NORFOLK, Va. — Residents across Hampton Roads are pushing back against higher power bills, with about 20 people gathering outside Dominion Energy's Norfolk office Monday to share their stories and demand answers.
Elsie Turner said her February power bill for her Virginia Beach condo came out to $452.
"That's totally absurd. What's wrong with these folks?" Turner said.
Turner was among those who gathered for about an hour Monday afternoon outside Dominion Energy's Norfolk office off Cromwell Drive.
"I would see if it was $10 more or $20 more, but not $250 more," Turner said. "I mean, you wanna get an increase, that's fine, but don't do it like that. It's awful."
Tasha Boyd, who lives in Norfolk, said her bill went from $200 to $500 in recent months.
"I got all six of my nieces in my custody. I work two jobs and it's been rough," Boyd said. "They need to lower it, there's no way in the world these bills are running $400 or $500 like that. That's higher than the water bill."
News 3 sat down Monday with Dominion Energy's Vice President of Customer Experience, Utibe Bassey, to ask about the increases.
Bassey said the cold winter — the coldest in a decade — led to heating systems working harder, which makes a rate increase even more evident. Bassey said that, along with fuel costs and other charges, have led to some customers seeing higher power bills.
"My hope is that customers see they do have several options. They're not stuck," Bassey said.
Those options include budget billing, which allows customers to pay an average rate each month to avoid seasonal swings.
Dominion also offers a program called EnergyShare, where people can request financial assistance for heating and cooling. Customers can also sign up for alerts about how much energy they are using.
"There are choices and programs and resources," Bassey said.
For the group that gathered outside Dominion's Norfolk office Monday, they say they plan to return and continue making their voices heard.
"We need answers why these bills are higher like that, and I'm not the only one, it's a whole lot of people," Boyd said. "We all need to be out here protesting, it's ridiculous."
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