SAN DIEGO — If you're noticing your San Diego Gas & Electric bills are much higher this month, you're not alone.
“I'm feeling a rate hike every month,” said Kimberly, who lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Carlsbad.
Over the past few months, she's noticed her SDG&E bills have gone up and is concerned about how high they'll go.
"May of 2023 was when I started to get worried because of that 115, 127, 149, and now we're at 200 for a one bedroom, said Kimberly."
Kimberly said she uses very little electricity and doesn't know what more she can do.
It's caused her to panic, especially after it was announced student loan payments start back up in October.
"I'm gonna have to decide on who to pay."
CBS8 brought her concerns to SDG&E.
Spokesperson Anthony Wagner explained there is a different charge for electricity during the summer, especially between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. when demand is at its highest.
"Four to nine is when it's most expensive to produce electricity across California and when it's most expensive to try to balance all of the electrical grid necessities," said Wagner.
Summer pricing started June 1.
It applies to those on time-of-use plans, which most customers are. About 80% of San Diegans source their electricity from community choice aggregators, so prices vary.
One example is SDG&E’s pricing for people in Tier 1, the most common one.
During off-peak hours, you'll pay 40.3 cents per kilowatt hour if you stay within 130% of your baseline.
Between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., that jumps to 71.6 cents.
If you use more than 130 percent of your baseline, those prices go from 52 cents during off-peak hours to 83.3 cents during that peak.
Your baseline allowance, marked on your bill, is primarily determined by the "climate zone" you live in - coastal, inland, mountain, or desert.
Wagner suggests customers can lower their bills by making some simple changes.
"When it's most expensive, doing your laundry or dishes is probably not a good idea. Maybe you can lower your thermostat on your actual water heater from whatever it is now down to 120 degrees," said Wagner.
Turning the temperature up on your air conditioner will also save you money.
Back in Carlsbad, Kimberly is convinced her bills aren't the result of summer pricing but rather inaccuracies, saying her kilowatt-per-hour usage has almost doubled and even spiked when she sleeps.
A technician is scheduled to check her meter next week to determine why she's paying so much.
“It makes no sense,” said Kimberly.
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