Effective Aug. 1, the City of Newberry will suspend customer disconnections of electric and water service due to delinquent payments of accounts with balances less than $500.00 and waive newly accrued late fees. These relief measures are part of a broader plan to help address high utility bills due to increased fuel costs and higher consumption to combat extreme summer heat. This extended grace period will continue through Sept. 30, 2022.
Electric utilities, especially in Florida, have been significantly impacted by extremely high natural gas prices that are outside of our control. Florida is especially vulnerable to the rising cost of natural gas because 75% of Florida’s electricity is generated by natural gas power plants. Unfortunately, not only has the cost of natural gas nearly tripled over the last year, but this summer has also been very hot, and consumption of electricity has increased.
Costs are rising in many areas – rent, gas, groceries – for consumers throughout the United States. And utility bills typically peak in the months of July and August in North Central Florida. The City understands this issue affects all of our customers and many people struggle to pay more for their electricity, every day our team is working to keep our costs as affordable as possible.
The City encourages customers to do their best to stay current with their bills, as payments will be deferred, not waived. The grace period will apply to any customer – residential or business – who needs more time to pay their bill. Residents needing utility bill assistance or payment arrangements should contact our customer service team at 352-472-2161 ext 1 or by email at Service@NewberryFL.gov
"We understand the impact that these extremely high natural gas prices have had on energy costs for our residents. These increased fuel costs, coupled with high temperatures, have made this summer's utility bills extremely tough for our community" said Assistant City Manager and CFO Dallas Lee. "We're a publicly owned utility that exists to serve our residents. We're hopeful that these measures will alleviate some of the stress our residents are feeling."
The City encourages all customers to be conscious of their electricity use at this time and take steps to try to reduce usage, if possible. The City will continue to press hard to bring prices back to normal as quickly as possible. Using the new tools available in the AMI dashboard can help customers understand their usage and curb their consumption. The city also offers free in-home energy audits, customers can request one online (click here) or by calling 352-472-2161 ext 1, or use our online energy auditing tool at www.MyEnergyPlanner.com to get ideas and information about lowering their bills.
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