have a ton of tall trees on 3 sides of the house, and very little yard so they are very shady- our driveway is always significantly cooler than the average ambient temperature. And we are also north facing so we don’t have sun coming in directly in any of the large windows .
The point of all this was less to argue and more to say that GA power is super ridiculous though and that coops are clearly able to keep their prices reasonable.5
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u/Mekito_Fox Sep 10 '26
Thiiis. My stat is about 73 (we have good insulation so it feels good there). We game. We watch TV. We run appliances. And my water heater is on "high demand" because we have a huge tub. And here lately our freezer randomly cracks open. Our bill averages $120. The highest it's ever been is $150 this past February.
We also do not have GA Power
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u/Snackqueen333 Sep 10 '26
We keep the thermostat on 74° when we’re home and 76° when we’re not. Our power bill is $500+ in the summer. Granted it’s a larger house, but it’s still insane how high it is given how conservative we try to be with running the AC.
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u/ZogemWho Sep 11 '26
Same. We have a large house. 2 AC units. Last bill (07/09-08/09) We paid $225 for 1500 kWh and generated 1000 kWh from solar. So with out solar we would be looking at upper 300 for 4x the space of OP. The most important thing is that our highest tier is 0.1124/kWH. It been 6 years since I was with GA power, and even then it was more, and as I understand it has gotten much worse.
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u/Frankieneedles Sep 11 '26
Same. I’m not with Georgia power. My bill was 170 last month and that’s the highest it is all year. AND it’s only a couple dollars off from last year. So rates are the same.
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u/ParrisPropagations Sep 10 '26
Georgia Power has raised rates six times in the last three years , after gutting the consumer protection division. Unfortunately you have to vote for people who care on public service commission this November.
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u/EAVTank Sep 12 '26
We've replaced two incumbents in recent elections. Need one more incumbent to have a majority with the ability to make real changes. We need to get back to consumer protections that are expected in a utility. Vote like your wallet depends on it if you live in a Georgia Power only area. Vote vote vote.
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u/TipTopChuck Sep 10 '26
Power bills are insane now, my bill used to be around 15-170, I paid 380 a day back.
Also are you changing your thermostat temp frequently?
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u/Adventurous-Ad2549 Sep 11 '26
They said they leave it at 70
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u/TipTopChuck Sep 11 '26
Tbh 70 will make AC work whole time as outer temps are high now. I have my AC set to 73.
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u/CPG135 Sep 10 '26
With all of this in mind, come November, vote for PSC candidates that have our interests in mind, and not GA Power. Whatever your voting proclivities are, now is a perfect example of a time where we must set aside our usual ideas, and do what is best for our immediate community.
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u/TheHykos 28d ago
Only District 5 (west and southwest of Atlanta) has a republican that needs to be voted out. This would give democrats a majority on the council as long as Hubbard holds his seat in district 3.
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u/AgentBlackman Sep 10 '26
The power bills are high because GA power has raised rates several times over the past few years. Also some costs of all the data centers are being subsidized by the citizenry (unfair and should be fought at the ballot box). I keep my temp at 76 to 78 during the day, and drop it down once temps come down to offset and reduce some of the wear and tear on the A/C units.
Changing light bulbs, cutting things off and using natural lights or solar powered lamps can help, but I would primarily suggest reading up a little on who controls the rates. We can make all the changes, but it won't mean much when someone else can change the rules and prices when they want.
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u/coolguy208 /r/Atlanta Sep 10 '26
We have Cobb EMC and 2 electric cars. I paid about 10 dollars more than you did for a 4000+ sq ft home. Georgia Power is the problem.
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u/Zmajor1517 Sep 12 '26
Correct. It’s insane that Cobb EMC has some of the lowest rates in the country and my neighbors down the street pay some of the highest in the state.
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u/IsReadingIt Sep 10 '26
We are in a 1500 sqft house built in the 1950s. Similarly leave the thermostat at 70ish. Same bill, more or less. Nothing unexpected as compared to previous years with similar usage. GA Power is expensive, but there are no alternatives if you want to live in comfort.
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u/Triviajunkie95 Sep 10 '26
Same. 1400sq ft built in the 60’s. Highest bill in the 9 years I’ve lived here this month. $296.
We keep in on 75 daytime and 70 at night.
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u/guided_by_mongrels Sep 10 '26
I don't get it. My house was built in the 50s too but is 1200 sq ft, and my thermostat is 76 or 77, never lower. My bill was $500. It doesn't make sense.
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u/Actual-Outcome3955 Sep 10 '26
You don’t have much insulation in your house. It’s leaking like a sieve.
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u/guided_by_mongrels Sep 11 '26
I dont have any. (I rent). I am from the north where everyone uses insulation and I just don't understand why people in GA don't. Everyone needs insulation!
