JEA customers see spikes in bills ahead of more cold temperatures

Many JEA customers say their bills are up more than $100 after the coldest weather in Jacksonville in years.

"I said, 'Wow, this is a lot higher than the year before," Glenna Veiga said. "Twice as high as I regularly pay."

Jacksonville saw the coldest temperatures since 2010 in the beginning of January. Several nights were below freezing, with many days 20 degrees colder than average.

"We’re having to adjust. I did have to go out and buy more thermals so I could layer better," Roxanne Daniel told Action News Jax.

She and other neighbors said they are taking extra measures to make sure next month's bills aren't as high.

JEA is telling customers about several ways to keep costs down, including a utility tracker that helps customers track where they use the most energy.

A JEA spokesperson says people should avoid using auxiliary or emergency heat by gradually turning up the thermostat by only 1 degree at a time.

Increasing the temperature too much at once activates heat strips, which use 30 percent more energy than the HVAC unit.

JEA says customers should also consider signing up for MyBudget, a program that bills customers based on an average of their last 12 bills.

"I did make use of my fireplace, as well as space heaters and additional clothing," Veida said.

"Just dressing in layers, trying to stay warm without using more energy," Daniel said.

JEA says if you think your energy usage is unusually high, you can make an appointment for a technician to come to your house and help identify how your energy is being spent.

You can make an appointment by calling JEA at 904-665-6000.

Cox Media Group