OG&E Announces Another Increase To Customers' Bills, Citing Fuel Costs

A mother of five said her family is struggling after OG&E announced another increase to its customers' monthly bills.

In an email to customers on Tuesday, the utility company said effective Jan. 1, the fuel charge on bills will increase by 4.8 percent. This means the average residential customer will pay about $5.46 more per month for 21 months.

OG&E said on its website that the adjustment is due to the increased price of natural gas, which is used to generate electricity. 

The utility company said it does not profit from fuel purchases, and the price it pays is the price its customers pay.

Tuesday's announcement came after three other hikes since last summer.

In July, OG&E launched a base rate increase of 1.9 percent, which means the average residential customer pays $2.07 more per month. 

The utility company said the increase is needed to help recover its investments in the grid and other critical systems over the past three years.

Then, in August, OG&E customers began paying an additional monthly charge of $3.34 on average. The utility company said the increase helped cover the cost of natural gas that was purchased to keep power plants online during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.

Two months later, on Oct. 1, OG&E customers saw a 7.4 percent increase to the fuel charge on their bills, equating to an average additional monthly cost of $9.73. 

The increase will last for 24 months. OG&E said the hike was due to the rising prices of natural gas.

Marti Platt, a mother of five who lives in Oklahoma City, said the four increases to her OG&E bill in the past seven months have been tough on her family. 

On Wednesday, she went to her doctor to check if there was a recurrence to a brain tumor she had been battling for years. But she had to go to her appointment alone because her husband could not afford to miss work.

"Because of how bad the price increases of everything is going up. And now, we just randomly got the email from OG&E about going up again," Platt said.

Platt said her bill usually surpasses $300 per month. So she does whatever she can to decrease it.

"Whenever the kids are not here, as you can see, I have all the electricity off," Platt said. "We really don't have very many sacrifices left that we can make because, you know, with holiday, especially five kids, two birthdays."

By shutting off as many lights and electrical appliances as possible, Platt said she's been able to cut her bill by about 50 percent. But she said her family is still feeling the financial burden, especially with the fear that her brain tumor might return.

"God forbid it is, it will cause a lot more health problems," Platt said. "It's scary being alone."

News 9 called OG&E on Wednesday to ask about the latest increase but have not heard back as of Wednesday night.

OG&E did say in its email on Tuesday that it has upped its natural gas storage and changed its fuel purchasing practices to lessen the impact on customers.

OG&E said it also offers payment assistance. 

Those in Oklahoma City who are struggling can call the customer service line at 405-272-9741. Customers in all other areas can call 800-272-9741.

OG&E said it also has a Low Income Assistance Program (LIAP) to help offset the bill increases. The company said the LIAP credit was recently increased by $3, totaling $13 per month. 

Customers enrolled in the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program can qualify for LIAP. Click here to learn more.