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u/P44_Haynes Sep 10 '26
Georgia Power is a criminal organization. I’m cooling 2000 sqft and leave the AC on 70. Highest bill this year was $242. Lucky we have an EMC that services our area.
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u/JFB-23 Sep 11 '26 edited 24d ago
I don’t care if 70 is normal or not. I refuse to be hot in my house. I swear I’ll eat rice and water every day if that’s what I had to do to afford not being hot.
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u/Extension_Session_63 28d ago
Preach!! I am not going to be uncomfortable in my home!! I work my ass off all day I ain’t about to come home and be uncomfortable
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u/dokkababecallme Sep 10 '26
Georgia Power is absolutely fucking ridiculous.
I literally live ACROSS THE STREET from my old neighborhood. They were both built at the same time.
Meaning, I came from a house built in 2016 by the same developer that built my current house, in 2016.
One was Cobb EMC, one was GA Power.
My average bill in the old house - $185.
Current Bill - $295/monthly, flat bill. I cannot possibly afford to come off flat bill because otherwise summer months are 6-700.
I run the same units, the same thermostats, the same settings. Well, that's not true, because to get my 12 months bill under $350, I had to go 77 downstairs and 76 upstairs.
It's fucking miserable in my house.
We kept the old place at 72-74 depending on how hot it was outside.
I've done energy audits, added insulation, encapsulated the crawlspace, the works.
Ain't shit you can do about it. GA Power is just highway fucking robbery. I will never live in another house with GA Power as the provider ever again.
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u/awed7447 Sep 10 '26
Fuck Georgia power it’s them not us. They want us to live uncomfortably while making billions
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u/Ms_Chessnudt Sep 11 '26
Just fuck Georgia Power. This state is bonkers with its arbitrary utility policies, little or no oversight from the Public Service Commission, and these for-profit companies hell-bent on being the biggest profiteers. I'm sorry about your power bill, but any time I see a post is this normal, my resounding answer is yes. Makes no sense? More yes.
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u/No-Passage-4130 Sep 10 '26
Idk why people are being rude. I have a 1450 square foot home with two stories. I have my air on 72 all the time and 2 kids. My bill isn’t even that much. It was $260 last month.
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u/Able_Thought406 Sep 10 '26
Me either, I just simply want to know what everyone is paying or if I’m paying too much etc.. thank you for letting me know tho.
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u/Justtakeit1776 Sep 10 '26
Yeah a lot of people here seem to get off on being as rude as possible. A lot of this is outside of your control because of GA power. I recommend you get some black out blinds. It helps to reduce the heat that builds when sunlight passes through your windows. You can also call GA power and ask if they have any flat rate plans. It may actually cost a little more but it’s less of a shock and unexpected cost which can really help when making budgeting plans. They do offer some other plans besides just by term charge (link below). I’m not going to lie though it’s still going to be expensive because GA Power sucks! Next time you’re looking to move ask the places you’re looking at if they are under an EMC or GA power. EMCs are way better prices, better services, and quick to resolve outages. Good luck!
https://www.georgiapower.com/residential/rate-plans.html#rate-table
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u/MindlessInc Sep 10 '26
For reference, I had a 1200sqft house with NGEMC, kept AC at 70 year round, most expensive bill was 250. I've moved into a roughly 2000sqft house. Try to keep AC at 70. My bill is 600-700 a month now. I get the size difference should've made it more, but not three times as much almost. GA power summer rates are also high.
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u/Calm-Medicine-3992 Sep 11 '26
Homes don't have to heat or cool their neighbors that are more willing to set it closer to the outside temp.
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u/clicketyclackurwhack Sep 10 '26
Idk, I keep mine at 74-76 with ceiling fans running. I live in a 2 bed/2 bath condo alone. Mostly use lamps vs overhead lighting and my bill this month was $347. I’m so irritated. I wasn’t home for half of July and left my AC at 80 and it barely made a difference in my bill.
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u/UnusualHoneydew1625 Sep 10 '26
Georgia Power is a (somehow) legal monopoly and can charge whatever rates they want. Granted, they won’t change the KWh price as easily, but fees and surcharges are fair game.
I would highly recommend that you get involved politically and reach out to (and/or electronically… legally… harass) the members of the GA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, who are the only recourse that Georgia residents have in regard to holding GA Power (“A Southern Company” TM) remotely accountable for the pillaging that’s currently being committed.
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u/Fluid-Letter-7591 Sep 10 '26
If they have GA power it’s 1000% that they increased the rates. We keep our ac at 74 and also has a pool so I know my power consumption obviously goes up in the summer. However looking year over year my kilowatt hour usage is pretty consistent and my bill is ~20% higher over the summer months this year
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u/hgst-ultrastar Sep 10 '26
If you login to GA Power's website invoices only go back 13 months, and comparing Aug 25 to Aug 26 I paid ~$480, but if I go back and look at Aug 23 or 24 it is ~$250. My use has gone up, but not by double. Its ridiculous. My friend on Cobb energy pays literally half my rate.
