High Bill Help
Why is my bill so high?
In the months following unusually hot or cold weather, you may see higher electric bills.
Two factors can impact your bills: the amount of energy used – measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) – and the cost of fuel to generate power.
The hotter or colder it gets, the more energy you may be using. Air conditioning and heating systems are running longer, working harder and using more energy. You can compare your current kWh usage to the same month a year ago with information displayed on your bill or by using the SWEPCO mobile app.
The fuel portion of your bill includes the cost of fuel to generate electricity and the cost of purchased power. The "fuel factor" used to calculate this part of the bill is adjusted periodically to make sure customers pay only SWEPCO's actual fuel costs. SWEPCO's fuel costs are a direct pass-through to customers.
Customer High Bill FAQs
We understand there are many concerns regarding the rising cost of electricity bills. As a reminder, bills are calculated different in each state, as our base rates, fuel and other charges are reviewed and approved by each state’s public service commission. Below we have added FAQs for each state based on recent changes in our Rates.
2021 Winter Storm Fuel Costs
Fuel costs to generate electricity during the February 2021 winter storm increased substantially. To minimize the impact on customers' bills, SWEPCO is spreading the extraordinary winter storm fuel costs over five years rather than collect them in one month, as is typically done in Louisiana, or one year in Arkansas and Texas. These fuel costs were included in customers' bills starting in April 2021 in Arkansas, May 2021 in Louisiana and May 2022 in Texas. A proposed Texas fuel surcharge is pending regulatory review.
Save Energy and Money
Learn more about how you can save energy and money in your home and business. Visit SWEPCO.com/savings.
Find out about the energy efficiency rebates and programs available where you live
Request Help
We encourage customers who are struggling to pay electric bills to contact us so we can work together to find a solution. Visit SWEPCO.com/Assist, call 1.877.446.7211, or contact us through Facebook.com/SWEPCO or X.com/SWEPCOnews.
You may qualify for:
- An extended payment agreement. In cases where bill payments have fallen behind, it may make sense to consider setting up a payment arrangement. SWEPCO's Customer Solutions Center representatives can describe specifics based on each situation.
- Our Average Monthly Payment Plan (AMP). AMP averages out payments throughout the year to account for seasonal spikes in usage. Bills adjust on a 12-month rolling average and change only slightly each month, making bills more predictable.
- A payment assistance program. SWEPCO can provide eligibility guidelines, contact information and program specifics for local and state assistance organizations, and work with those organizations to verify the information and accept agency assistance pledges.
Log into your SWEPCO account, or call us at 1.888.216.3523 to request help.