WAUKESHA, Wis. — Residents across southeast Wisconsin are expressing shock over dramatically higher utility bills from WE Energies, driven by freezing cold temperatures in January and February and rising natural gas prices.
Connie Calderon, a single mother who lives in a duplex in the Milwaukee-area, said her typical utility bill runs around $150 a month. This month, it was $251.
"Like, wow, not expecting that," Calderon said.
When asked what her first thought was upon seeing the number, Calderon said, "I don't think I can say it on TV."
At Idyllic Bubble Tea House, a tea shop in Waukesha, small business owner Selina Wietzel was dealing with the same issue.
Watch: Homeowners and business owners express shock over dramatically higher WE Energies bills
"Usually, an average was about $320 and it went to over $700," Wietzel said.
Wietzel pays for heat and power in two ways — for what her business uses and for a shared boiler in her building. While she said there are ways to cut power usage at home, she said it is nearly impossible to do so in her business, which requires multiple refrigerators.
"All down below is a cooler system, and this controls our food. We cannot unplug this," Wietzel said pointing to some of her refrigerators. "This I would say is pretty costly.”
Calderon show us she used nearly the same amount of electricity as last year, but she did use more gas than the year prior.
WE Energies says the worldwide price of natural gas was up over the winter. The company says it does not make a profit on natural gas and only charges to deliver it. WE Energies also says customers are using more energy because of the cold temperatures in January and February.
To offset the higher costs, Wietzel said she cut her employees' hours and worked more herself so she could keep menu prices the same. For Calderon, the higher bill means cuts elsewhere in her budget.
"There is really not much else you can do. You have to have heat," Calderon said.
WE Energies says the company works with customers who are having trouble paying their bills can call 800-242-9137 or click here.
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