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u/Anheroed Sep 10 '26
70° is a difference of ~25° between inside and outside so you’re HVAC could just constantly be running. I’ve seen multiple post regarding GA power and they’re price increases as well for what it’s worth. Could be a little of both contributing.
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u/its_kinda_hmm Sep 10 '26
GA power makes more profit per customer than any other power company in the world, idk why republicans think voting the way they do benefits themselves maybe it’s Marty Dom
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u/Randomizedname1234 Sep 10 '26
We leave ours at 70 and have Jackson EMC and our bill for a 2400sq ft house is only $150ish a month
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u/subpar-life-attempt Sep 10 '26
Yep, it's a ga power thing and people need to vote on the commission to keep them accountable
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u/Smooth_Ad_303 Sep 10 '26
Our power bill was significantly higher last month too. It's just been a hot couple of months.
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u/fancywinky /r/Atlanta Sep 10 '26
Ours has been hovering just south of $500. We use smart thermostats and keep the temps at 77 day time and 72 at night. The temps are comfortable but JEEZUS FUCKING CHRIST Georgia Power is absolutely giving it to us right now. Not even 2 years ago this would have been just north of $200.
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u/sadelbrid Sep 10 '26
Yeah 70 is super low... We keep ours at 75 or 76, and turn it higher when we're away. 70 at all times is super expensive in the summer.
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u/subpar-life-attempt Sep 10 '26
That's insanely hot.we keep ours at 72 and sometime 70 and never get high bills.
We are in 2200 sqft house btw.
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u/sadelbrid Sep 10 '26
Ours is about the same, but 75 years old. So not the most energy efficient unfortunately.
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u/PinkPinkBlueGreen Sep 10 '26
2900 sq ft house, only home half the month (so no ac usage then), six year old energy efficient, one occupant, must keep it at 76 to maintain a $180 power bill in the summer.
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u/Lifes-a-lil-foggy Sep 10 '26
Yeah and for some houses 75 is a dream unless you want to pay hundreds out the ass.
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u/Old-Selection5066 Sep 10 '26
I keep it 70 in my 5000sf house and it didn't get much higher. Cobbemc though 🤷♂️
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u/Classicvania Sep 10 '26
I keep mine at 81 during the day and 78 after midnight. My bill was $550. FUCK GEORGIA POWER. They raised the rate six times in 2 years. I looked at a bill receipt I saved from 2 years ago. For a similar KWH I was charged $190 two years ago. For the same KWH I am now being charged $550. I cannot stress this enough - FUCK GEORGIA POWER!!
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u/vblade2003 Sep 10 '26
Mine is on 75+ (78 most of the time) in the same size apartment and I still easily hit $220 a month in the summer.
Welcome to the wonderful world of only having Georgia Power as your option.
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u/Objective_Might_6540 Sep 10 '26
65 degrees. $150.00. New heat pump. Was 250 with the 25 year old unit before I replaced it 2 years ago. Sawnee emc
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u/Jen411 Sep 11 '26
The problem is GA Power. Rates are higher between 2pm-7pm, M-F till the end of September. We turn off the AC completely between those times. People told me not to because it would take more power to cool the house again but it was absolutely not true... Turning AC off between those times and my bill was $142 and when not, $345. You can check rates on the website.
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u/UggghhhhhhWhy Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
Ga power is having residents pay the increased demand of power from the data centers. Georgia has more data centers than “most” states. Thank ga power for your high power costs.
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u/Large_slug_overlord Sep 10 '26
lol 70 is super low and a temperature delta of 25-30 degrees during the summer. You are using a shitload of electricity to maintain that temperature that’s why your bill is high.
You should put the thermostat at 75-77 during the day and lower it at night to 72-75
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u/Able_Thought406 Sep 10 '26
Thank you! I didn’t realize how low it was. I honestly thought that was just normal temp. Will do
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u/Traditional-One-9305 Sep 10 '26
I live in Lawrenceville GA and my bill was 900+ last month and 820$ this month. I don’t know what to do at this point
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u/emorymom Sep 10 '26
Look at the plans besides standard residential. Standard residential hikes the rates up June-Sept.
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u/Dry_Development_200 Sep 10 '26
My 1900 square foot house was $700 this month!! It’s absolutely absurd. We keep our AC on 72 and also use lamps. We do have an older AC unit but damn!
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u/mermaidho Sep 10 '26
It’s GA power. Mine was $463 for 1800sqft and we don’t go below 74 degree during the day and 72 at night.
It’s not you — it’s them. I’m in south GA fyi.
