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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Many Georgians are reporting sticker shock as they open up their recent power bills with Georgia Power.

“It has gone up,” said Rebekah Brown, who lives in Old Fourth Ward, in an interview on Thursday.

“Everyone is saying, wow, what happened to the Georgia Power bills,” said Gene Milkey, during a Public Service Commission board meeting on Wednesday.

The heat this summer has certainly factored into the rising power bills.

There were twenty straight days, between June 20 and July 9, where Georgia hit 90 degrees and above, according to Jennifer Valdez, Atlanta News First Chief Meteorologist.

Valdez said last year the state hit a 16-day 90+ stretch.

Georgia Power spokesperson Amanda Arnold said the heat is certainly factoring into more expensive power bills.

“It’s very heat driven, so with more energy usage comes more demand, which it costs more to produce power,” Arnold said.

But the heat is not the only factor driving higher power bills.

Georgia Power energy rates have increased three times since June 2023.

An average retail customer would have seen approximately a 10% total increase for the same amount of power used.

“Show mercy for all of us, because everything else is so expensive, so it would help if utilities was lower,” said Brown.

The increases occurred August 2023 (3.2%, following Vogtle Unit 3 achieving commercial operation), January 2024 (roughly 2 percent, general increase), and May 2024 (roughly 5 percent, following Vogtle Unit 4 achieving commercial operation).

The rate increases help fund Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in east Georgia.

Arnold said while nuclear energy has a high cost to build, it offers predictable fuel and operating costs over the life of the units

She said that helps keep energy rates low in the long-term.

“We have a very reliable grid, and it costs money to have that kind of reliability. But it’s very important, and I don’t regret it,” said Tim Echols, Georgia Public Service Commissioner.

The Public Service Commission regulates utility companies on behalf of the public.

Echols said the Board has never accepted a proposed rate increase by Georgia Power on its first offer.

“Getting clean energy is not free, and we’re really greening our grid and that’s not cheap to do,” said Echols, in an interview with Atlanta News First on Thursday.

The five-member Board is comprised of elected commissioners.

Two groups recently filed a lawsuit challenging recent delays in the election schedule.