CPS Energy customers cranking up air conditioning pay nearly $80 more for comfort, utility says

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LOCAL NEWS

Patty Santos, Reporter

Published: August 4, 2022 at 10:20 PM

Tags: CPS Energy, Weather, Temperature, Money

CPS Energy customers cranking up air conditioning pay nearly $80 more for comfort, utility says

Fuel cost increases driving up monthly bills

San Antonio – CPS Energy customers are paying higher energy bills than last summer, with an average increase of about $80, according to the utility.

The monthly bill increase is primarily due to fuel costs going up and the relentless Texas heat wave. The state is also experiencing a record year for energy demand, according to Cory Kuchinsky, chief financial officer and treasurer for CPS Energy. ... “We try and mitigate a little bit of that cost. But there’s a global market that we can’t control, and that’s creating pressure everywhere for everyone,” Kuchinsky said.

Many are using even more electricity as Texas sees a historic heat wave. ... “The average bill was almost $225, and that’s about $70, almost $80, higher than what it was a year ago -- 45% of that was driven just by fuel cost,” Kuchinsky said.

In June, the average bill is about $180, with an average of 1,100 KwH in usage. ... “June, the average bill was $225 if you’re looking at it from a month perspective. And our average usage was closer to 1,400 hours for that,” Kuchinsky said.

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