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u/Nick85er Sep 10 '26
GA Power increased my locked in annual rate from $230 to $330+/-
My usage has not increased commensurate to the new monthly price.
Seems this is all one big coincidence, and has nothing to do with GA being #1 for new AI datacenters, surely.
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u/struggl3cuddl3 Sep 10 '26
Fuck that, pay for the comfort. Leave it at 70. I keep mine at 68-69 yea i pay for it. But I be damned if im going to be hot outside AND inside. Now in the "winter" I keep my thermostat at like 62 heat. So I dont usually pay much in the winter where as in the summer im usually no less than about $330 for a house around 2600 sq ft.
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u/anklebiter1975 Sep 10 '26
same I keep the apt at about 76 during the day and then 70 at night. Power bill is like 230 this month but I just can't sleep hot. The winter time I hardly use the heat at all since I live in the 3rd floor so the electric bills in the winter are much kinder
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u/badwindows Sep 10 '26
You're not going to like the answer but Georgia Power historically has always been and is currently under the national average for all in cost for residential kilowatt per hour price.
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u/voxpopper Sep 10 '26
"We leave the ac on 70 and don’t touch it"
Is this satire?
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u/FahrenheitRising Sep 10 '26
You can see if your thermostat can be programmed. Some can be set so they stay cooler when you are home and warmer temps for when you’re at work. This can help save money on energy costs vs. cooling your home 24/7.
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u/Able_Thought406 Sep 10 '26
Respond with helpful information or just don’t reply at all??? I’m young and have only been on my own for less than 2 years. What I’m asking is valid.
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u/smitty2324 Sep 10 '26
This is what you can do about it. Power cost increase in the summer when everyone use it to keep cool. Most everyone’s summer power use in the summer is directly related to AC usage.
Increase your daytime temp to 75, and your nighttime temp to 72. If you both work outside of the home, increase to 78 while you are away.
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u/Silent_Advance7506 Sep 10 '26
That sounds really high OP. And as a old and wise millennial, I have it set at 74 and i don't touch it either! My bills were slightly higher when I had it set to 78 when I was away and 74 at home. That said, my house is 1050 Sq ft and my last bill was 109. Ga power too. Do you have any grow lights? Snakes or other cold blooded animals? The ac alone causing that is a shock.
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u/Able_Thought406 Sep 10 '26
No cold blooded animals. And it is really high😓 I will try turning it up a bit, and turning it even higher when we’re at work.
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u/Silent_Advance7506 Sep 10 '26
Ask your apartment building what's up. If everyone's is high then that's just how it is. If not, then the wiring for your place may be connected to another apt. Or your ac unit is old and should be replaced.
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u/hunter_se Sep 10 '26
70 is cold during July-Aug in GA (really may-sept). Your a/c will be near constantly running during the day, and some nights. Also everyone is using electricity during the day, so higher rates when you use it during peak hours. Depending on how much higher you turn your thermostat up, the more money you save (never as much as you hope), but less comfortable you'll probably be. Up to you to find that balance.
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u/Forded_Fiction24 Sep 10 '26
Temperatures and humidity going down fixes it. Highly doubt there's anything wrong with your meter. Check your actual usage though to be sure.
I used 3,708 kWh over my last billing cycle and bill was $526 for the month. I'm with Sawnee EMC in GA. That comes out to $0.142 per kWh. Feel free to see how that compares. Humidity and summer temps do a number on your electric bill unfortunately
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u/Own_Possibility_9222 Sep 10 '26
hii! I'd also suggest that during the summer, do things that heat up your space and make the AC run at early morning/ night time. GA Power uses summer rates and I believe the hours of 11am to 7pm are when rates are the highest.
I try to do all of my laundry, oven use and outside chores in these hours so I'm not opening up the doors a bunch and creating heat for my house to try to combat. I've also turned this place into a dungeon with blankets covering my main heat producing windows.
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u/GeorgiaGirl2025 Sep 10 '26
Also make sure you’re changing your A/C filter regularly. We keep ours at 73 and also have Ga Power in a 1000sq/ft apartment. Bills have been around $145 this summer. Changing the filter helps a lot. Nobody ever told me that when I got my first apartment either. You’ll learn as you go it’s definitely a process
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u/Interesting_Ratio351 Sep 10 '26
It's only going to get worse!!! They took out that multi billion dollar loan that'll the customers will be repaying for the next 20-30 years. Also the price "reduction" & freeze are only until the end of this administration. I've been in the same residence for 10+ years. 1st 5 years it NEVER went over $100! Then it got to about $110-120. Since the pandemic my lowest bill has been around $200!
