This is Why Your Power Bill Jumped in Idaho Last Month

Idaho residents have taken to social media to express their concern and anger at recent surprise increases in their power bills. Some have reported paying anywhere between a few dollars and a few hundred dollars more than the previous month but with no changes in lifestyle or additional power usage. But is the rate increase actually a surprise?

Why are so Many Twin Falls Residents Upset with the Recent Power Bill Hike

In a group on Facebook, residents have expressed their surprise and confusion at receiving a higher power bill this month from Idaho Power. Even those with Budget Pay (level pay) plans have claimed an increase in their bill.

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While some residents were surprised by the increase in their bills, the increase isn’t a secret or an error. Idaho Power announced that there would be a small increase to customers earlier this year. In June, their request to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission was approved allowing them to change customer rates according to costs of operation. Most residential customers will see around a 10 percent increase on their bills and between 8 and 20 percent for businesses.

Take a look at your power bill and see if the increase equals out top around 10 percent over the previous month. If the bill is higher (to those who say they were billed $200 or more extra) you can contact Idaho Power with concerns. Idaho Power customers can also apply for the Budget Pay plan which spreads out the payments equally over the year based on the previous 12 months' usage.

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Idaho Power also charges differently depending on the time of day. The breakdown of your usage during peak and off times can be found on your bill or if you log in to your account online. During the summer, there could be up to a 5-cent difference (between 7.4 cents and 12.9 cents) per kWh used depending on the time of day.