Peach Tree Times

While extreme heat has been a relative for many states this summer, the need for households to constantly run their air conditioning to keep cool has led to record-high electric bills.

As of July, the average residential electricity rate in the U.S. is 14.77 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and for businesses the average is 11.92 cents per kWh, according to SaveOnEnergy.com. As of April, the average rate in Georgia is 13.46 cents per kWh—up 10.1% from a year ago.

“National electricity rates are through the roof under President Biden's failed leadership. Energy costs are disproportionately hurting families, workers and lower-income Americans who are struggling to rebuild their lives and livelihoods post-pandemic. Energy rates are the highest they've ever been in American history, and the Democrats are doing everything in their power to strangle our energy portfolio," Republican political consultant Jonathan Lockwood said.

Lockwood went on to paint an uncertain future, saying "The Democrats can’t count on moderate Republicans and disaffected Democrats and Independents voting Democrat just because they did in 2020."

This comes as residents in many parts of Georgia have been warned of extreme heat this summer. In Atlanta specifically, the first half of 2022 was one of the hottest starts to a year in the city’s recorded history. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports June’s oppressive heat waves caused many cities and towns in central and southern Georgia to break or tie daily temperature records. On June 15, Atlanta surpassed a 70-year-old daily temperature record when it hit 99 degrees in the city. Days later, another daily record was tied when it hit 98 degrees.

In September of 2021 and 2020, respectively, Georgia residents were paying an average of 12.26 cents per kWh and 12.53 cents per kWh, representing a 2.15% year-over-year decrease.

Using data from their latest Electric Power Monthly report, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that in 2021, the average nominal retail electricity price paid by U.S. residential electric customers rose at the fastest rate since 2008, increasing 4.3% from 2020 to 13.72 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

In a recent national poll distributed by the Senate Opportunity Fund (SOF), 58% of Americans said they blame President Biden for inflation. This includes nearly half (48%) of moderate voters and 30% of Democrats. The SOF poll was conducted July 5-7, 2022, and it surveyed 800 general election likely voters on a national scale.

As of 2022, the percentage of people in Georgia living under poverty is 14%, or 1,528,558 residents.