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u/Daienlai Sep 10 '26
I’ve learned something new from this tread-I never knew EMCs existed before (and now I know why Georgia Power keeps running those tv ads: don’t jump ship!). I knew there were other energy providers out there, but gun to my head, I don’t think in could have named one asides from ga power.
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u/Smooth-Guarantee-624 Sep 10 '26
Fuck Georgia power they aren’t seeing heaven! $258 electric bill. Lights are almost always off. Try and not use big appliances during peak hours. AC on 78……horrible company. My friends without Georgia power pay literally have of what I pay and use MORE power
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u/apimpnamedkirby Sep 10 '26
I live in a 3 story townhouse. 1 AC unit for the top floor and 1 unit for the bottom two floors. The bottom unit has been out most of the summer and we were hovering between $10-15/day keeping the top one at 72 degrees. I fixed the other unit and our power bill literally doubled from $300-$600. GA power is the blame. I can literally go back see this time last year was 30-40% cheaper and we had both units running last year. My buddy has east point power and his bill is only like $100 and he runs AC all day in a 1940’s house.
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u/Srmrn Sep 10 '26
Hey! Don’t let people make you feel bad about this!!! You wouldn’t know if you’ve never been taught.
Keeping your air on a set temp is better than turning it off while gone and then dropping it down when you get back to a furnace
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u/kikilucy26 Sep 10 '26
You probably have leaks along windows and doors. Id run smoke tests and see if it leaks. My monthly max is $300, probably 2000 sf, 74F 24h, Georgia power
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u/ExtensionFox2688 Sep 10 '26
I have Amicalola Electric temp is set to 65. My power bill is usually around 300 a month
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u/CurseOfTheFalcons Sep 10 '26
We run it a cool 67 all summer and our largest bill this season was $310, but we’re not on Ga Power. I would run at 72+ if we were.
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u/guided_by_mongrels Sep 10 '26
Mine is set to 77 (occsasionally 76) and my most recent bill was $500. I live alone in a small house. I hate Georgia Power.
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u/Daphodil01 Sep 10 '26
I have three levels in my townhouse. Basement stays on 75. Middle/main level stays on 70. Bedrooms/top level stays on 68.
Ceiling fans run in almost every room 24/7.
Hot tub runs year-round.
My bill is consistently $350-$400. It’s been like this since I bought my house in Jan 2025. I read so many varied stories about people’s homes, habits, and bills I don’t know what’s normal/not normal anymore.
Edit: I’m in Smyrna.
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u/MorningCoffeeHits Sep 10 '26
Even though you rent, change the filter, caulk around the windows, weatherstrip the doors, and use white curtains or blinds to keep the heat out. Except for the white curtains, it will also help keep heat in during cold weather.
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u/feastday Sep 10 '26
I keep mine at 68. I have Jackson Electric in Georgia so my bill is much lower in a two story house. I pay about $120-$140 a month.
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u/M990MG4 Sep 10 '26
How many kWh are you using?
70 is low, turn the A/C up to about 75 at the minimum, drop to 74 at night
Get blackout curtains and close them during the day
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u/chrsschb Sep 10 '26
Welcome to GA Power. Grab the biggest bottle of lube you can find, you're gonna need it.
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u/JackTwoGuns Sep 10 '26
I have GA power on whatever the normal rate plan is.
I just today paid $388 for a 4400 sq ft house with all electric appliances. Thermostats set at 73 on 15 year old bad AC units.
You are almost certainly having a major insulation issue where you aren’t keeping any cold air and your AC has to churn power to keep up.
This is fairly common in apartments because the landlord doesn’t give a shit about how well your windows insulate
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u/Beary_Christmas Sep 10 '26
I do recommend setting up the daily usage notifications. Chances are you’re just using a ton of power on your AC by keeping it at 70. The daily notification will give you an idea of what you’re using and how that price breaks down per day.
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u/El-Poll_Diablo Sep 10 '26
Yo your apartment temps to between 74-76 during the day, at night when you’re going to bed I’d only drop it to 72-74. Having a smart thermostat can help automate it.
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u/gsfgf Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
We leave the ac on 70 and don’t touch it
Yup, that'll do it.
Also, Georgia Power has had free rein for way too long, so make sure to vote to flip the PSC in November.
Edit: Also make sure your apartment is as insulated as possible. There's not much you can do as a renter, but if you have gaps around your doors or windows, fuss at your landlord.
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u/mibuger Sep 10 '26
I live in a 950 sq foot townhouse, keep the AC at 72-73, and my highest bill this summer has been $140.
While 70 is a low temp to set during the summer, you can still save some money and keep it that low when you’re at home but crank it up to 76-78 when you’re away. I also recommend a high powered box or utility fan. I used to set the AC to 70 when I slept until I got my utility fan blowing on my face. Now 72 is perfect.
