El Dorado County restaurant's electric bill gets significant increase for start of summer
EL DORADO — On the heels of the last heat wave and more triple-digit temperatures on the way, many people around the area are starting to get their electric bills—which is coming with sticker shock.
"Out of every dollar that comes in, a restaurant is going to keep about 3 cents in their pocket," Dean Hiatt, executive chef at Poor Red's Bar-B-Q, said.
Hiatt said the restaurant's Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) monthly bill usually averages about $4,000.
In June, it jumped to $5,000. Hiatt said that he's nervous because he hasn't received the bill yet for this last heat wave.
"If you budget something for your electricity or for your gas and then you have a heat wave that spikes up, that digs directly into your pocket," he said.
Hiatt said that if the restaurant has a high electric bill, then he knows his customers probably do too. He said this directly impacts business because people may not want to spend money on going out to eat.
"If it's 117 degrees outside, you don't want to leave the house. You're like, 'I have to get in my car, I've got to cool it down, I've got to spend gas in my car to get to another place,' " Hiatt said.
PG&E implemented a 12.8% rate increase in January of this year, which added about $32 to the average monthly bill.
Another increase was implemented in April that added about $5 to the average monthly bill.
A temporary 9% decrease was implemented on July 1.
Paul Moreno, a spokesperson for PG&E, said they offer multiple payment plans and options including "Budget Billing."
"You pay a fixed amount for your energy over a period of a few months so you know what your payment is going to be each month. This is readjusted after several months," Moreno said.
Suzanne Goodrich lives in El Dorado County and said for just two people, her highest electric bill was around $800.
She said this caused her to switch to solar two years ago, which she said is now saving her money every month.
"It's made our life a little bit easier that I know that I'm selling back more than what I'm using. I don't like getting those big PG&E bills," Goodrich said.
If you need help paying your bill, you can find more resources from PG&E by clicking here.