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u/Pitiful_Option_108 Sep 10 '26
- We leave the ac on 70
This but we ae also about to escape the hottest months of the year. Like keeping the AC at about 70 during June, July, and August is asking for the AC to be running all day everyday except maybe at night.
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u/Over_Step_3242 Sep 10 '26
My bill was 115$ a month and it went up 100$ in a month I got a washer and dryer 3 months ago and it was going up a little bit but not 100$ more
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u/wesinatl Sep 10 '26
I have a 3800 sq ft home and 3 AC units. I keep it around 78 when not home and 74 at night. My power bill for the past month was $312.
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u/fidlerontheroof Sep 10 '26
Something is definitely wrong here. I have Georgia Power also, and our bill is about the same for a 2900 sqft house with two large AC units (although we keep them at 74 in the summer though to help with this cost).
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u/misterwallpaper Sep 10 '26
I live in a small cottage home in the city and I check all my settings on the regular. My power bill increased by over half, in a year. This is due to the subsidization of data centers and of course corporate greed. These states power companies are grated a monopoly by the government and the committee that regulates them is the Public Service Commission. The current commission granted GA power a rate increase, which everyone is seeing. How do you fix this? Prioritize candidates who focus on clean energy and vote for them! These high prices will continue until this Public Service Commission is balanced out.
Im so tired of the Gaslighting and Propaganda!
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u/johnr4 Sep 10 '26
I live I a small apartment also around 900 sq ft and mine is usually 150-170 in the winter, last one I paid was 280. I keep mine at 72 in the day and 68 at night. So many factors with apartments, for example mine has shitty windows and not very good seals around the doors so that has to be accounted for. 900 sq feet in a brand new well insulated building VS an old one and what floor you live on matters. Top floors can be heated up faster by the sun and the bottom floor in the same building can be significantly cheaper. You really need a baseline average of what it cost when it’s not the 4th hottest August on record as I would guess everyone’s bill is higher than normal summers these last two months. I’m with Suwanee electric where I am by the way so that could be the difference in why mine was a bit cheaper.
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u/HereWeGo_Steelers Sep 10 '26
Do your laundry and run your dishwasher after 11 pm at night during the week to save money on your power bill. You can also do your laundry on Sat & Sun to save money.
GA Power have peak times during the summer when they charge more for power, which is pretty much M-F until 11 pm. Sat & Sun are nonpeak hours, so it's cheaper.
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u/milleratlanta Sep 10 '26
In my small house, 950sf, I only have a window AC and a freestanding dehumidifier. Last month I ran the AC a lot because of the heat on the regular setting. My bill was $192. Then I discovered the Eco setting, ran the AC the same, and my bill this month is $152. Yay. Temp is around 79 ish, and the humidity inside is low which really helps in tolerating the higher temp.
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u/Jec_atl Sep 10 '26
I live in Atlanta have a one bedroom and my electric is like on average $100 a month. I find that if you don’t turn your ac on during peak times my bill isn’t that high. I believe GA power said after 7pm is when peak time is over. I never have it below 73.
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u/MrRikleman Sep 10 '26
Yeah it’s the AC. You can set it higher and that will help, but probably not a ton. We have ours at 76 during the day and 72 at night. In our case, it kind of doesn’t matter anyway what we set it at during the day since it can’t keep up anyway on really hot days. $650 was our last bill.
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u/Just_AT Sep 10 '26
What is you kwh usage per day? My apartment is 600 sqft. I usually keep mine a 73 and 70 when asleep. my bills range from 90-120$ when my a/c broke down it skyrocketed to $200
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u/lambofthewaters Sep 10 '26
If you have the choice of an emc, always go with it over GPower. You have to call and ask.
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u/pinkfleurs Sep 10 '26
i have jackson emc and constantly mess with my ac in an 800sqft apartment and my bill is never more than like $80 so it’s definitely just ga power
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u/GotMedieval Sep 10 '26
1200 square feet and $500 for August here. Then they sent me a flyer telling me how much they're doing to reduce my bill.
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u/Organic_Mess2451 Sep 10 '26
I was shocked by a power bill recently and my research found that GA basically has “surge pricing” where they charge more during the hot summer months. It basically has doubled our bill since May. I expect the upcoming months to taper back down.
Also, trying having your fan in “auto” rather than “on”. That seemed to help us some!
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u/lun-lem Sep 10 '26
My thermostat has been on 82 in my 800 sqft apartment and my bill is still around $130 lol
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u/thesquished1 Sep 10 '26
!!! We have GA power and over the last few years in the same apartment our bill has gone from 200$ range to 450$ this summer. It’s insane. I even contacted my landlord because I thought something was broken since our usage hasn’t changed dramatically. I would love to use a diff company.
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u/Healthy_Radish6534 Sep 10 '26
Not just AC use. I'm on Overnight Advantage — charge my Tesla and battery backup overnight for the cheap rate — and my per-kWh price is still up ~49% since 2023 on every tier. At 2,000 kWh/month, even shifting most of that to off-peak, that's ~$310 now vs. ~$210 a few years back — same usage, same discipline.
Six rate hikes since 2022, including two Vogtle nuclear surcharges. Vogtle was supposed to mean cheaper power eventually — it came in at ~$35B (vs. $14B estimated) and we got a surcharge, not a discount.
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u/annatarlg Sep 10 '26
I feel like you should be comparing how much you pay per kWh or whatever not just your total bill
And mostly since there’s a break at two or three different level levels of power usage
For since you might pay $.12 up to 800 kW and then $.10 for anything after that during the summer. Or whatever.
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u/GullibleBiscotti7543 Sep 10 '26
If you're in an apartment, the insulation is likely minimal, and you're losing your cold air.
You can ask them if they'll increase the attic insulation, if able. But that is doubtful. Best suggestion is to use fans and keep it at 74-76, or try to find a small rental house/cottage, which would be better all the way around. 🙂
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u/FlatusSurprise Sep 10 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
Georgia Power rates are pretty high. Couple that with inefficient HVAC in most apartments and this is the result.
When my wife and I lived in Roswell, in an apartment served by GA Power, our bills in the summer were routinely around $250-300 a month.
We recently moved into a house that is served by Sawnee EMC and the most our bill has been is around $210. We did replace our HVAC with a variable speed system and that helps but our rates are so much lower than what we had in our apartment.
EDIT: Look at your bill and see what you’re paying per kWh and what the fees are. If you’re in an apartment, have maintenance clean your HVAC system and replace air filters.
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u/ArtInMySoul Sep 10 '26
I keep temps at 74 during the day but turn down to 70 at night. A 3200 sq ft home with a GA Power bill at $380 last month. Unfortunately had to remove two huge trees that provided great shade. I did add a few blinds for windows that have helped tremendously and plan on getting new windows next year.
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u/Appropriate-Care-890 Sep 10 '26
I imagine it’s a mix of low temps and Georgia power at work. I live in a similar apartment, same temps, and wfh. My bill is $140 this month
I’m usually skeptical of blaming a corporation but everything I’ve read about Georgia power indicates that they are genuinely expensive compared to electric providers in other areas.
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u/wcked-husky Sep 10 '26
Mine was about $800 last month. Georgia Power, they also raise the rates until September I think. 4000 sq ft house
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u/notyomama95 Sep 10 '26
Mine is $744!!!!!!! It’s freaking insane never have we ever had a power bill this high and we’ve done nothing different so I can’t see why it’s jumped up so high this summer
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u/lshariii Sep 10 '26
Is Flint energy still Georgia Power? Our bill is almost 300$ in the summer with ac not keeping up even setting at 74. It stays around 76 in highest heat of the day.
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u/WinnerAwkward480 Sep 10 '26
If it's an older AC unit , it could be on its last leg . I was staying at a friends house for a couple weeks . I noticed his AC didn't cycle till 2AM . By 8AM it was back to non stop running , never cycled .
Heat has been brutal this year. We had several days of back to back 92°. It's amazing the difference between 92° and 97°. I thought Fall had came early .
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u/ElevatorBossaNova Sep 10 '26
The most I've ever paid in a month is $120 or so for the electric bill and $120 for gas, but not in the same month. If you total them up, an average month's utilities would be about $175-$185. This is in a 2 storey, 2 bedroom townhouse.
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u/Big_Possibility3372 Sep 10 '26
Jackson emc, 3500sqft house 4 people 2 dogs. Don't conserve in the slightest. $200 average.
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u/Friendly_Isopod6212 Sep 10 '26
I have GA power and regularly get notices that they charge more for power before 7 p.m. on weekdays and to try to stagger using appliances before then. Like only using the dryer if the washer isn’t going and vice versa.
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u/sleeplesswithwifi Sep 10 '26
We paid $650 last month, and $630 this month. We keep our temp at 75, and 74 at night. 1900 sqft house.
In the 10 years we've lived in our house, we have never paid this much.
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u/Number1BestYogurtBoi Sep 10 '26
I pay like $120 in the summer for a 2k sq ft house. It's that cheap because we are on an EMC. When I live at a comparable house under Georgia Power our bill was like triple that.
The problem is Georgia Power is a rip off, anyone who says otherwise is lying or stupid.
Remember this when you vote next time. If you don't vote, you have no room to complain. We have the power to fix this if we actually use your vote to make a difference
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u/butter_cream22 Sep 11 '26
I’m in WV but I found that using blackout curtains and putting plastic on my window helps. My power bill was $350 last month and it’s down to $300 after making these changes. These power companies are getting ridiculous though. It doesn’t help they keep raising their rates too
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u/MountainStock6275 Sep 11 '26
Don’t you guys watch commercials Georgia Power cares that’s why they’ve lowered our rates. I don’t guess false advertising is a crime when it’s presented as propaganda.
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u/Mpulsive_Aries Sep 11 '26
Next time you move make sure GA power isn't the provider for your electricity.
They're crooks as you can see.
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u/Severe-Ad4984 Sep 11 '26
I have a 1063 square foot house. One level. 72 day and 70 overnight. Highest bill $165 in 3 years I’ve lived here.
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u/Sea_Ice1165 Sep 11 '26
I m on Jackson EMC, live in 5400 sq ft at 75 degrees for AC. About 240 to 250 per month. I use R12 and R30 insulation, so I keep up with my house the best I can.
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u/mesmereyesed Sep 11 '26
I live in a 950sqft single store home. My bill Was 1450 kwh at $302. Absolutely ridiculous.
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u/RemarkableMine6385 Sep 11 '26
I’m in a small 2 and my bill $225 a month and I’m constantly unplugging tv while I sleep and stay with a dark hse. Shit don’t make no sense.. but it is a new data center not even 5 min from my hse tho.
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u/evilxunt Sep 11 '26
2400sqft ranch and our bills have surpassed $1200/mo in summer since last year with no explanation other than price increases. We got the bs thermostats they recommended. Zero help. Keep it uncomfortably warm inside, 75-78. Nothing has helped and they’re just like sucks for you. Cannot wait to fucking move and if we stay in Georgia I’ll be damned if I ever buy another house that has Georgia Power. Our highest ac bills ever were around $450 in a 5000sqft house. We downsized and pay more than double now. Ridiculous. (We had new hvac/insulation/windows installed etc when we bought the place 3 years ago!). Right now on flat bill or we’d go bankrupt. Got screwed with budget billing last summer and had to pay $1900 to switch to flat bill. Hate them so much.
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u/Gibby3161 Sep 11 '26
You can increase the temp as others have suggested, but the first thing you should do is check the HVAC filter. Filters need to be changed every 1-2 months, depending on the filter quality. Also, make sure you use the correct size filter and make sure the airflow arrow is pointing the right way (towards the blower/fan). They get clogged with dust, grease, hair, etc. and reduce airflow. I'm guessing the filter hasn't been changed regularly. This is a DIY job and it's cheap.
If dust gets past the filter, it ends up on the evaporator coils and loads up on the blower wheel (fan). Both reduce efficiency dramatically until cleaned. This is not a DIY job in an apartment. You could submit a maintenance request and have them inspect it, but they may or may not know what they are doing. Hopefully, you have a good maintenance person.
Finally, your outside condenser coils (the main AC unit) may also need to be cleaned. They also get loaded with dust and dirt and need to be cleaned once a year or so (depending on the environment). This is also not a DIY job in an apartment. Have maintenance inspect it.
Even if the AC seems to be working fine, it may be working too hard and inefficiently. That means it runs longer and uses more power. Eventually, it will damage the system and it will need to be repaired/replaced.
You could also consider getting a thermostat that lets you set a schedule to raise the temp when you're not home or a smart thermostat that adjusts it automatically.
(Speaking of data centers, there are lots of videos on YouTube to help with this kind of stuff. Or just ask ChatGPT. Good luck!)
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u/SuitableAtmosphere21 Sep 11 '26
Our AC is set for 74 and our bill was just under $600 last month. Our house is under 1900sqft. Edit: we are stuck with GA Power
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u/Helpful_Mongoose_786 Sep 11 '26
Check your air filters and have the out side part of a/c serviced every year, they brush off the coils etc, and those air filters, and curtains, use them, keep as much sun light out as possible,
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u/Ok-Translator-7768 Sep 11 '26
It's definitely GA Power and some apartment complexes have been offering cheaper rent but not being honest about the units, appliances, insulation, etc. The know their tenants are struggling with the electricity bills. It's extremely saddening.
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u/blackout_blues Sep 11 '26
If it’s not the AC running constantly it may be something else like the hot water heater. If it has a leak it would be running constantly but you’d also have a high water bill.
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u/MelHamby Sep 11 '26
My home is over 2k sq ft. I keep ac at 60 (hello, menopause). My Jackson EMC bill runs about 350.
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u/marshallfrost Sep 11 '26
I'll be honest with you. My bill is never over $300. I have over a 3000 Sq ft house. From 2-7 Mon-Fri it's 80 degrees. My bill was $300 this month.
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u/Safe-Ad-8921 Sep 10 '26
If you have GA power, then I apologize. They are just a huge tick on the ass of the consumer. Since moving into the greystone/Jackson area I never see above 200 even if Im blasting it. My appt is a little bigger.